User Guide

259
ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0
User Guide
Locking a mask
Locking a mask prevents you from selecting it in the Timeline, Composition, and Layer
windows or setting it as a target in the Layer window. Use this feature to avoid unwanted
changes to the mask.
To lock or unlock a mask:
1 In the Timeline window, expand the Mask property.
2 In the Switches column, click the box underneath the lock icon ( ) next to the mask
you want to lock or unlock. A layer is locked when the lock icon appears in the box.
Reusing a mask
You can reuse masks in other layers and compositions. It is particularly useful to store
Bezier masks you’ve spent a long time perfecting. You can even create a project with
compositions that exist just to store complex layer masks. Mask shapes are stored inside a
composition, not as an external file on your hard disk. When you want to use a mask from
another project, import that project into your current project.
To save a mask:
1 In the Timeline window for the composition containing the layer and mask you want
to save, expand the layer and its mask properties.
2 Do one of the following:
• To save an animated mask, select the mask keyframes you want to save. For more infor-
mation, see “Setting keyframes” on page 163.
• To save a nonanimated mask, select the I-beam for the mask.
3 Copy the mask or keyframes and paste to a new layer (this can be a simple solid).
To reuse a mask:
1 Open the composition containing the mask you want to reuse. If you saved the mask in
another project, import the project and then open the mask’s composition.
2 In the Timeline window, expand the saved mask’s layer and mask properties.
3 Select the mask path or keyframes.
UG.book Page 259 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM