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How to cut a specific portion of a video and paste it in another part?
Here is an example image.
The image is a regular video with black rectangles hiding parts of it. I need this comp with black windows in order to know how to cut the video.
I want to be able to cut for example the left hand portion of a video and paste it where the black portion is.
And eliminate all the black portions but still have the image split up as if the black portions were there.
This needs to be in a different comp that is the size of all of them together.See attached image for example…
What workflow do you recommend? multiplying the video 4 times with masks and stacking them up together, and then resize the comp or send them to another comP?
Is there an easier way?
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9 Replies
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There are a couple of approaches you could take. One would be to take the “master” image with the black bars, duplicate it, and make it Guide Layer (Layers/Guide Layers). Then use that as your guide.
You could also use your master image to put Guides on the page, then use masks to cut multiple copies where the bars are. I think that working in a single comp will keep things simpler, but I do think your thoughts were on the right track.
There is a Masks to Layers script that may speed the process:
https://aescripts.com/maskstolayers/
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
Thank you Joseph.. very helpful. And thx for the script.
The problem I am having now is when using masks in moving images. Images that have a keyframe animation of the position. The masks move with the image position.
If you see previously attached image – the bottom example – Imagine that is a portion of a big scaled image that moves from position A to B .. the thing is that masks move with the image. I
here is what I am doing
So I am making various masks of the video in every space except where the black columns are, then I use the script and make layers out of the masks then I move the masks to another comp where I can put each one next to each other. This works perfectly for videos that are still.
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humm I figured out a workflow don’t know if it is the best way.
Basically use a shape mask on top of the layer.make the shape rectangles on everything except black rectangles then use track matt then precompose both layers(shape + moving layer) then use masks on the pre comp then masks to layer script. and then you move the layers together to get what I wanted to get initially on the first image I attached -this time working with a moving layer.
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I’m not sure I completely understand what you’re doing but it seems like for the moving layers you could just use a solid with a mask as a track matte without all of the shape layers and pre-composing? If the video layer and solid are both comp size then could you just cut/paste the mask to a solid and set it to be the matte for the video?
Erik Waluska
EAWmedia -
Thanks for the reply Erik.
I think the problem with your workflow is that I need to “cut” each mask(with an image) and then pass it to a comp where they are all together. If I use a solid layer and masks inside that layer I am not able to transform those masks to each to a new layer since if I do I would get a solid without an image.
In the attached picture the one of the top shows that I only want to get the portions that have the image not the black, the bottom picture surrounded by a yellow square shows the final comp of the masks together.
The problem arises when I have an image that moves – you can see the transparency in the attached image –
when I have that the masks also move so I need to do what I described in the previous post.
Let me know if I am missing something? maybe I didn’t completely understand what you were explaining.
I appreciate the help.
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Hey Sebastian, I think I finally understand what you’re trying to do, But I’m not sure I understand what you mean about not having an image if you used track mattes. When you use a solid layer with a mask as a track matte the solid layers visibility is turned off so you don’t see it. The track matte would not move if the image below it moved, it is only there to cut out the alpha channel of the layer below it.
Maybe a simpler solution would be to just to pre-comp the animation of the image and then use that as your footage. That way you can just mask that pre-comp and not have to worry about the movement.
Erik Waluska
EAWmedia -
[Erik Waluska] “Maybe a simpler solution would be to just to pre-comp the animation of the image and then use that as your footage. That way you can just mask that pre-comp and not have to worry about the movement.”
That’s how I’d approach it (assuming the black bars do not move).
I’d create a comp the size of your second, narrower shot without the black bars. I’d drop the wider comp into this narrow comp, then duplicate it three times so I had four copies total. I’d mask each layer to be one sliver of the image, eliminating all the black, then edge-butt them together.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
Erik & Walter – thank you very much, that is indeed a simpler workflow. I’ll send you guys a video of the project once I am finished. You help me save a lot of time!
thanks for the help!
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You’re welcome, I’m glad we could help. I look forward to seeing the finished video.
Erik Waluska
EAWmedia
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