User Guide

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ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0
User Guide
• To scale the mask or selected points, position the pointer on a bounding box handle and,
when the pointer changes to a straight, double-sided arrow ( ), drag to a new size. Hold
down Shift as you drag to constrain the scale. Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command
(Mac OS) as you drag to scale around the bounding box’s anchor point.
• To rotate the mask or selected points, position the pointer just outside the Free
Transform bounding box and, when the pointer changes to a curved double-sided arrow
( ), drag to rotate.
5 To close the Free Transform bounding box, double-click anywhere in the Composition
or Layer window.
Changing the shape of a mask
In the Layer or Composition window, you can freely change the shape of a mask. You can
move, delete, or add control points to reshape a mask; create a flexible outline to accom-
modate any shape; and even change a mask shape over time.
Some changes require the use of tools grouped with the pen tool in the toolbox. To reveal
these tools, click and hold the pen tool in the toolbox. When modifying a mask, make sure
that you click only existing control points or segments; otherwise, you may create a new
mask instead.
To change a mask shape numerically:
1 Select the mask.
2 In the Timeline window, expand the Mask options.
3 Next to the Mask Shape property, click the underlined word “Shape,” and specify the
changes.
4 Click OK.
To replace one mask shape with another:
1 In the Layer window, select the mask you want to replace from the Target pop-up menu.
2 Draw a new mask shape.
Note: After you create the new mask shape in the Layer window, select None from the
Target pop-up menu; otherwise, all subsequent masks you create will replace the targeted
mask. See “Specifying one mask as the target for animation” on page 253.
UG.book Page 247 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM