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johannet3129472
Participating Frequently
April 9, 2019
Answered

After Effects CC - Combine Multiple Masks as one Mask.

  • April 9, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 29817 views

Can you combine multiple masks as one mask?

What I'm trying to achieve: Manipulate the shape of the Radio Wave effect set by my custom Mask shape.

Mask shape: Developed in Illustrator. Auto-traced shape in AE. Right clicked > Mask > New Mask > Generates multiple masks from my individual objects that make up my mask shape.

Radio Wave Effect Settings:

Wave type > Mask

Mask > Mask 1

Layer 1: (Solid Composition)

Effect > Radio wave

Mask shape - Comprised of multiple shapes but each shape is broken into layers. (problem)

In my mask options, it shows that my mask shape is broken into 9 parts which these 9 parts make up the shape I want it to be. In the 'Radio Wave Effect Settings' when setting the Mask (not Wave Type) to Mask 1, I see a total of 9 options (Mask 1, Mask 2, Mask 3, etc), therefore causing the radio wave effect to reference only Mask 1. Since I don't see any options to combine them, I'm at a loss.

Anyone got any ideas? I refuse AE to be this stupid, I've been using AE for a very long time and this is the first time I've come across something like this, which is surprising that I never even had a project like I currently have now that brought me to this scenario where I had to combine masks.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Warren Heaton

Can you elaborate on 'expanding the results' of the pathfinder?


Oh... okay.  I assumed that your paths intersect.  Are you open to adding an element that connects everything?  If you do that, then you should be able to get more of what you're looking for on the AE side.

Here's a visual of what I'm getting at:

You could also try duplicating the current layer eight times and then deleting all but on of the nine masks from each layer and then continuing from there.  You could also use the Links pick-whip to connect the Radio Waves properties so that you control everything from one of the Radio Waves effects.

4 replies

J
johannet3129472Author
Participating Frequently
April 9, 2019

Rick and everyone, all of you have provided solid answers and I wish I could accept every single of one of them. All of this has been helpfull and after creating it as one shape, it still kind of turns funky but otherwise very close to what I'm looking for, so I think I'll go do it as individual layers instead.

Rick, thanks for the screenshot! Very helpful, I'll be going this route and following your visuals.

Thank you very much everyone! If I pull off my effect I'll share it back here!

Credit to you all!

willh81328174
willh81328174
Inspiring
April 9, 2019

If I'm understanding correctly, I think you might have to flatten your artwork in Illustrator, copy that single combined path and paste it into a mask path property in AE, then use that mask for your Radio Waves mask. I don't think this will work, however, if your shape has any holes in it as that would require a subtraction mask and defeat the purpose of a single mask.

As I understand the Radio Waves effect, I think you'll get the same result with the Image Contours wave type as well, so I'm guessing you're trying to emit a more complex shape from a point. If that's the case you might try using a particle generator instead. Good luck!

J
johannet3129472Author
Participating Frequently
April 9, 2019

Hello Will, my art work is already flattened in AI which I have already determined that after flattening it makes no difference. Image contour does nothing as well, during playback, no animation occurs.

willh81328174
willh81328174
Inspiring
April 9, 2019

So to recap you've tried:

  • Flattening your artwork in Illustrator, copying the single path in Illustrator, moving over to After Effects and pasting it in a mask property? What happens in this scenario?
  • Using the Illustrator artwork inside After Effects and the source of your Image Contour? This gives no animation?
  • Have you tried creating a shape from your Illustrator artwork inside After Effects and using that as the source of the Image Contour? Any animation there?
  • Does the Particle Generator suggestion not work?

As Rick was also pointing out, using Radio Waves to emit a shape that has holes in it isn't going to work because Radio Waves will essentially only use the outline of a shape, not the holes inside. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that. Am I misunderstanding anything, or Is that advice not applicable?

R
Community Expert
Rick GerardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 9, 2019

Radio waves cannot use more than one mask at a time. If the masks overlap and can create an alpha channel you can use Image Contures. If the alpha channel creates holes Radio waves will use the first hole it gets to when analyzing the image starting at the top left corner of the comp.

You cannot combine closed paths into a single mask using the vectors, even in Illustrator. You can join open paths together in AE using the Join Paths feature by selecting two open endpoints. Illustrator does have the option to look at closed paths and merge them or combine them using the Pathfinder tool but After Effects has no such option.

    J
    johannet3129472Author
    Participating Frequently
    April 9, 2019

    Thanks for the reply, this is good information to know. Please let me know if a project file would help you diagnose this further as I am going through the steps all of you are pointing out to me.

      Warren Heaton
      Community Expert
      Warren HeatonCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 9, 2019

      Select all of the resulting mask paths in AE.  Copy and paste to AI, the use Pathfinder to combine them.  Copy and paste the result back into AE.

      -Warren

        J
        johannet3129472Author
        Participating Frequently
        April 9, 2019

        I will execute this momentarily. Thank you for the reply! I'll check back here to let you know of my results.

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