User Manual

Adding Softness to a Segment
The outer shape is drawn using a green dashed line instead of a solid line to help distinguish it
from the inner shape.
To select the outer soft edge shape, do one of the following:
 Use the Tab key to cycle between the onscreen controls until the
dashed outline is visible
 Right-click over a spline in the view and choose Controls > Select > Polygon:
Outer Polygon.
Once the outer polyline is selected, you can drag any of the points away from the inner polyline
to add some softness to the mask.
TIP: Press Shift-A to select all the points on a shape, and then hold O and drag to
offset the points from the inner shape. This gives you a starting point to edit the falloff.
The farther the outer shape segment is from the inner shape, the larger the falloff will be in
that area.
Adding Additional Points to the Shape
It is not necessary for every point on the inner shape to have a match on the outer shape, or
vice versa. You can add additional control points to refine the shape of either shape.
Each polyline stores its animation separately; however, if a point is adjusted on the inner shape
that is parented to a point on the outer shape, a keyframe will be set for both splines. Adjusting
a parented point on the outer shape only sets a keyframe for the outer shape’s spline. If a point
that is not parented is adjusted, it will only set a keyframe on the relevant spline. You can
disable this behavior entirely for this polyline by selecting Polygon: Outer Polygon > Follow
Inner Polyline from the contextual menu.
Locking/Unlocking Point Pairs
If you want to parent additional control points, you can select the points, right-click in the
viewer, and choose Lock Point Pairs from the contextual menu for either spline. This will cause
the selected point on the outer shape to become parented to the selected point on the
inner shape.
Any animation already applied to either point is preserved when the points become parented.
To unlock a point so it is no longer parented, select the point, right-click in the viewer, and
deselect Lock Point Pairs from the contextual menu.
Chapter – 71 Rotoscoping with Masks 1453