Masking/Compositing in AE

[blabbler]

isn't suretarget a videocopilot plugin? i'd ask on the forums over there.

you can just animate the camera manually, it's pretty easy once you get your head round viewports in ae. gimme a shout on aim if you want a hand doing it the old fashioned way >.>

[Anicsi]

isn't suretarget a videocopilot plugin? i'd ask on the forums over there.

you can just animate the camera manually, it's pretty easy once you get your head round viewports in ae. gimme a shout on aim if you want a hand doing it the old fashioned way >.>

Yeah right, videopilot ^^ I think I will ask there if I can't solve the problem.
For now I asked a friend who also edits with a Mac to see if the plugin works for her, so we can see if it is really a Mac-based issue.

Well, the sure target tool is really cool because you can add some random movement which makes everything look a lot livelier.
But thank you for your nice offer, I will come back to this if I can't make it with the tool ^^ (Actually I am impatient, I finished my video and all that remains are the credits, arghhh lol)
Thanks again ^^

[Anicsi]

Well, I haven't found a solution for my other problem yet but there's something more important right now xD

Some questions on masking in AE:
1. When I mask in AE everything works quite smoothly. Only that when I mask in a path and jump back to correct a keypoint when I haven't closed the mask yet, once I want to go on with my mask, AE creates a new mask instead of adding a new keypoint to my first mask/path.
What can I do to avoid that? How can I force AE to go back where I was before I interrupted to correct the mask?

2. Once I have closed my mask it seems that I can't change the path/keypoints, f.e. when jumping to a new frame and the image changed a bit. I only can move the mask as a WHOLE. The only way to edit the mask seems to be adding a new keypoint. After that it works just was always.
Is there a key I need to press or something? I tried the 'Apple', Alt, ctrl and shift. Nothing works.

3. In the case as I explained above, when I add or remove a keyframe, let's say in frame 3 of my mask. What effect does it have on the mask of the previous frames 1 and 2? Do the keyframes appear/disappear? I wondered cause one time my mask was all messed up because I added/removed some keyframes somewhere in the end of my mask and I had to start all over again.
What would be the best solution for this problem? Cutting the clip?

I would be very grateful for a fast answer. I need to finish a MEP part and there's still this masking scene...

[rook2pawn]

Well, I haven't found a solution for my other problem yet but there's something more important right now xD

Some questions on masking in AE:
1. When I mask in AE everything works quite smoothly. Only that when I mask in a path and jump back to correct a keypoint when I haven't closed the mask yet, once I want to go on with my mask, AE creates a new mask instead of adding a new keypoint to my first mask/path.
What can I do to avoid that? How can I force AE to go back where I was before I interrupted to correct the mask?

When a mask is not yet "closed", (i.e. all points connected), and the current frame is changed, to correctly add a new vertice instead of creating a new separate mask,
select the layer with this unfinished mask, then select the mask from the timeline, click somewhere on the comp, but not on the mask, then use the mask tool and hit control .. Sorry, its a strange combination here, my advice is to remember to finish your mask before you change your current frame, but a little fudging around works.

2. Once I have closed my mask it seems that I can't change the path/keypoints, f.e. when jumping to a new frame and the image changed a bit. I only can move the mask as a WHOLE. The only way to edit the mask seems to be adding a new keypoint. After that it works just was always.
Is there a key I need to press or something? I tried the 'Apple', Alt, ctrl and shift. Nothing works.

To add new vertices to an existing closed mask, select the layer (from the timeline window), then select the mask (again from the timeline window), then using the select tool, click anywhere outside the mask to make sure you unselect all points, then you can use control to alter the mask tool to add vertice mode.

The main mechanic is this: whenever all points are selected, you have to click outside the mask to unselect everything. You can even click drag to select a group of vertices, to adjust a mask.

All masking mechanics are basically a combination of knowing when to use the select tool to select/unselect vertice(s), the mask tool to adjust node types (bezier/linear), and the mask tool to add or delete vertices, and how selecting a layer in the timeline tells After effects to basically reset what the select tool is grabbing.

3. In the case as I explained above, when I add or remove a keyframe, let's say in frame 3 of my mask. What effect does it have on the mask of the previous frames 1 and 2? Do the keyframes appear/disappear? I wondered cause one time my mask was all messed up because I added/removed some keyframes somewhere in the end of my mask and I had to start all over again.
What would be the best solution for this problem? Cutting the clip?

