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masks vs. clipping groups 1

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ironworks

Technical User
Oct 13, 2001
16
US
firstly, what do you call a clipping group in Flash?
secondly, an animated mask eventually reveals an image it is linked to. how does one create a clipping group to HIDE an image in Flash?
 
Clipping group, from what I understand, is a Photoshop thing!...

In Photoshop, grouping is used to create clipping groups. In a clipping group, one layer is used to mask another layer with which it is grouped.

Two ways to mask in flash:
1- Turning a layer into a mask, which then locks with the layer(s) below it... So you could say that the mask and the picture (or background...) layer(s) are grouped together.

2- Covering a picture layer with another layer, made of a filled rectangle in which you will cut out some shape that will then allow you to see (through the cut out) the picture or background on the lower layer.

Regards,
mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
Hi. Thanks for the instant response. Clipping group is also a PS feature, but I was thinking of it in the 3DStudioMax sense, which I think is pretty similar.
I tried your version number one, but when I go to Test Movie (ctrl+alt+enter), although all layers are locked as per instructions, it is not showing the movement of the masking layer.
Any ideas?
1)both layers are locked
2)the masking layer is above and linked to the layer it is masking

Thanks!
 
Sorry, Idnewbie, I still don't get it. Mine is actually way simpler. Where can I post a 168kb .fla file with only two sample layers so you can see how simple my problem is? I'm sure I can do this easily in Flash 4! I don't understand why it's so difficult in Flash 5...
 
Just e-mail it to me as an attachment at oldnewbie@hotmail.com
mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
Your mask does work as is!
Just set a different color than white as a movie background color... And you'll see your mask in action!

Regards,
mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
Hey, great!
Now, what if I absolutely need the background to be white?

ironworks
 
It isn't working for me, even when I change the background color. It's supposed to reveal the little explosion from center to out. Do you suppose something is disfunctional with my flash player? I tried re-downloading just the player, and the same problem.
???
ironworks
 
Sorry I misled you... It isn't working! Was just pressing enter , and not testing the movie. But it should work!
That blue mask of your's seems to be the problem!
Just re-do it!
Trash the layer on which the blue mask is on.
Insert a new layer. Select frame 10 and press F6 to insert a keyframe. Now select the first frame in this layer.
Select the oval(circle) tool and hit the stroke box, the one over the bucket. Click the dialgonal red line icon to block any outline being drawn. Now draw your circle - color is of no importance, just make it different than the background so you can see it... - so that is covers your "green spider", and center the circle over it.
With the first frame still selected, under Insert select Create motion tween, and under Modify->Transform->Scale and Rotate, set the scale to 10%. Turn your layer into a mask and test your movie. And yes you can keep your white background.

You could select frame 9 and press F6. Then select frame 10 and press Shift F5 until you get rid of all frames after frame 9.
If you now want to prolong your mask's motion, just select frame 1 and pres F5 adding a frame each time.

Once again sorry for my first assuption that it was working!

Regards,

mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
Okay. That's exactly how I created the first one with one difference: I could not scale>tween the object in the mask layer until I had changed that object in Frame 1 to a Symbol. Only then would it tween to Frame 10. I then right-clicked that layer and made it a mask.
Yes, it does work wonderfully on the drawing board, as you said, but not when you Test Movie.

How did you get it tween without it being a Symbol?

ironworks
 
Are you saying you re-did it and it now works? It does for me!
I didn't convert my circle to a symbol before I tweened it... Never do!
Don't think mask will take a symbol!

Regards,
mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
I re-did it, and it doesn't work.
Apparently, you're right. A mask will not take a symbol, as the Test Movie shows. but it also will not allow me to tween the object that is the mask WITHOUT it being a symbol. Hmmm..... very confused.

What are you doing that is working that I'm not doing?


ironworks
 
Probably the way you insert your tween!

Do you ever see a dotted line when you insert your tween?

mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
Yes, when I created the object on the tenth frame, then tweened backwards to the scaled-down object in the first frame.

Otherwise, my method was to create the circle on frame one, add a keyframe at frame 10, then right click any frame between and hit Create Motion Tween. That gives me a dotted line IF the object is not a Symbol. If it is a Symbol, then I get the beautiful straight line with arrow, but it doesn't act like a mask, when I right-click the layer to make it a Mask.

???I tried it in just the method you gave, as above, and that also produced a dotted line for me???

ironworks
 
Sent you my result by e-mail!

Do this:

Set 10 blank frames.
Select frame 1, draw your circle fullsize.
Should now have ten frames of circle plus that funny square on frame 10.
Now while frame 1 still selected, insert motion tween.
You should now have a dotted line including frame 10.
Select frame 10, press F6.
Bingo! Motion tween!
Back to frame 1, scale down and position the circle
Turn layer into mask!
Test movie!
It should work!
mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
You are absolutely the best!!! Yes!

I can't believe that there is only ONE correct method by which to do this, but you found it!

Thanks a million!
 
No problem!

BTW, I've allways done all my tweens this way.
You get that nice arrow between two dots and not, when using your method (setting to 2 keyframes first and inserting the tween afterwards), that one dot, the arrow and and then the second dot on what seems the first frame of something else!
If you see what I mean!
Question of good looks! Probabbly just like your's!

Regards,
mywink2.gif
ldnewbie
 
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