Image cutouts in Keynote
I have come across some interesting Keynote files that contain some slides that I really like. One uses what is called a 'cutout' on top of an image/photo, but it is not part of the master slide, and I am not certain how to recreate a similar effect on my own.
The slide is a standard slide with a header text box only. Then there is an image, which is actually a screen capture of a dialog box from an application. On top of this is a 'cutout', which appears to be another image file, the same size as the slide (or larger) that has some transparency applied, and a rectangular region within the center of the slide so that a selected area of the dialog is clear and the remainder is greyed-over, simulating a highlighting of that area of the dialog.
I can copy and paste these two images, but the 'cutout' just appears to be a large black rectangle with a smaller rectangle drawn within it. I have used Canvas and Graphic Converter to attempt to examine it, but cannot determine exactly what it is or how to manipulate this one or create a new one from scratch. I do NOT use PhotoShop, and likely never will -- too expensive and I do not do enough graphics to justify the price or the size of the package on my system.
I like the effect and would like to use it myself, but do not understand how. I have read several postings here that indicate this can be done, and that shapes in Keynote can even be used as cutouts, but I cannot figure out how to achieve this. Inside Keynote 3 I can apply a cutout to an image, but that simply lets me mask all but a part of the image -- I want to have the cutout cover the image and permit the hole expose a portion of the image but the remainder to only partially obscure the remainder, so that it appears dimmed.
Using Canvas or GraphicConverter, how do I create the cutout image itself?
The slide is a standard slide with a header text box only. Then there is an image, which is actually a screen capture of a dialog box from an application. On top of this is a 'cutout', which appears to be another image file, the same size as the slide (or larger) that has some transparency applied, and a rectangular region within the center of the slide so that a selected area of the dialog is clear and the remainder is greyed-over, simulating a highlighting of that area of the dialog.
I can copy and paste these two images, but the 'cutout' just appears to be a large black rectangle with a smaller rectangle drawn within it. I have used Canvas and Graphic Converter to attempt to examine it, but cannot determine exactly what it is or how to manipulate this one or create a new one from scratch. I do NOT use PhotoShop, and likely never will -- too expensive and I do not do enough graphics to justify the price or the size of the package on my system.
I like the effect and would like to use it myself, but do not understand how. I have read several postings here that indicate this can be done, and that shapes in Keynote can even be used as cutouts, but I cannot figure out how to achieve this. Inside Keynote 3 I can apply a cutout to an image, but that simply lets me mask all but a part of the image -- I want to have the cutout cover the image and permit the hole expose a portion of the image but the remainder to only partially obscure the remainder, so that it appears dimmed.
Using Canvas or GraphicConverter, how do I create the cutout image itself?
iMac G4, Mac OS X (10.4.7)
