CGTalk - using animated masks to limit effects filters

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Johnny_Scott

08-07-2002, 12:43 PM

I've just gotten after effects this past week and have been trying desperately to figure out some things but still am stuck.

1.) Can one use input video layers as masks to control where effects filters have the most influence? (ex. using a z-depth layer rendered from a 3d program to limit a gaussian blur effect to simulate depth of field on a 3d rendering)

2.) If you can use layers as effects masks on other layers can the mask layers change over time (be video rather than a static image)?

3.) Can after effects access multiple channels in a layer? I am using RLA sequences which can have many channels. How can I access these channels in After effects. (I'd like to start using different channels as masks for effects filters as I mentioned above).

Thanks a lot!

Johnny_Scott

08-07-2002, 10:00 PM

I've been through the help file and can't find any feature to confine the influence of an effect to certain parts of an image with a mask.

This is a basic and very necessary component in photoshop, I wonder why after effects doesn't include it?

I am in disbelief that there is no way to influence only part of a layer with an effect.....

...am I missing something here?

antonis04

08-08-2002, 10:07 AM

i had the same question when i started learning AE.

i had posted a question in a forum too but the only thing i was told is to duplicate the layer, mask the area i wanted to apply the filter and apply it. In some cases it works in some it doesn't.

Johnny_Scott

08-09-2002, 03:27 AM

Thanks for replying. It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one noticing the absence of this feature.

if AE can't use animated masks to affect the amount an effect influence different parts of a layer then the program is prietty useless for my purposes.

I had gotten premiere before I purchased AE and couldn't find a way to use image masks in that program either and it has very limited effects.

So both programs are missing this vital function. Does anybody know if of any compositing program (Combustion?) which does includes the ability to use animation as masks to limit filters/effects?

I am baffled that AE and premiere can't do this..........:thumbsdow

Is there a (simple?) way of using scripting in AE to do this? Does anybody understand the scripting part of the interface well enough to know if it extending the program in this way would be doable?

thanks a lot!

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