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Ericcccc
Participating Frequently
June 28, 2017
Answered

How to make 'green screen' reveal a specific layer (rather than be transparent?)

  • June 28, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 4004 views

I want to animate a green shape in Adobe Animate, import the SWF to After Effects, then use the green screen effect (Keylight I assume) to act as a mask, revealing a specific layer beneath the SWF. Can someone please help me?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer P.M.B

Use color correction (levels) to turn your green layer (swf) black.

Put a white solid behind/below it and then pre-compose the two layers to serve as a matte.

Put the pre-comp layer directly above video layer 2 & set VL2s track matte to "Luma Inverted".

Put video layer 1 at the bottom of the stack and you should have what you want.

Assuming i understand you correctly

Also AE can automatically create animated masks (or do it's best to , anyway) from alpha channels using the auto trace feature under Layer Menu.

But a mask is not what you want.  You want a matte.

Of course you could just create your animation in black and white to begin with.

Your mistake was thinking you need "green screen".   Nope, matte.

1 reply

Dave_LaRonde
Dave_LaRonde
Inspiring
June 28, 2017

Put the layer you want to reveal on the layer below the animation.  Use Keylight to pull the chroma key.

E
EricccccAuthor
Participating Frequently
June 28, 2017

Dave, thanks very much for your response; I've done what you recommended, but this reveals all of the layer below, but I want to have the green area act as a mask rather than simply transparent. Perhaps this will help clarify:

There are 3 layers, video layer 1, video layer 2, and 1 SWF animation layer. In the SWF Animation layer, there is a green shape on a transparent background. I want the green shape to be replaced with video layer 2, and I want the transparent background (of that same SWF animation layer) to reveal video layer 1.

Currently, when I pull the chroma key (with key light, by selecting the color of the green shape), this makes the green shape transparent, along with the background, so all I see is video layer 2. I want the green shape to be replaced with video layer 2, and the transparent background of that same layer to display video layer 1. In other words, i want to make an animated mask, but rather than animating a mask path, I want to import the animated mask shape as an SWF from adobe animate. I appreciate your help!

P.M.B
P.M.BCorrect answer
Legend
June 29, 2017

Use color correction (levels) to turn your green layer (swf) black.

Put a white solid behind/below it and then pre-compose the two layers to serve as a matte.

Put the pre-comp layer directly above video layer 2 & set VL2s track matte to "Luma Inverted".

Put video layer 1 at the bottom of the stack and you should have what you want.

Assuming i understand you correctly

Also AE can automatically create animated masks (or do it's best to , anyway) from alpha channels using the auto trace feature under Layer Menu.

But a mask is not what you want.  You want a matte.

Of course you could just create your animation in black and white to begin with.

Your mistake was thinking you need "green screen".   Nope, matte.

~Gutterfish
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