I am attempting to create masks, but the Mask Tool button on the toolbar is always disabled / grayed out. Keyboard shortcuts also do not work.
Oddly, I can create a shape and then Convert to Mask through the Object Menu.
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.4), Motion 5.2.1
BenB wrote:
A 3D "Group" layer can't use the Mask Tool, even if you check "Flatten". Just FYI.
Sorry, but this is incorrect, I doubled checked the Motion documentation and it's even covered there (http://help.apple.com/motion/mac/5.2/#/motn49eb5793):
"Add a mask to a 3D group
You can apply masks to the layers in a 3D group, but not the 3D group itself—unless you flatten the 3D group).
When I tested this I found that if the flattened 3D group is empty, you can't apply mask, but as soon as you add another layer inside mask tools become available for the group.
Need more information. What is in the layer you're trying to draw a mask for? Do you have that layer selected, or no layer selected? If it is grayed out, you don't have an appropriate layer (for it to apply itself to) selected first.
As Ben said, make sure you have the layer selected, if masking is grayed out that means that you need to do something additional to mask it. Text for example may need to be flattened (Inspector>Text>Layout>Text Rendering). The general rule in Motion is that things that are "3D" can't have 2D masks applied to them, this includes the default 2D text, 3D text, 3D groups, 3D particles, 3D emitters. You need to flatten these object types in some way to mask them. For Text and groups, this means selecting the flatten option. For particles and replicators this may mean making them 2D or placing them in a flattened 3D group.
A 3D "Group" layer can't use the Mask Tool, even if you check "Flatten". Just FYI.
Mask Tool Button always grayed out
