• Adobe After Effects

  Using Shape as Template for Transparency

  Posted by Paul Walsh on September 14, 2014 at 11:30 pm

  Hiya,
  Quick question from an After Effects rookie.

  The desired effect I’m looking for is to have a black solid background with some text on it and a cog spinning on top. However, I would like the cog, rather than really being there as an object, to be cut out of the black solid, allowing another piece of video underneath to be visible through the shape of the cog. I would then zoom in on the cog and go ‘into’ the video underneath. How would I use the cog image as a template to cut into a black solid background without having to do it manually? Is it possible?

  I hope that makes sense! How would you guys go about this?

  Thanks in advance,
  Paul.

  John Cuevas replied 11 years, 11 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  John Cuevas

  September 15, 2014 at 12:11 pm

  Make the black solid the bottom layer, place the video layer above it, and place your cog above the video layer and change the video layers track matte(press F4 to switch to the track mattes pull downs if not visible) to “alpha matte”. The video should be playing within the cog now.

  Johnny Cuevas, Editor
  Thinkck.com

  “I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
  —THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb.

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