Fancy masking attempt is impossible. Or is it?

[Hoptoad]

Is there a way to use masking to accomplish this elaborate eye rig (see image)?
I've tried everything I can think of, so I'm thinking. . .it's impossible. Or is it?

If it's impossible with masking, how would you do it? I'm thinking I might create a bunch of switch layers and two smart bone dials.

[MrMiracle77]

This might not require masking at all. Instead of using the smartbone dials to pull the upper and lower eyelid into place, use them to alter the shape of a layer with the black eye outline, revealing the blue/skin toned shapes underneath.

- Layer 1 - white open eye with black outline
- Layer 2 - upper and lower eyelid in closed position with blue/skin fill and outline.

Smartbones: alters the points and beziers of Layer 1 to move the black outline into the desired positions, overlapping with the line where the blue/skin shapes connect.

[Hoptoad]

GASP!
I think I could do that, no problem. Thanks.

Okay, one more question. I want the bone that controls the lower eyelid to point downward when at rest, and have it rotate to the right 90 degrees when raising the lower eyelid. The makes sense to me: move the bone upward and the eyelid moves upward. But I can't figure out how to do that.

If you look at the image above, you'll see what I mean. There are two red L-shapes showing how the bones should rotate. I can make an upward-facing smart bone work, but not a downward-facing one.

I'm pretty sure I have to enter a 0 and a 90 or a -90 in boxes, but it's not working.

It bugs me a little having to rotate a bone downward to raise an eyelid upward.

[slowtiger]

I've still not solved the riddle of those degree limits of smart bones, all I know is that they don't correspond to any direction of your animation action, but only to a position in the action timeline. And they will not work at all if you rotate the smart bone after creating. But will experiment and post results.

[Hoptoad]

Thanks. Good luck.

[SimplSam]

It bugs me a little having to rotate a bone downward to raise an eyelid upward.

Just set the desired angles / angle constraints in the Smart Bone Action editor. Personally I never use the Make Smart Bone Dial and always just create Smart Bone Actions from scratch.

[3deeguy]

I logged in just to ask how to post an image. Then I saw the icon. That's a useful forum feature.

[Hoptoad]

Just set the desired angles / angle constraints in the Smart Bone Action editor. Personally I never use the Make Smart Bone Dial and always just create Smart Bone Actions from scratch.

Thanks, SimplSam. That worked like a charm!

I think I'm going to abandon Smart Bone Dials and simply use Smart Bone Actions from now on.

I logged in just to ask how to post an image. Then I saw the icon. That's a useful forum feature.

This is what I do:
I use Dropbox to host an image.
Copy the Dropbox link.
Write forum post.
Click the Insert Image button (not URL).
Paste link.
Edit the link, changing dl=0 to raw=1.
Preview to make sure it worked.

[3deeguy]

This is what I do:
I use Dropbox to host an image.
Copy the Dropbox link.
Write forum post.
Click the Insert Image button (not URL).
Paste link.
Edit the link, changing dl=0 to raw=1.
Preview to make sure it worked.

Images need to be hosted. Thank you.
I was thinking all I had to do was upload an image from my computer!