Flash Mask Tutorial
Masks in Flash allow you to control the visible elements in a movie, creating engaging and sophisticated effects. Using Flash masks is not typically difficult once you have acquired the technique. Flash masks are particularly useful in situations where a movie has multiple layers with images on them and you want only certain parts of a particular image to be visible. You can create Flash masks with different shapes defining which parts of an image will be seen by users.
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Instructions
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Create a new Flash document. Open the Flash authoring environment and choose "File," "New" and "Flash Document." Save your file with a name of your choice by choosing "File," "Save As," entering a name, choosing a location and clicking "Save." Alter the document properties if you like, choosing dimensions, a background color and frame rate for your movie.
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Enter your mask background. Masks allow you to display only part of an image, so insert the part of the image you want to display. This may be an image you already have; import it by clicking "File," "Import" and "Import to Stage." Alternatively, draw an image yourself using the Flash tools. To demonstrate, choose the "Rectangle" tool, then click and drag across the entire stage area to create a shape that covers it.
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Insert a new layer for your mask. Your image should have automatically been placed on the single default layer a Flash document provides unless you've added additional layers. Wherever your image is, add a new layer above it by choosing "Insert," "Timeline" and "Layer." Your mask layer needs to be above your image layer, so you may have to move it by clicking on the layer name and dragging it into position.
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Lock all layers except your new mask layer using the little padlock button above the Timeline to lock all layers, then unlock the mask layer by clicking on its own padlock button. Insert a shape on this layer. Use a shape you already have or create a new one by using the drawing tools. To demonstrate, choose the "Oval" tool and enter a circular shape by clicking and dragging on the stage area. Make sure your new mask shape is smaller than the image under it.
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Convert your new layer to a mask. Tight-click on the new layer's name area within the Timeline to open the context menu, then choose "Mask." Your mask should immediately take effect, hiding all areas of the image that do not appear directly under the mask shape you created. Flash automatically locks both mask and masked layers when you create a mask, so you need to unlock them to make any other changes to either.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also use Symbol objects as masks, which can move as a movie executes.
The item within the mask layer is treated as a solid object in Flash by default, regardless of what it contains.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
