User manual ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0

[. . . ] Adobe After Effects 5. 0 User Guide for Windows and Macintosh If this guide is distributed with software that includes an end-user agreement, this guide, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. Except as permitted by any such license, no part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Please note that the content in this guide is protected under copyright law even if it is not distributed with software that includes an end-user license agreement. The content of this guide is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Adobe Systems Incorporated. [. . . ] 6 Click OK. About Mask Paths A mask in After Effects is a drawn path consisting of path segments and control points. Segments are the lines or curves that connect two control points. Control points define where each segment of a path starts and ends. In addition, the mask you create can be either an open or closed path. An open path has different beginning and ending points; for example, a straight line is an open path. A closed path is continuous and has no beginning or end; for example, a circle is a closed path. Closed-path masks can create transparent areas for a layer. Open paths cannot create transparent areas for a layer, but are useful when used as a parameter for an effect; for example, creating a visible line or shape from the mask using the Stroke effect. For more information, see "Applying effects to a mask" on page 256. Creating masks from motion paths You can copy Position, Anchor Point, or an effect's point position keyframes and paste those keyframes to a selected mask. This is useful to create animations that follow the edges of a mask. When you create masks from motion paths, make sure that you copy keyframes from a single position property only--do not copy the keyframes of any other property. For information on motion paths, see "Setting layer position" on page 171. To create a mask from a motion path: 1 In the Composition window, display the motion path from which you want to create the mask. 2 In the Timeline window, select the successive keyframes along the motion path you want to use as a mask. Click the Position property name to select all the keyframes. Shiftclick successive keyframes to select only a few keyframes. 3 Choose Edit > Copy. 242 CHAPTER 7 Working with Masks and Transparency 4 In the Timeline window, select the layer you want to apply the mask to and expand its properties, or open the layer in its Layer window. 5 Do one of the following: · To use the motion path as a new mask, choose Layer > Mask > New Mask. · To use the motion path as a replacement for an existing mask, select the mask you want to replace. 6 In the Timeline, expand the Mask property for the mask you want to create or replace and select the Mask Shape value name. 7 Choose Edit > Paste. Drawing a Bezier mask with the pen tool Using the pen tools, you can create a Bezier mask of any shape, including straight lines at any angle or smooth flowing curves. The pen tools provide the most precise control over straight lines and curves. You can easily adjust the shape of the path by dragging the mask's control points or the direction lines associated with a control point. [. . . ] See visible lines links chapter 145 Web 145 load-sharing on multiple systems 382 461 Local Axes mode tool 61 location of an effect point 274 Lock Aspect Ratio option 102 Lock switch 138 locking a guide 57 log file overflow and 384 rendering 354, 357 Loop button, direction 155 loop, Motion Math 416 looping footage 96 lower field ordered 86, 387 low-resolution compositions 107 low-resolution movies for testing motion 387 low-resolution proxy 99 Luma Key 280 Luma Matte option 260 luminance value for a track matte 260 Luminescent Premul layer mode 264 Luminosity layer mode 264 M Mac OS file types 40 magnification 54 Main command (for Interpret Footage) 71, 95, 96 Make Movie command 354, 356, 375 manual preview 190, 193 margins 55 margins, paint strokes. See Feather markers chapter link 145 composition-time 142 converting from composition to layer 146 storing and reusing 259 Mask Shape command, disabled when nesting 347 masks 238 adding a control point to 247 adjusting opacity of 250 adjusting the edges of 250 animating 253 current-time 59, 162 applying effects to 256 layer-time 144 Bezier 240 synchronizing 146 changing the shape of 247 tracking motion 404 color 239 marquee 244 converting motion paths to 241 Mask attributes and methods 335 Mask Expansion property, adjusting 250 Mask Feather command 219 disabled when nesting 347 with continuous rasterization 148 Mask Feather property, animating 253 mask modes, applying 258 Mask Opacity property, adjusting 250 mask paths 241 Mask property 188 mask shape and pan behind tool 252 animating 253 speed 219 creating 238 creating lines from 256 defined 237 deleting 247, 248 editing 247 feathering 249 first vertex 253 inverting 251 modes 256 modifying multiple masks 258 moving 247, 252 outline 251 oval 240 panning 251 rectangle 240 462 INDEX removing 245 rendering order 343 replacing 247 resetting 248 resizing 246 reusing 259 rotating 245 saving 259 scaling 245 selecting 244, 245 setting interactions 256 specifying inside and outside 251 specifying with Target menu 238, 253 types 239 material options for 3D layers 289 material properties for 3D layers 332 Matte Choker effect 280 matte options (Vector Paint) 427 Matte Tools effects category 280 Matte Tools effects category. See online Help matte view, defined 278 matted alpha channel 72 mattes defined 237 refining 278 removing 280 tools 278 track 260 traveling 260 Measure Film Size camera setting 295 measuring time 42 media 37 Median effect 280 Mesh Warp effect 280 Microsoft RLE compressor 372 Video compressor 372 Millions of Colors for MJPEG cards 39 Millions of Colors+, effect on background color 114 Minimax effect 280 Minimum Diskspace before overflowing option 384 Mirror effect 280 missing source footage 98 mistakes, correcting and undoing 46 mixing audio 280 MJPEG compression 39 Modes panel 117 modes. See layer modes and mask modes Monochrome option 280 Mosaic effect 280 motion overview 159 randomizing 391 sketching 175 smoothing 221 testing 387 tracking 393 motion blur 151 Motion Blur render setting 359 Motion Blur switch 151 Motion Detect option 86 motion footage changing frame rate 84 preparing for final output 84 preparing to import 83 separating fields 85 time-remapping 229 Motion Math assignments and operators 416 built-in loop 416 comments 416 constants 416 creating keyframes 416 defined 411 functions 416 If statements 416 language element menus 416 language reference 317, 416 463 layer property functions 416 learning more 416 loops 416 math functions 416 numbers 416 running a script 414 specifying layers and properties 416 substitution menus, in scripts 416 testing scripts 416 using vectors 416 variables 416 vector indexing 416 vector operations 416 vectors as variables 416 writing scripts 416 Motion Math window 412 motion path 175, 199, 203 changing keyframe interpolation 206 changing keyframe number 175 changing speed numerically 219 Composition window and 172 controlling speed 213, 214 controls 172 creating 175 creating with mask 178 defined 172 direction handles and 207 display preferences 175 Easy Ease keyframe assistant 215 editing 172 editing with pen tool 206 keyframes 172 modifying 172, 175 moving all points in 174 rotating a layer along 175, 181 spatial interpolation and 199 speed 214 motion picture film 83 Motion Sketch 175 Motion Tile effect 280 Move All Attributes into The New Composition option 349 movies building 35 changing the frame rate for 95 opening in the Footage window 93 preparing for import 84 rendering 353 resizing 384 viewing 93 MP3 format 365 multilayered Adobe Photoshop files, importing 74 multiple systems load-sharing 382 rendering on 380 Multiply layer mode 262 N Name camera setting 294 naming composition 101 conventions for files 40 layers 74 National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) 39, 83 field order 85 frame rate 105 interlacing and 83 navigator, keyframe 162 nesting 126 changing rendering order 344, 345 collapsing transformations 148, 346 common uses for 342 definition 342 opacity and 347 options 108 prerendering and 347 network performance on multiple systems 382 New Adjustment Layer command 128 464 INDEX New Composition command 101 New Solid command 127 Noise effect 280 non-drop-frame timecode display 42 None mask mode 257 None option (Vector Paint contextual menu) 425 noninterlaced video 83 nonlight 299 Normal layer mode 262 NTSC. 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