Masks
It is possible to add a mask to a layer, that will be applied to all medias in the layer (the ratio of the mask will follow the ratio of the current media).
You can even add several masks, you can do some compositing between them.
Create a mask
There is different ways to create a mask :
- create a custom shape
- use a default shape (square, circle or triangle)
- use a SVG file (see next sections)
All masks are editable.
Mask with custom path
- Select a layer and then select mask tool to enter mask mode.
- Draw your mask in workspace.
Mask with default shape
At the bottom of the mask list you can add masks with shapes (square, circle or triangle). All these shapes are editable.
Also you can add an empty mask to create your own shape.
Edit a mask
Select the mask to edit in the list of masks, located in the properties-view. Its shape with key points appears. Move the key points with the mouse or the keyboard to edit the shape.
Specifically with the keyboard, you can use the following shortcut : move faster with SHIFT+arrows, or select another point with TAB and SHIFT+TAB.
Lastly, remove a point using ⌫.
Curved shapes
Masks points can be converted into bezier points to get curved shapes : press ALT+click to do so. Do it again to convert a bezier point into a sharp point.
SVG Import & Export
Once you are satisfied with your masks path, you can export it into a SVG file to reuse it.
SVG masks has its own menu. From there you can import a SVG shape or export your mask into a SVG shape :
Export as SVG
When exporting masks as SVG, all active masks with be in SVG file.
SVG files only contain paths. Edited properties will not be saved.
Import mask with SVG
If you want to reuse a previous mask, you can import it from SVG menu.
Masks Management
Use the mask list to manage them :
- Choose to make the mask visible or not
- Edit your mask name
- Do some compositing (see next section)
Why some masks are orange in mask list ?
Some masks have no shape.
This happens when the path is not closed, after adding an empty mask, or after removing some points (so there is less than 3 points).
Copy masks
It is possible to copy a mask list and paste it into another layer. From Edit menubar, click on Copy Masks Only. Select the target layer and paste it with CMD+V.
Compositing
You can composite masks, especially by changing the mode from Hide Pixels to Show Pixels. See the effect of each mode in the picture below :
Masks are applying from the bottom to the top. In this example :
- First, the triangle hides pixels
- Then the circle shows pixels (so some pixels hidden by the triangle are shown)
- Then the square hides some more pixels
Mask Properties
Each mask has its own properties :
- inverted
Unchecked : It hides pixels inside the mask. Default value.
Checked : It hides pixels outside the mask.![]()
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- opacity
Change the transparency of the mask.
100% : mask is opaque. All targeted pixels are hidden. Default value.
50% : targeted pixels are 50% transparent.
0% : mask is transparent. Nothing happens, acts as if no mask.
- feather
Blur the edges of the mask (but requires more resources from graphic card).
0px : mask is sharp. Default value.
10px : mask is at bit blurry (gradient of 10px).
100px : mask is very blurry (gradient of 100px).
- scale
Change the size of the mask.
< 100% : smaller than original size. Minimal value is 0,10%.
100% : original size. Default value.
> 100% : bigger than original size.
Matte
The layers feature 4 special blend modes, called mattes. They allows a layer to act as a mask for the layer below. It can be useful to create a dynamic mask based on a video or a timeline.
Here is an example with the luma matte blend mode :
And the result in Millumin :
The 4 blend modes allows to use either alpha (alpha matte and alpha inverted matte), or luminosity (luma matte and luma inverted matte) as a mask for the layer below.