[Skellis07]

Hi there

Yes – you understood me correctly and your solution worked just spot on.

It’s kind of weird really b/c as I understand it, your solution means cutting black shapes out in photoshop, importing those shapes (as layers) into AE, and then dropping the opacity of each (in AE) to ‘reveal’ the moving image underneath …

I can’t say I really understand why the masks (from photoshop) didn’t work as I’d expect …

Thanks for your help.

Cheers
Simon

[Skellis07]

Hi again

Trying to make this clearer.

What I am looking to do is create a p/shop file with multiple masks, import the file into AE, then work with these masks so that they have a CUMULATIVE effect on the background video/image (ie, one image masking, then second is added to this mask, and so on …)

I can achieve this cumulative effect by creating simple mask shapes in AE itself. These masks all appear underneath (or within) the image layer (ie when I twirl down the image layer).

Here is an example of relationship between masks and their image layer: https://www.skellis.net/Images/fromAE.jpg

However, eventually I want to develop complex mask shapes (in photoshop) and do the same thing.

When I try and do this the masks (from photoshop) are all placed in their own layers (and not as a part of the background image layer as above).

Here is example: https://www.skellis.net/Images/fromPSD.jpg

However, in this latter example the masks (if more than one is visible) cancel the other masks out – and I end up with simple a white screen! (hence only one ‘mask layer’ being visible in this second example).

What am I doing wrong or missing?

I have tried to copy these layers (imported from photoshop) into an image/video layer in AE – but they stubbornly refuse to go there (and just create new layers).
I am sure there is just small part of either a) creating masks in p/shop for use in AE, or b) how to generate the ‘correct’ relationship between the masks and the background image in AE – that I am missing.

Help ….

Cheers
Simon