How to cut out part of an image in after effects

Question

Heya,So im currently struggling with cutting out part of a png image so that its seperate so i can animate that part of the image. I'm new to the software and have been trying to use the pen tool to create a mask but havent been able to do more than create an outline around the part that i want to seperate.

ShiveringCactus · Answer

The good news is you have found the pen tool, so we don't need to cover that.

Make sure your mask path is joined up, this could be the difference between a cut out and an outline.

Once done, the rest of the image will disappear. You can expand the layer on the timeline and see Mask properties. This allows you to feather the mask, expand it and so on.

Once you have cut out the part of the image, you'll need to duplicate your layer and remove the mask from the duplicate OR just set the mask to 'none' instead of 'add'.

If the mask path is joined up already, then I think we're going to need some screenshots from you to see if we can spot the problem.

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