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617Final Cut Pro User Guide
3. To adjust the mask, do any of the following:
• Visually manipulate the mask in the viewer: Drag the control points in the viewer.
• Show or hide onscreen controls and control points in the viewer: Click the Draw
Mask Onscreen Controls button in the Draw Mask section of the Video inspector.
• Make precise numeric adjustments, including keyframing: Modify the mask settings
in the Draw Mask section of the Video inspector.
Note: After the control points become available, you can’t convert the mask back to a
simple shape mask.
Use multiple masks in Final Cut Pro
Occasionally, it may be necessary to apply multiple masks to the same image. For example,
if you’re masking an image of a car, you might draw separate masks for different parts of
the car: roof and windows, the lower body, and so on. It’s easier to divide the car into parts,
draw separate masks for each part, and composite the masks together at the end than to
draw an accurate car shape in one mask. You can apply any combination of Shape Masks
and Draw Masks.
Note: Mask blend modes are available for effect masking only. Dragging multiple instances
of the Draw Mask or the Shape Mask to the same clip creates the equivalent of the
Intersect blend mode in the effect masking feature. In Intersect mode, only the area inside
the mask shape that overlaps with other mask shapes is affected. See Combine multiple
effect masks in Final Cut Pro. The instructions below explain how to create the equivalent
of Add mode, in which multiple mask shapes are merged.
1. Add the clip you want to mask to the Final Cut Pro timeline.
2. Duplicate the clip as a connected clip directly above the original clip.
Tip: To quickly duplicate the original clip and position it at the same time, Option-
drag the clip to the area just above the primary storyline.