Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual page 265

Lock or unlock masks
Locking a mask prevents you from selecting it in the Timeline, Composition, and Layer panels or setting it as a target
in the Layer panel. Use this feature to avoid unwanted changes to the mask.
In the Timeline panel, expand the Masks property group.
1
2 In the A/V Features column, click the box underneath the Lock icon
unlock. A mask is locked and cannot be selected when its Lock switch is selected—i.e., when the Lock icon appears
in the box.
Note: To unlock multiple masks at one time, select one or more layers and choose Layer > Mask > Unlock All Masks.
Copy, cut, save, reuse, and delete masks
You can reuse masks in other layers and compositions—particularly Bezier masks you've spent a long time
perfecting. Mask paths are stored inside a composition in a project file. It can be useful to create a project with
compositions just for storing complex layer masks. When you want to use a mask from another project, import that
project into your current project.
Copy, cut, duplicate, or paste a mask
• To copy or cut selected masks to the clipboard, choose Edit > Copy or Edit > Cut.
• To duplicate selected masks, choose Edit > Duplicate.
• To paste a mask onto a layer, select the layer and then choose Edit > Paste. If a mask is selected, this replaces the
selected mask.
Save a mask
1 In the Timeline panel for the composition containing the layer and mask you want to save, expand the layer and
its mask properties.
Do one of the following:
2
• To save an animated mask, select the mask keyframes you want to save.
• To save a nonanimated mask, select the mask.
Copy the mask or keyframes, and paste the mask or keyframes to a new layer. The new layer can be a simple solid.
3
Reuse a mask
Open the composition containing the mask you want to reuse. If you saved the mask in another project, import
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the project and then open the mask's composition.
In the Timeline panel, expand the saved mask's layer and mask properties.
2
Select the mask or keyframes.
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4 Copy the mask or keyframes, and paste the mask or keyframes to the layer to which you want to apply the mask.
Delete masks
• To delete one mask, select the mask in the Timeline panel and press Delete.
• To delete all masks, select the layer containing the masks you want to remove and choose Layer > Masks > Remove
All Masks.
next to the mask you want to lock or
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User Guide