How to mask a layer with alpha from another layer that is NOT above it?

[persyst]

Greetings,

Could you please let me know how to mask one layer using the alpha of another layer, without the masking layer being directly above the layer to be masked/clipped? Thanks for any info on this 🙂

[P.M.B]

No need to overthink it.  Just duplicate the layer and move the duplicate directly above the layer you want to use it on.       

[Mylenium]

Yeah, as Gutterfish said, simply duplicate the layer. Pre-composing such layers so the resulting comps can be reused over and over again is generally a good idea and would also allow to use effects liek Set Matte, Channel Combiner and so on to transfer the transparency info to otehr layers without more duplicates required.

Mylenium