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Subtraction masks like in Apple Motion
I’m blurring footage in After Effects and need help with subtraction masks.
In Apple Motion, when adding a subtraction mask to the mix, you simply draw a mask and set it to subtract and make sure its on top of the layers you want to subtract from. In my case they’re layers of different blur masks.
Is there a way to do this in After Effects? I use Adjustment layers and add the Gaussian Blur to the masks I draw on the layers to make blurs. BUT, when I make a new Adj layer and set it to subtract, it does nothing.
The only way i’ve gotten this to work is by copying the video layer and masking that over the blurs, but that’s not technically a subtraction mask. How can i use this concept in Motion over in After Effects?? Help!
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8 Replies
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Create a solid and make your mask and change the mode of that layer to “Silhouette Alpha”
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. -
[Claudia Gabriela] “BUT, when I make a new Adj layer and set it to subtract, it does nothing.”
Are you making another adjustment layer?
Try to draw another mask on your current one and set that mask to subtract (press “m” to show masks on the selected layer and be carefull to change the mask, not the layer to subtract mode). I’m not familiar with motion but I’m betting you’re just changing the wrong thing.
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Doing that will erase the footage bellow too John. Wouldn’t it?
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Correct…my bad there(brain freeze).
She could place a solid over each adjustment layer and just change the mode to alpla inverted.
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. -
This works for the current mask, but at times i’ll have up to 5-10 masks in different places and I need a subtraction that will go through all of them at once to save time :/
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Then no, there’s no easy way to do that within AE.
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Place a solid over each adjustment layer, create the mask and just change the mode to alpla inverted.
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. -
It works individually, but unfortunately its too time consuming
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