Adobe 38039481 User Guide - Page 241

Work with mask layers

Page 241 highlights

FLASH CS3 235 User Guide To create a mask layer from a movie clip, use ActionScript. A mask layer created with ActionScript can be applied only to another movie clip. See Using movie clips as masks in Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Adobe Flash. For a video tutorial about animating masks, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0127. For a sample of scriptable masks, see the Flash Samples web page at www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples. Download and decompress the Samples zip file and navigate to the Masking\ScriptableMasks folder to access the sample. Work with mask layers You can use mask layers to reveal portions of a picture or graphic in the layer below. To create a mask, you specify that a layer is a mask layer, and either draw or place a filled shape on that layer. You can use any filled shape, including groups, text, and symbols, as a mask. The mask layer reveals the area of linked layers beneath the filled shape. For a video tutorial about animating masks, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0127. For a sample of scriptable masks, see the Flash Samples web page at www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples. Download and decompress the Samples zip file and navigate to the Masking\ScriptableMasks folder to access the sample. See also "Tweened animation" on page 239 "Add a motion tween to instances, groups, or type" on page 241 "Tween motion along a path" on page 244 Create a mask layer 1 Select or create a layer containing the objects to appear inside the mask. 2 Select Insert > Timeline > Layer to create a new layer above it. A mask layer always masks the layer immediately below it; create the mask layer in the proper place. 3 Place a filled shape, text, or an instance of a symbol on the mask layer. Flash ignores bitmaps, gradients, transparency, colors, and line styles in a mask layer. Any filled area is completely transparent in the mask; any nonfilled area is opaque. 4 Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) the mask layer's name in the Timeline, and select Mask. A mask layer icon indicates the mask layer. The layer immediately below it is linked to the mask layer, and its contents show through the filled area on the mask. The masked layer name is indented, and its icon changes to a masked layer icon. 5 To display the mask effect in Flash, lock the mask layer and the masked layer. Mask additional layers after creating a mask layer • Drag an existing layer directly below the mask layer. • Create a new layer anywhere below the mask layer. • Select Modify > Timeline > Layer Properties, and select Masked. Unlink layers from a mask layer ❖ Select the layer to unlink and do one of the following: • Drag the layer above the mask layer.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126
  • 127
  • 128
  • 129
  • 130
  • 131
  • 132
  • 133
  • 134
  • 135
  • 136
  • 137
  • 138
  • 139
  • 140
  • 141
  • 142
  • 143
  • 144
  • 145
  • 146
  • 147
  • 148
  • 149
  • 150
  • 151
  • 152
  • 153
  • 154
  • 155
  • 156
  • 157
  • 158
  • 159
  • 160
  • 161
  • 162
  • 163
  • 164
  • 165
  • 166
  • 167
  • 168
  • 169
  • 170
  • 171
  • 172
  • 173
  • 174
  • 175
  • 176
  • 177
  • 178
  • 179
  • 180
  • 181
  • 182
  • 183
  • 184
  • 185
  • 186
  • 187
  • 188
  • 189
  • 190
  • 191
  • 192
  • 193
  • 194
  • 195
  • 196
  • 197
  • 198
  • 199
  • 200
  • 201
  • 202
  • 203
  • 204
  • 205
  • 206
  • 207
  • 208
  • 209
  • 210
  • 211
  • 212
  • 213
  • 214
  • 215
  • 216
  • 217
  • 218
  • 219
  • 220
  • 221
  • 222
  • 223
  • 224
  • 225
  • 226
  • 227
  • 228
  • 229
  • 230
  • 231
  • 232
  • 233
  • 234
  • 235
  • 236
  • 237
  • 238
  • 239
  • 240
  • 241
  • 242
  • 243
  • 244
  • 245
  • 246
  • 247
  • 248
  • 249
  • 250
  • 251
  • 252
  • 253
  • 254
  • 255
  • 256
  • 257
  • 258
  • 259
  • 260
  • 261
  • 262
  • 263
  • 264
  • 265
  • 266
  • 267
  • 268
  • 269
  • 270
  • 271
  • 272
  • 273
  • 274
  • 275
  • 276
  • 277
  • 278
  • 279
  • 280
  • 281
  • 282
  • 283
  • 284
  • 285
  • 286
  • 287
  • 288
  • 289
  • 290
  • 291
  • 292
  • 293
  • 294
  • 295
  • 296
  • 297
  • 298
  • 299
  • 300
  • 301
  • 302
  • 303
  • 304
  • 305
  • 306
  • 307
  • 308
  • 309
  • 310
  • 311
  • 312
  • 313
  • 314
  • 315
  • 316
  • 317
  • 318
  • 319
  • 320
  • 321
  • 322
  • 323
  • 324
  • 325
  • 326
  • 327
  • 328
  • 329
  • 330
  • 331
  • 332
  • 333
  • 334
  • 335
  • 336
  • 337
  • 338
  • 339
  • 340
  • 341
  • 342
  • 343
  • 344
  • 345
  • 346
  • 347
  • 348
  • 349
  • 350
  • 351
  • 352
  • 353
  • 354
  • 355
  • 356
  • 357
  • 358
  • 359
  • 360
  • 361
  • 362
  • 363
  • 364
  • 365
  • 366
  • 367
  • 368
  • 369
  • 370
  • 371
  • 372
  • 373
  • 374
  • 375
  • 376
  • 377
  • 378
  • 379
  • 380
  • 381
  • 382
  • 383
  • 384
  • 385
  • 386
  • 387
  • 388
  • 389
  • 390
  • 391
  • 392
  • 393
  • 394
  • 395
  • 396
  • 397
  • 398
  • 399
  • 400
  • 401
  • 402
  • 403
  • 404
  • 405
  • 406
  • 407
  • 408
  • 409
  • 410
  • 411
  • 412
  • 413
  • 414
  • 415
  • 416
  • 417
  • 418
  • 419
  • 420
  • 421
  • 422
  • 423
  • 424
  • 425
  • 426
  • 427
  • 428
  • 429
  • 430
  • 431
  • 432
  • 433
  • 434
  • 435
  • 436
  • 437
  • 438
  • 439
  • 440
  • 441
  • 442
  • 443
  • 444
  • 445
  • 446
  • 447
  • 448
  • 449
  • 450
  • 451
  • 452
  • 453
  • 454
  • 455
  • 456
  • 457
  • 458
  • 459
  • 460
  • 461
  • 462
  • 463
  • 464
  • 465
  • 466
  • 467
  • 468
  • 469
  • 470
  • 471
  • 472
  • 473
  • 474
  • 475
  • 476
  • 477
  • 478
  • 479
  • 480
  • 481
  • 482
  • 483
  • 484
  • 485
  • 486
  • 487
  • 488
  • 489
  • 490
  • 491
  • 492
  • 493
  • 494
  • 495
  • 496
  • 497
  • 498
  • 499
  • 500
  • 501
  • 502
  • 503
  • 504
  • 505
  • 506
  • 507
  • 508
  • 509
  • 510
  • 511
  • 512
  • 513
  • 514
  • 515
  • 516
  • 517
  • 518
  • 519
  • 520
  • 521
  • 522
  • 523
  • 524
  • 525
  • 526

