• Adobe After Effects

  Multiple Masks = No Effect???

  Posted by Alex Kuzelicki on August 16, 2006 at 9:06 am

  Hi,

  I have a masking problem that I’m sure is easy to solve… but not for me!

  Ok, I have some video of a tattoo that I want to gradually glow. So I figured I’d make one layer of the video normal and one layer (of the same video) that slowly burns out then I’d make a mask (on the normal layer) over the tattoo. Which should show the glowing layer underneath, right?

  In theory, this should be simple… BUT the tattoo design isn’t one simple shape. I have to make multiple separate masks on the normal layer. When I do this, however, I don’t see the glow underneath. It took me ages to figure out that the masks are overlaying each other, effectively blocking out the previous one that I make.

  But, even knowing this doesn’t help! I still can’t figure out how to have multiple masks on the normal layer all showing through the glowing layer underneath. I used to use Digital Fusion, where you could link all the masks together as one but I don’t think After Effects works this way.

  Stumped! Would appreciate some advice.

  Thanks kindly in advance,

  ALEX KUZELICKI
  hybrid@bigpond.net.au

  PS – Perhaps I’m doing this all wrong (most likely). Is there an even easier away to achieve the effect I want.

  Alex Kuzelicki replied 20 years ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Mylenium

  August 16, 2006 at 9:58 am

  Overlapping masks should not pose a problem for AE. What you are trying to do sounds simple enough. Check if all masks have a proper mode (in your case “subtract”) and not some of them arte inert (“none”).

  Mylenium

  [Pour Myl
• 

  Alex Kuzelicki

  August 17, 2006 at 7:42 am

  Thanks Mylenium.

  I had the masks set to Add and then Invert. Not sure if this makes a difference but now it’s set to Subtract all is fine and working.

  Much appreciated.

  ALEX

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