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 ¡ The next thing you will have to do is go to your âTrkMatâ column in the layer properties window and enable the track matte on the layer below your matte. If you cannot see this column, you may have to click on the âToggle Mode/Switchesâ button at the bottom of the screen. Or you can hit F4 on the keyboard :)
 ¡ Launch After Effects . Navigate to After Effects Track Matte Files and open the Track Matte Tutorial.aep file. Youâll see in the file that there are only three layers: A top text layer, a larger bottom text layer, and a white solid for the background, which is locked to prevent editing. Letâs add some more files to work with here.
Or if that doesn't work for the composition you can use expressions. Here's how: make your first matte layer, with its mask, and then duplicate it and put it over another of the layers you want to matte. Now with both matte layers selected press m to show the mask path property for both. Select only the new layer, and while holding alt/option ...
If the Track Mattes option is missing from your After Effects timeline panel, right-click the section above your layers, navigate to the Columns menu, and enable Modes, as seen below. Blending Modes, Preserve Underlying Transparency, and Track Mattes (TrkMat) should now all be available.
From the Effects panel, select Video Effects > Keying, and drag the Track Matte Key effect onto the clip on V2. Open the Effect Controls panel to adjust the Track Matte Key settings. From the Matte pop-up menu, choose Video 3. This sets the clip on V3 to act as the matte.
Click Toggle Switches/Modes in the Timeline panel to display the TrkMat column, so you can apply the track matte. Select the Window Contents layer, and choose Alpha Matte âWindow Lit 2â from the TrkMat pop-up menu.
What you learned: Use Luma Matte to isolate an element from its background. Create transparency on one layer based on the luminance values from another layer. In the Timeline panel, stack the layer to determine transparency directly on top of the layer to be the fill.
3:228:16Advanced Matte w/ Set Matte Effect - After Effects Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you go to effects and presets and search for set mat. You can see it here it's under the channel.MoreIf you go to effects and presets and search for set mat. You can see it here it's under the channel.
When you view an alpha channel in the Composition panel, white indicates complete opacity, black indicates complete transparency, and shades of gray indicate partial transparency. A matte is a layer (or any of its channels) that defines the transparent areas of that layer or another layer.
0:301:59How to use Track Mattes in Adobe After Effects - Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo open the track map drop down menu if you don't see a press f4 on the keyboard now select alphaMoreSo open the track map drop down menu if you don't see a press f4 on the keyboard now select alpha mat shape 1 the alpha mat means the boundaries are defined by the empty spaces on the layer.
0:002:01How to Create Alpha Mattes in After Effects - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipClick on the box press command D to duplicate it so now you have two boxes. On your second boxMoreClick on the box press command D to duplicate it so now you have two boxes. On your second box delete the drop shadow so go to the effects. Press delete.
A luma matte makes a matte using the luminance of a layer. An alpha matte makes a matte using the alpha channel. The alpha channel defines the transparency of a layer and can be created in photoshop to isolate a certain part of your image.
0:452:57Tutorial 13: Luma Matte in After Effects â - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI will take the example logo now I'll press f4 or this middle button here and on the track mapMoreI will take the example logo now I'll press f4 or this middle button here and on the track map options I'll select luma matte reveal.
In the Timeline panel, stack the layer to determine transparency directly on top of the layer to be the fill. Toggle the Switches And Modes button to reveal the modes and to hide the switches in the Timeline panel. Change the Track Matte switch for the fill layer to Luma Matte.
0:582:32After Effects: How To Create New Solid Layers - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAll. You need to do is go to the layer menu. Select new solid. Or use the keyboard shortcut commandMoreAll. You need to do is go to the layer menu. Select new solid. Or use the keyboard shortcut command Y.
Track Matte in After Effects is a layer that can control the opacity of the layer immediately below it. The track matte layer is invisible. A track matte creates holes or spaces through which the underlying layer is seen. But isnât this what the masking tool does? Yes and No. Read on to understand.
