mask live filters in Photo

[AndyQ]

How does one mask a single live filter in Photo in cases where a number of live filters are applied? My attempts to do so result in the mask being applied to all live filters on a layer..

[carl123]

Live Filters have their own built in masks which you can paint on in black and white.

If that is not sufficient you need to be more specific in what you are attempting to do

 

[walt.farrell]

One important point is that you need to click on the filter's thumbnail in the Layers panel to paint on its mask.

[JimmyJack]

On 2/7/2020 at 5:34 PM, AndyQ said:

How does one mask a single live filter in Photo in cases where a number of live filters are applied? My attempts to do so result in the mask being applied to all live filters on a layer..

If I understand correctly. And if the live filters are stacked as children*(see my next post 4 replies down) ...
(...this is apart from painting right on the filter itself.)

You have to pull the particular filter you want to effect out of the stack so it's on it's own, add the mask and then reinsert it back in.
Once back in place you won't see or have access to the mask. But you can pull it out again to work on it if needed. Bit of a pita.

[AndyQ]

16 hours ago, carl123 said:

Live Filters have their own built in masks which you can paint on in black and white.

 

Thanks, I never would have guessed that, although I'm trying to use vector masks. I know these can be applied individually if a live filter is in it's own layer (i.e. affecting everything below), but not when it's attached to an pixel layer (I'm not sure of the correct terminology, but when live filters are applied to a layer they appear grouped beneath it)

[AndyQ]

4 minutes ago, JimmyJack said:

You have to pull the particular filter you want to effect out of the stack so it's on it's own, add the mask and then reinsert it back in.

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I must say I find the whole layering system very confusing, inconsistent and un-intuitive, certainly the visual representation of it in the layers palette. I'm finding most things I want to achieve can be done, but it's like solving a puzzle game every time, it doesn't appear obvious. Even building vector masks is a pain...I can't find a way to add shapes to a mask without making separate shapes then using Booleans to put 'em together (Designer has a button for appending shapes to the current curve object but Photo does not). Not being able to invert a mask, or parametrically feather it is a big shortcoming as well.

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, JimmyJack said:

You have to pull the particular filter you want to effect out of the stack so it's on it's own, add the mask and then reinsert it back in.

No, you don't. Just click on the filter layer's thumbnail and start painting.

[JimmyJack]

9 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

No, you don't. Just click on the filter layer's thumbnail and start painting.

Walt, I'm not talking about painting on a filter.
We're talking about adding masks to filters (not the built in mask ability)... so, for example, you can use vectors to mask.

1 hour ago, JimmyJack said:

You have to pull the particular filter you want to effect out of the stack so it's on it's own, add the mask and then reinsert it back in.
Once back in place you won't see or have access to the mask. But you can pull it out again to work on it if needed. Bit of a pita.

But.... I was just coming back to clarify this. It's only true if the Live filters are stacked as masks (the mask position).
If they're stacked as children then you have access to their individual masks. No pulling required.

[walt.farrell]

49 minutes ago, JimmyJack said:

We're talking about adding masks to filters (not the built in mask ability)... so, for example, you can use vectors to mask.

Sorry; I missed that clarification of the original question.