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Masks/Alpha mattes on layers with collapsed transformations
Hi all,
So, I pre-composed a bunch of the same text layer (they have different blending modes to achieve a look) and collapsed the transformations in order to reveal is from behind a solid used as an inverted alpha matte. Well, as you all probably know, when you do this (or try masking the pre-comp) it nixes the blending modes which defeats my purpose of pre-composing them in the first place.
Does anyone know a work-around for this? Thanks in advance for any help!
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4 Replies
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I just made text layers with multiple blending modes, precomp, hit the collapse transformations and the blending modes within the precomp are still active?
Do you mean that you can’t use the precomp and blending modes? There is a work-around for that:
Precompose a layer (LAYER > PRECOMPOSE); in the switches column (F4) activate the Collapse Transformations switch (it looks like a little sun) for the new precomp; in the modes column (F4) you’ll notice that the blend mode popup menu has a little dash on itletting you know blend modes are unavailable for the layer. Here’s the trick: Apply an effect to the collapsed precomp (this can be something like EFFECTS > EXPRESSION CONTROLS > ANGLE CONTROL that does nothing) and the blend mode popup will become active again.
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. -
[John Cuevas] “I just made text layers with multiple blending modes, precomp, hit the collapse transformations and the blending modes within the precomp are still active?”
It loses blending modes the moment you assign a track mattes.
The workaround works but only for a single blending mode and it won’t be the exact same most of the time,
because it’s applied to the “grouped” layers blended result and not to the layers itself.There’s nothing to do but to apply a matte to each layer if you want to make it look exactly the same.
Edit: The set matte effect can probably help you there since the texts are continuously rasterized, you’ll have to pre-comp your matte, and apply the effect referencing the matte to all texts.
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I did not know that…thanks for the heads-up
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. -
A-ha. Gotcha. Yeah, that’s kind of what I was worried about. Welp, I appreciate your time, fellas, thanks!
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