Masking makes my head spin

Bob Denny wrote on 9/15/2008, 7:24 PM

I'm relatively new at this but comfortable with most of what I want to do. However, masking has me confused. Why does a mask take effect BEFORE the keyframe in which the mask first appears? All other keyframing sets the condition you want AT the keyframe. If I draw in a mask at some keyframe, it appears when I pass the keyframe to the left of it. ????

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 9/15/2008, 7:31 PM

All keyframable effects start with the effect active. If you don't have a keyframe at the beginning of the event/track, then the first keyframe encountered is active from the beginning of the event/track as if the keyframe actually was at the beginning.

Is it possible that in other cases you have created an initial keyframe with the effect set to nothing? Maybe you haven't done that with the mask effect.

PeterWright wrote on 9/15/2008, 8:25 PM

If Keyframes are set to Hold (right click) they will change settings suddenly when the keyframe is reached. Other settings deal with different rates of change from the previous keyframe.

Bob Denny wrote on 9/15/2008, 10:12 PM

I do have an initial keyframe. I suspect there's something more I don't get :-) Look at http://solo.dc3.com/vegas/masktest.veg Why is the first frame blue, yet the second frame is yellow, even though the first keyframe in track 1 (blue) isn't till 3 sec in?

PeterWright wrote on 9/15/2008, 10:28 PM

If what you want is for the blue shape to appear suddenly, right click the second keyframe and change it from linear to hold.

If that's not what you want, keep posting ....

Edit - just seen what you mean - unwanted first frame blue - I'm having a tweak ....... be back

PeterWright wrote on 9/15/2008, 10:44 PM

I could see why the first frame was Blue, but since the blue is on Track 1, I couldn't work out why it then changed to yellow - but ... if what you want is to see all yellow until the 3 second mark, then the small blue shape to appear, move the blue event to start at 3 seconds and make it's first keyframe the same as your 3 sec mask.

I'm just guessing what you want, please clarify if that's not right.

farss wrote on 9/15/2008, 11:56 PM

A much better approach is to simply assume that beziers exist for the duration of the event. Using more tracks / events will make life so much easier.

Bob.

Grazie wrote on 9/16/2008, 1:00 AM

( All of this sounds very familiar - Bob?)

This is a case of a User - including myself too! - seeing that something CAN be done in Vegas, but for the sake of sanity, Bob's clarity, deciding NOT to do things that way at all. Meaning, just ONE Bezier per Event.

For those of you amongst us, remember PiP + Cookie Cutter + Pan/Crop to get multiple frames up there? Remember? Well, just 'cos it is possible doesn't equate with being feasible!

I'm just concluding a complex 9 x Hexagon construct. It has forced me to learn 10 times as much about BMs than I thought I needed at the beginning of the project. No bad thing there, but I have come away a bit wiser as to NOT doing it this way in the Future. Maybe?

Grazie

farss wrote on 9/16/2008, 1:56 AM

Quite familiar.
In general I try to stick to the KISS principle. Break complex things down into simple parts and build it out of simple parts. This makes it easier to diagnose and easier to change. The other plus is unless you keep detailed notes it can make it easier to workout how it works long after you've forgotten about the project and you get that call from the client wanting a "small" change.

Bob.

Bob Denny wrote on 9/16/2008, 7:10 AM

Hey guys, thanks for all the input, I really do appreciate the time you took and your inputs/experiences. At least it's not just me :-)