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Charles Okland
Participating Frequently
May 2, 2023
Question

matte to all underlying layers

  • May 2, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 342 views

Very simple question, is there a way to make a layer set matte to all layers underneath it, whether this be a blending mode or effect, it needs to stay inside the comp as well.

 

 For example, I have this fur texture I want to apply to all the parts of this cat character underneath the eyes, If I precompose and use a singular track matte, It will cover the eyes and won't take adjustment layers into account. 

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    1 reply

    iDAC
    iDAC
    Participating Frequently
    May 3, 2023

    Hiya Charles Okland!
    Yes, you can make a layer set matte to all layers underneath it in After Effects. Here's how:

    • Place the layer you want to use as the matte on top of the layers you want to apply it to.
    • Set the layer's blending mode to "Stencil Alpha" or "Silhouette Alpha" (depending on your preference).
    • With the matte layer selected, hold down the "Alt" key (Windows) or "Option" key (Mac) and click on the "Toggle Switches/Modes" button in the bottom left of the Layers panel. This will reveal the Track Matte dropdown menu.
    • Select "Alpha Matte" or "Luma Matte" from the Track Matte dropdown menu, depending on the type of layer you're using as the matte.
    • Adjust the matte layer as necessary to achieve the desired effect.

    This should make the matte layer affect all layers underneath it, taking adjustment layers into account.
    Keep me posted,

     

    -iDAC

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