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Thread: custom masks

  1. custom masks

    how do I create and use custom masks?

    Mark Butts
    http://www.markbutts.com

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by markbutts
    how do I create and use custom masks?

    Mark Butts
    http://www.markbutts.com
    what kind of custom masks?


    what do you want to do?

  3. #3
    In version 3- you can turn any movie or image into a mask.
    see the visual fx doc.
    http://chaldee1.gotadsl.co.uk/~richa...read.php?t=123


    But tell me also what kindof thing you want to do please.

  4. I have a projection surface that is built as a 3:4 aspect ratio with a curved top. All the content is created as 4:3 in a 3:4 safe area. This was done becase Catalyst isn't the only thing using this content. My sides are OK but I need to create a mask to handle the curved portion at the top of the screen.
    Is this as simple as creating a black mask in photoshop, making the rest of the area white and using the white to transparent color effect?

    The screen surfaces were modeled for presentation in 3-D studio max.
    Is it possible to somehow extract these measurments from Max to create
    essentially scaled mask? If so how?

    I would imagine this would use one of my video channels, and since i want to mask everything being output, the mask wants to reside on the topmost video layer.

    Mark Butts
    http://www.markbutts.com

  5. #5
    visual fx 32 does it for me.

    Is this what you mean -- see the attached pdf.

    there are several other ways of doing this.
    This is not an exhaustive answer.
    Attached Files Attached Files

  6. Custom Masks

    Mark -

    1) Create a camera in 3DS Max and place it at the precise location of the projector that you will be using onsite
    2) Make the camera angle the same as your raster image from the projector
    3) Render the scene with the appropriate scenic items in place. Lighting should be very flat with no shadows.
    4) Open the image in Photoshop and turn the areas within your raster that you wish to mask to black and erase all the areas you wish to have Catalyst images appear. Once onsite, you may need to [Transform] your image in Photoshop due to irregularities of the hang, projection location, etc.
    5) Save the image with alpha channels and load into Catalyst

    As you already know, it will need to be on Layer 4 in order to mask out other images. You may find that if you are running out of layers for your show, you might want merge your new mask onto your content so that it always is within the content itself.
    Give us a call when you start getting into scenery that requires masking but is automated
    Rodd McLaughlin
    Prelite NY, LLC

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by RGMdddd
    4) Open the image in Photoshop and turn the areas within your raster that you wish to mask to black and erase all the areas you wish to have Catalyst images appear. Once onsite, you may need to [Transform] your image in Photoshop due to irregularities of the hang, projection location, etc.
    5) Save the image with alpha channels and load into Catalyst
    If you use visual fx 32 you can use a black and white image - you dont need alpha channels or you dont need to store the alpha in the file.

    In this method - the area really does have to be transparent - with no image data there - you have to save your file as a tiff with transparency to make this happen
    You have more flexibilty with image file format if you set the areas you want to be transparent to white.
    But Using alpha will work as well.

    If you need to display an image with alpha - and you need to see what the alpha channel is doing use colour fx 40 thru 47 - these are basically debugging fx for files which are supposed to be transparent or use alpha channels - they dont have much use apart from that.

  8. Custom Masks

    The only drawback to using the FX is that you need to be very careful as to the projected content you use. Using true transparency - lack of pixel data - you needn't be concerned for greyscale content.
    Rodd McLaughlin
    Prelite NY, LLC

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by RGMdddd
    The only drawback to using the FX is that you need to be very careful as to the projected content you use. Using true transparency - lack of pixel data - you needn't be concerned for greyscale content.
    you have to make sure your masks are white?
    is this what you mean?

    Did you see transparency issues?

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by samsc
    you have to make sure your masks are white?
    is this what you mean?

    Did you see transparency issues?
    in colour fx 32 - the red channel acts as a softness parameter which crunches the mask and makes it higher contrast -- up to a point.

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