Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
layer; white on top of white makes black, blue on top of red makes
magenta, etc.
F
HLS Shift
- modes of this group transfer one of the source layer's visual
traits, either its hue, value, or saturation, affecting only one of the HLS
traits to the layers beneath, or by tinting the layers below with the
colors present in the source layer.
G
Alpha Masking
- this group creates a mask, based upon the source
layer's alpha or luminance, cascading to all layers below.
H
Special
- the last group offers modes for correcting improperly mixing
Alpha Channels from two of more layers or for fixing a layer with bad
Alpha/fill blending.
Let's return to the WONK TV logo build to examine some of the more common
mix modes and their effects, as well as a lesson on Basic Masking functions.
Open the project
Mix & Masks.aep
and examine the few Blending Mode
settings already in use. Layer 1, for example, currently uses an Overlay mode -
return that layer to Normal for a moment. This layer contains animated film
grain that gives the overall project a cinematic feel. A Solid gray layer was
utilized because grain is imperceptible when it's applied to white or black. So
by using gray as our base color, then applying the Overlay mode, the gray
disappears, leaving only the noise to affect the underlying layers. Try cycling
through the seven different modes within the same blending group of Overlay
to see their different effects, then switch to different Mode groups and
experiment with the multitude of options available. Then, return everything to
their initial settings (
File
Revert
).
Masking - Part 1: Making Box Masks
Masks are boundaries that limit what is shown from an image. They can be
both astoundingly simple and amazingly intricate at the same time. They can
be as simple as boxes used to block out offending animation errors from a
poorly prepared resource, and as complex as hundreds of converted font
outlines forming paths for other effects and objects to use. In this section we'll
examine the most basic forms of masking: Rectangular (Box) and Elliptical
(Oval) Masks.