I would be very grateful for a fast answer. I need to finish a MEP part and there's still this masking scene...

Suppose you have a mask at frame 100. Now, you turn on mask shape keyframes, and move forward 3 frames and edit your mask. A new mask keyframe will appear.
If both keyframes (one at 100, and one at 103) are linear keyframes, then the mask will change shape at frames 101, and 102 to morph into the new shape.

What I do is make all my keyframes for masking, hold keyframes, so whenever i create a new keyframe, it abrutply moves to my new keyframe with no interpolation in between. You do not want interpolation for your mask when masking characters, in general. You can make hold keyframes out of linear ones by control clicking the keyframe to make it go from diamond to square/halfdiamond-halfsquare.

[Anicsi]

I am very sorry I didn't reply earlier, somehow I thought I already had ^^"
First of all thanks for the quick and solid answer, it really helped me out. Only it seems that there has been a misunderstanding for I did not know the correct english expression for what you seem to call 'vertice' (?) I believe. I referred to those points as keyframes, even though I know very well that keypoints are actually the ones you set in the timeline when you change the mask in a new frame.
Anyway, if I correct my question (I'll pass on the second one, it is not important anymore) then it would be:

3. In the case as I explained above, when I add or remove a vertice, let's say in frame 3 of my mask. What effect does it have on the mask of the previous frames 1 and 2? Do the vertices appear/disappear? I wondered cause one time my mask was all messed up because I added/removed some vertices somewhere in the end of my mask and I had to start all over again.
What would be the best solution for this problem? Cutting the clip?

So, yeah, I experimenced a bit and the vertices DO indeed vanish, even if you have a keyframe (yes, a real keyframe) set on every new frame. The only way I discovered to avoid the mask getting messed up is indeed cutting the clip when the picture changes so much that you need to add or remove some more vertices.
I also think there could be a way of combining two or more masks but sadly I haven't been able to get through to that

However, your answers have been very helpful. Thank you ^^

[Anicsi]

*sigh* I always manage to have some stupid typos, I mean one thing and write another (Keyframes/keypoints/vertices). Also now I am confused to the extend that I don't know the difference between keypoints or keyframes. Do even both exist? My brain is a mess right now, so sorry xD Anyway, I hope you get what I mean x.x

[blabbler]

a vertex is a point on the mask, a keyframe is a value at a given time set in the timeline for the purpose of animating something.

if you delete a vertex on one frame, you delete it on all frames. if you add a vertex on one frame, you are adding a vertex to every frame (although they all appear in the same position, which most likely will not be what you want)

there is an option in general preferences "preserve vertex count" if you turn it off you can animate the adding and removing of vertices, however this is really bad practice since it makes a hell of a mess.

the trick is to use several simple masks on your subject. e.g for a moving arm you might want to have a mask for the upper arm, one for the lower arm, and one for the hand. if you find your masks can't cover everything, you add another mask, keeping it as simple as possible.

and as you say, you can break the clip up into several smaller clips to keep things simple.

[Anicsi]

oh okay, vertices = plural of vertex, I get it now xD Thanks a lot, I might try using several masks maybe when I have something to mask again ^^

[Anicsi]

I have a serious problem. Again >_<

Facts: I masked a scene in AE since I cannot in Final Cut.
--> The BG is gone.
Everything fine so far.

Usually I export the masked scenes as uncompressed but this time it is a fun video, so I don't really need the quality and, what's more important, I couldn't do it even if I wanted to because I have exactly 700 MB on my external HD left lol

So, I chose exporting via x264 encoder (oh yeah, I am on a mac) but suddenly the clip loses transparancy. Meaning... the BG is black instead of transparent. Which is a real problem of course.

OKay, I absolutely KNOW for sure I exported a mask the same way once and it was transparent, I even have it here on my computer.
So what's going on? Any settings I accidentally forgot?
Please help guys, I have to send it in tomorrow and... geez, this is just troublesome...

[Bauzi]

@Anicsi:

Have a look at this thread:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/v ... 47&t=98097

I explain it in one of the last posts.

Clean your harddisc. You will need the additional space for sure! I don't know any distribution codec such as x264 or XviD that actually saves the alpha channel (-> transparency).