Masking levels

[toonsisters]

Dear Community,
I'd like to hide an animated character behind a part of the background.

I already drawn a "mask" level and put the blending mode on "erase". This works fine to erase the character at the right place.
But it also works on the background.

Do you know how I can preserve the background being erased, too?

Thanks
Vera

[slowtiger]

The easiest way to hide a character is to put something in front of him. Just duplicate the background layer, put it on top of the character layer, and erase everything expect the part which is to be in front.

[toonsisters]

Thank you slowtiger.

Yes, if my matchline would be steady,this would shurely be the easiest way.
But unfortunatelly my animated layer are actually two characters, one in front and one behind a desk due to perspective.

So I have created an animated mask which is adjusted in each frame and let it work on the characters levelby erasing it.
If there is no other way to erase this mask only on slected levels, do I have to copy the part of question of the background and adjust it each frame like I have done with the mask?
Is there an easier way?

thanks, vera

[toonsisters]

Is there no effect in the FX Stack that allows to erase one animated lever from one or more other animated levels?

thanks
Vera

[slowtiger]

You don't need the FX stack for this.

Normally you don't cut exceeding parts of animation to fit it into the background, since it's easier to just cover it with a duplicated piece of the background.

If you need to cut off stuff you use a selection or a stencil. Selection is for a static mask, to cut off the same shape in each image. Stencil is for a moving mask. You select the layer which serves as stencil and check the stencil box. Then you select the layer you want to trim, erase once, undo, select the whole range of frames you want to trim, and hit re-apply (enter). TVP reads the mask from every frame of the stencil layer and applies it to the corresponding frame of the animation layer you want to trim.

You can invert the selection as well as the stencil. Note that only one stencil will be active at a time, even if you have checked several.

(See manual for stencil, re-apply)

[toonsisters]

Yes, thank you slowtiger.
That is the way it works.