Simon Bonner
Forum Replies Created
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If you double click on the mask, or select it in the timeline and hit ctrl+t, you’ll get the bounding box for the mask. This might make it easier to work with, plus you’ll be certain you’re not scaling the whole layer.
Grab one of the corners and hold shift so you’re scaling proportionately, plus ctrl so you’re scaling from the centre of the mask. Hopefully this is what you mean by “scaling without moving”.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
Hi Jean-Guy,
I have a 2-part video tutorial on my youtube channel (link below) on this very topic.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
Let’s say you have two layers: the person layer and the bullet layer. You need to duplicate the person layer, put it above the bullet layer, then shut of the eyeball switch for the top person layer. Draw a mask around the arm, or whatever it is that overlaps the bullethole. Animate the mask shape so that it follows the arm over time. Turn the eyeball switch back on. The masked portion of the top person layer should obscure the bullethole whenever the arm moves in front of it. You might want to adjust the feathering and expansion of the mask to get a cleaner and softer mask.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
Select the layer and hit I for in or O for out. Incidentally, you can move between layers by holding ctrl and hitting up or down on the arrow buttons or by hitting the layer’s stack number on the numpad. Fast navigation is the way forward!
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
Yes, you can do this. Add your comp to the render queue and then modify the output module settings. In the dialogue box, set the channels dropdown menu to RGB + alpha. For some codecs this option is unavailable: try rendering a lossless avi or a QT animation. Anyway, seeing as you plan to work further in Premiere, it makes sense to use a lossless codec.
It may also be worth watching Aharon’s tutorial on straight vs. premultiplied rendering here. Another of Aharon’s tutorials add to the concept here.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but thought I would make sure when you say export that you mean render. Are you using the render queue or the export command? It’s always better to use the render queue if you have the option. Try rendering the comp as lossless and see what happens.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
I think Dave uses a mac, but on my pc I can get the effect you’re looking for by holding ctrl as I drag out. Only press ctrl after you’ve started to click and drag with your mouse, otherwise your mask tool cursor will change back into the selection tool cursor and you won’t be able to start drawing.
In case you don’t know, holding shift allows you to constrain the proportions of the mask.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
You shouldn’t use compressed formats like mpeg in AE because it can result in rendering problems, not to mention slow scrubbing. Convert your footage to a format with full frames, such as quicktime animation or lossless avi.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
Have you thought about setting it up with a series of playlists? Someone else pointed that out to me as a possibility when I had a similar project issue to the one you’re describing. Search in your helpfiles for playlist and see if you can do anything with it.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX -
The models inside the guy’s face look 3D, a fact which is shown off by the movement of the head, so they would not have been produced in AE. You don’t need a greenscreen, though. The crosses on the guy’s face are for motion tracking, and they’ve been removed digitally in post. You could effect a low-tech version of this in AE, but you be limited to 2D elements so it would be best to mimimise facial movement. Just mask off the portion of the face you want to ‘remove’ and then animate the position of the masked layer.
Simon Bonner
youtube.com/simonsaysFX