If you click on the Alpha Matte for the scenery layer, notice what happens. Only the shape layer-portion of the scenery is revealed. You can move around the shape layer to reveal a different portion of the layer beneath it.
The key difference between a mask and a track matte is that a mask is applied directly onto a layer containing a video or an image, and it transforms when the layer transforms. This means that when the layer is moved or rotated, or scaled, the mask undergoes these changes too.
When you click on the little arrow at the right of âNoneâ, a drop-down menu with four options is revealed. There are two options with Alpha and two with Luma.
But a track matte can be transformed too if one chooses to deliberately do so.
Of course, a mask can be made stationary by using elaborate methods to transform the mask so that the changes done on a layer do not affect it. But it is very cumbersome. A track matte avoids those steps.
Track mattes are a fun and powerful tool in After Effects that allows you to use a clip, still image, or text to dictate the transparency of the layer beneath. Simply put, you can shape a particular layer using the appearance of a track matte above it. Do you want a picture of a flower placed in your text?
Hereâs the main difference: Track mattes are not layer dependent, masks are. What that means for you is that if you put a mask onto a layer, then move the layer, the mask goes with it. If you use a track matte, no matter where you move your layer, the track matte stays in place.
Navigate to After Effects Track Matte Files and open the Track Matte Tutorial.aep file. Youâll see in the file that there are only three layers: A top text layer, a larger bottom text layer, and a white solid for the background, which is locked to prevent editing. Letâs add some more files to work with here.
Drag and drop the effect name onto your Precomp layer to activate it. Alternatively, you can right click on your Precomp layer > Effects > Perspective > Drop Shadow.
Track mattes can help create cool looks in your video project, like creating a cut out of your text with the video behind it. In this tutorial, youâll learn how to use luma mattes and alpha mattes inside of After Effects. Both are simple to use, but if youâre new to the program, working with track mattes might not be that obvious.
Basically, itâs just going to use that white to cut out the lower third , and now when you switch your transparency on, you will see that you have a lower third that you can use on top of a video or anything else.
To get started, you simply drop that onto your lower third. Now, you would be able to see that itâs a black-and-white render of the same lower third.
Another thing you can do is change the Track Matte to Alpha Inverted Matte which will change everywhere other than where your text (or object) is to the image or footage. You also donât have to use it just for text. You can use anything else that has an Alpha Matte, like shapes. Track Mattes in After Effects can really improve your video projects.
Learn how to precompose layers, create the track matte, and add motion blur in Adobe After Effects CC.
Note: This excerpt does not include the lesson files. The lesson files are available with purchase of the book.
A track matte is an invisible layer that is used to control the opacity of the layer directly beneath it. In essence, they replace the alpha channel of the layer they are being applied to.
Combining luma mattes with adjustment layers, you can create great fake lighting effects for muzzle flashes and explosions :)
Alpha Inverted Matte. This option works exactly opposite to the Alpha Matte option. Wherever your track matte is invisible, your layer will be visible. Again, this also applies to semi transparency, but wherever your track matte layer is 30% visible, your layer will become 70% visible.
However, the biggest power of track mattes in my opinion is that they can be applied to adjustment layers to define which areas of the adjustment layer, and thus any effects you assign to it, are visible. This opens up a myriad of possibilities to create complex effects based on dynamic elements in your scene :)
First, you will need to add a new layer directly on top of the layer you want to use it as a matte for. This layer can be anything you want: text, shapes, a video or another composition. In the following example I simply added a few shapes onto my new layer:
We can add an adjustment layer on top of the footage and desaturate the entire scene. We then duplicate the base footage and turn it into a matte for the adjustment layer.
Weâre going to use a simple shape to track matte some text as it slides down and ârevealsâ itself in the composition.
In this section, weâll create a precomp to organize our layers as well as make it easier to animate later on.
Now weâre getting close to the Track Matte portion of the project. Itâs a very simple technique that will allow you a whole new world of options for your animation projects, and requires very little setup.
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