Masks

A mask layer is used to show or hide part of your Flash movie.

A mask blocks everything BUT the area covered by the mask. It acts like a window.

You can animate a mask or the content beneath it.

You can use it for a border for your movie.

• Create a new Flash movie
• Import a picture to the stage

• Add another layer
• Draw a simple shape over your picture (color does not matter)

• Right click on the new layer and select mask

The layer is converted into a masking layer and the layer below it is the masked layer


Activate/Deactivate a mask

The mask and masked layers both must be locked

Unlocking either layers deactivates the mask in authoring mode, it still masks when you publish it.

Right click on the mask layer again and select mask to deactivate/remove it

Editing a mask

You can edit a mask after you unlock the layer

• Unlock the mask layer
• Adjust the simple shape

• Lock the layer again

Flash only uses the fill to create the mask
Any color changes do not affect it
Nor does any change to the alpha setting

Adding more layers to the mask

You can add more layers by dragging them under the mask layer

• Add another layer
• Draw a blue square on this layer
• Drag it over the layer with the picture but under the mask layer and it too will be masked

• Lock the new layer

Remove layers from a mask

• Drag the layer you want to unmask out of the mask

Animate a mask

• Add a keyframe on frame 40 in the mask layer
• Add a frame on frame 40 in all the other layers

• Unlock the mask layer
• In frame 40 of the mask layer move the simple shape
• In frame 1 right click and create motion tween

Animate the content in a mask
You can also animate the content inside a mask. Just animate it as you would normally