Inspiring

Answered

PPro masking has GONE!

Forum|Forum|5 months ago
September 24, 2025
7 replies
2950 views

Am I being thick or has PPro, since the introduction of the whole AI-powered roto/"Unassigned Masks"(?!) thing lost its ability to do simple masking?

Until recently, to mask out a portion of a clip, I'd open the clip's Opacity in the Effect Controls panel, click the pen icon and draw a mask. That's it.

But that's now gone, and it seems every reference I can find to masking now only refers to masking an effect. And there's the new AI mask/rotoscoping thing, which I'm not interested in this project. How can I simply add a mask to a layer - I just want a portion of it to show; the mask will not move, and I have no effects on the layer - it's effectively like a garbage matte. Am I missing something?

This is from Adobe's help page (https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/create-masks-and-composites/create-masks-using-shapes.html😞

...in reality, the maksing tools have gone:

...and if I select the pen or rectangle tools from the tool panel, if I also have a clip selected in the sequence (because I want to draw a simple mask on it), clicking in the Program or Source panels does absolutely nothing. If I deselect the clip, I can draw vector shapes with those tools (which is not what I want).

What on earth is going on here?!

PPro Beta 25.6.0x78

Windows 10

Update: I have now deactivated the "New Masking" beta feature, converted my project to version 43, and loaded it up again. Phew - the masking controls have made a welcome return! Let's hope (I did not use any of the new masking features) PPro hasn't put anything anywhere in my project that will break things down the line!

Correct answer Ann Bens

Draw your mask with the new tools, then drag from unassigned mask to Opacity or add an effect.

Or highlight Opacity first, then draw the mask.

Build 78

mauro_molinaroli

Participant

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, every 2 days XXX something in premiere It's not working as it should, or it was changed from one second to the next.

Every other day I lose hours of work fixing something I didn't break. The program is terribly optimized, and even though I have a very good PC, everything lags all the time. There's never been a program this bad. Every update breaks 10 things. I upgraded to version 26 to use the new masking feature, and they've already broken 20 more things. It's awful.

edited by mod:

Keep it civil or you will be banned.

jons72695567

Participant

Why would Adobe remove such a necessary tool? What is wrong with them

Ann Bens

Community Expert

Have you tried the new mask feature?

M

MysterY186

Participant

I just noticed this too...and I found it.

Adobe moved the "regular" masking tools under that new Object Mask tool button, so now you have to:
1) Select the effect you are applying masking to first in your Effects Control (let's say Opacity, though I was trying to do this with Brightness/Contrast after applying that)

2) Click and hold down on the new button for Object Mask to reveal the other options for masking.
3) Draw your mask as you normally would.

After you do this, the feather, opacity, etc. for the mask you drew will show up in the Effects Control panel as they normally would.

I'm never a fan of programmers deciding to hide tools that people use frequently under a new toolbar or button without telling anyone. I understand the logic of putting all of the masking tools under one button, but there's no reason to remove the masking capabilities from Opacity, etc. in the Effects Control panel where we have all been trained to look for them for years.

Ann Bens

Community Expert

Use object masking in Premiere Pro

Ann Bens

Community Expert

I change the post from bugs to discussion.

Ann Bens

Community Expert

Dont need to drag.

Highlight Opacity (or effect) and draw.

When drawing a mask it appears in the unassigned mask section.

Adding an effect auto sets the mask to this effect but does not do so with opacity have to drag a premade mask.

At least this is my experience with the new mask.

Maybe I have got it wrong..........

After mucking about found this (which is to my knowledge not in the Help)

Update

BTW rtfm is usually last on my list too.

hellopaul4Author

Inspiring

Ah - thanks Ann! I didn't see those new mask tools in the tool panel...I guess I should've RTFM: https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-beta-discussions/now-in-premiere-pro-beta-new-masking-tools/td-p/15484479

Kind of obscure that one has to drag that mask into the Opacity thing though. Would have been useful if this was the default behaviour maybe.

Ann Bens

Correct answer

Community Expert

Draw your mask with the new tools, then drag from unassigned mask to Opacity or add an effect.

Or highlight Opacity first, then draw the mask.

Build 78

Stargazer on ARM

Known Participant

EDIT:

Nevermind, I found it! The mask tools are simply sub options in the object tool icon in the tool bar, thank God (i. e. Adobe) for that one. Pretty simple really once you know, you think a massive text instruction might start with that little useful piece of information :-)

Cheers,

Stargazer

It doesnt work for me. Regardless of what is highlighted all mask tools creates graphic shapes that doesnt copy or transfer to unassigned masks, opacity or any effetcs or anywhere else, and a lot of the work I have done so far seems to have crashed out.

I’m workin at a museum on an exhibition opening on march 11 so I dont have the time to “study”, and even if I did I’m not getting paid for it. Is there any quick and simple way to solve this without hashing through endless instructions (that doesnt work) on how to make masks in this brand new but very akward (and not working) way? I’m at the end of a rope here.

Best regards and sincerely yours,

Stargazer

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