FLASH CS3
User Guide
235
To create a mask layer from a movie clip, use ActionScript. A mask layer created with ActionScript can be applied
only to another movie clip. See Using movie clips as masks in
Learning ActionScript 2.0 in Adobe Flash
.
For a video tutorial about animating masks, see
www.adobe.com/go/vid0127
.
For a sample of scriptable masks, see the Flash Samples web page at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples
.
Download and decompress the Samples zip file and navigate to the Masking\ScriptableMasks folder to access the
sample.
Work with mask layers
You can use mask layers to reveal portions of a picture or graphic in the layer below. To create a mask, you specify
that a layer is a mask layer, and either draw or place a filled shape on that layer. You can use any filled shape, including
groups, text, and symbols, as a mask. The mask layer reveals the area of linked layers beneath the filled shape.
For a video tutorial about animating masks, see
www.adobe.com/go/vid0127
.
For a sample of scriptable masks, see the Flash Samples web page at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples
.
Download and decompress the Samples zip file and navigate to the Masking\ScriptableMasks folder to access the
sample.
See also
“Tweened animation” on page
239
“Add a motion tween to instances, groups, or type” on page
241
“Tween motion along a path” on page
244
Create a mask layer
1
Select or create a layer containing the objects to appear inside the mask.
2
Select Insert
> Timeline
> Layer to create a new layer above it. A mask layer always masks the layer immediately
below it; create the mask layer in the proper place.
3
Place a filled shape, text, or an instance of a symbol on the mask layer. Flash ignores bitmaps, gradients, trans-
parency, colors, and line styles in a mask layer. Any filled area is completely transparent in the mask; any nonfilled
area is opaque.
4
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Macintosh) the mask layer’s name in the Timeline, and select Mask. A mask
layer icon indicates the mask layer. The layer immediately below it is linked to the mask layer, and its contents show
through the filled area on the mask. The masked layer name is indented, and its icon changes to a masked layer icon.
5
To display the mask effect in Flash, lock the mask layer and the masked layer.
Mask additional layers after creating a mask layer
Drag an existing layer directly below the mask layer.
Create a new layer anywhere below the mask layer.
Select Modify
> Timeline
> Layer Properties, and select Masked.
Unlink layers from a mask layer
Select the layer to unlink and do one of the following:
Drag the layer above the mask layer.