Masking issues with Motion 5

Question

Level 1

19 points

Masking issues with Motion 5

Hi guys,

I had this general masking technique that I used with Motion 4 where I'd use any group of shapes, paintstrokes and so on, to mask some other object by dragging my group of "mask objects" into the image mask source well.

This technique no longer works as expected with Motion 5.

As an example, consider this project where I want to gradually reveal a circle.

Below are screen shots from both Motion 4 and Motion 5 of the same project, at frame 10:

As you can see, Motion 4 gradually unveils the masked shape (a circle), but Motion 5 doesn't.

I could get around this particular case by adding a write on behaviour to the circle shape. BUt this does not work as a general masking technique in M5, which is a bit sad.

Anyone care to shed some light?

BR;

::e

Final Cut Studio '09, Mac OS X (10.6.8), FCP v7.0.3, runs Motion5 too.

Posted on Aug 17, 2011 2:25 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 17, 2011 5:58 AM in response to edvinpedvin

It should work fine. in your screenshot for Motion 5, your source object for the image mask is a full circle (in the preview icon in the Layers list) but in the M4, it isn't. So I don't think it's an issue with M5. I've been using image masks with no noticeable differences.

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Answer 2

edvinpedvin Author

Level 1

19 points

Aug 17, 2011 6:43 AM in response to Mark Spencer4

OK.

Thing is, I would interpret the exact same observation in the opposite way 🙂

I mean, the layers panel of M4 shows us how it works there, and the layers panel in M5 shows us how it works in M5. And they're different. At frame 10, there's half a circle vs. a full circle, even though the I/O points and behaviour durations are the exact same. It's the same project file.

Other than that, I don't know what to take away from your reply, although I appreciate it. Of course.

I don't know whether my use of groups of shapes as sources for img masks, is doing it the right way, since I didn't learn it anywhere. I'm just seeing something behaving differently in M4 vs. M5.

Would you do this in the exact same way as (you can hopefully see) in my screenshots?

I'm hoping there's just something I'm missing here 😟

BR;

::e

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Answer 3

Aug 17, 2011 7:31 AM in response to edvinpedvin

Ah, I didn't realize it was the same project file - I thought you built each from scratch. That IS odd. However, I do think it has something to do with your install given the other issues that you are having that don't seem to be repeatable on my machine.

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Answer 4

Chandosx

Level 1

25 points

Aug 17, 2011 9:13 AM in response to edvinpedvin

Looks like a bug in Motion 5. As soon as you turn off a shape layer, the write on behavior ceases to work. You could get away with it by setting the blending mode to stencil alpha, but that won't work in every situation. The other thing you could do, is place the layer that's the source of the mask at the very bottom of everything, so it's not shown, and leave the layer turned on. Then all should work sorta the same. Quirky.

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Answer 5

Chandosx

Level 1

25 points

Aug 17, 2011 9:21 AM in response to edvinpedvin

And one other way I just tested, that works for sure, is using keyframes on the source shape's "First Point Offset"(or last 🙂). Not as nice as a behavior, but gets the same results. Which, come to think of it, means you could use a Rate parameter behavior on the same. Then it's easier to manage 🙂

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Answer 6

edvinpedvin Author

Level 1

19 points

Aug 17, 2011 1:29 PM in response to Chandosx

Hi Chand+Mark

Chandosx wrote:

You could get away with it by setting the blending mode to stencil alpha, but that won't work in every situation. The other thing you could do, is place the layer that's the source of the mask at the very bottom of everything, so it's not shown, and leave the layer turned on. Then all should work sorta the same. Quirky.

I'm not really familiar with what stencil alpha does, so I can't comment on that.

But the bottom layer option won't be any good if you want partially transparent output.

It *will* show unless you have some layer covering it up, which would be purely coincidential 🙂

UNLESS you use one very very special color for the mask source shape, and send the whole shebang through the keyer to get your alpha channel proper 😀

Chandosx wrote:

And one other way I just tested, that works for sure, is using keyframes on the source shape's "First Point Offset"(or last 🙂).

Hey, a self-made "write-on" for the mask source shape?

Well, it works in M4 - I'll confirm with M5 tomorrow.

Thanks for all your efforts to figure this out!

I still certainly consider this a bug and would expect this to be fixed.

How can I go ahead and report this a bug to Apple, are they monitoring this forum?

Cheers!

::e

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Answer 7

Chandosx

Level 1

25 points

Aug 17, 2011 1:33 PM in response to edvinpedvin

Yeah, definitely a bug in my eyes too 🙂. To submit feedback to Apple about Motion specifically, go to http://www.apple.com/feedback/motion.html

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Answer 8

Chandosx

Level 1

25 points

Aug 17, 2011 1:36 PM in response to edvinpedvin

I just submitted too, so hopefully they'll get on fixing it 🙂

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Answer 9

edvinpedvin Author

Level 1

19 points

Aug 17, 2011 1:57 PM in response to Chandosx

So did I, hehe.

But I won't wait up for their remorseful response and attention to the issue 🙂

cheers;

::e

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Answer 10

edvinpedvin Author

Level 1

19 points

Aug 19, 2011 5:24 AM in response to edvinpedvin

I'll be ****** - your self-made write-on behaviour makes this work again. Even in M5.

Hmm. SO you're right, there's something fishy about the built-in write-on in M5.

::e

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Answer 11

Aug 19, 2011 6:04 AM in response to edvinpedvin

I agree, I tested it yesterday and using the write-on behavior on a shape as the source of an image mask is not work for me either.

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