ELI5 How to knock out a transparent outline

[claycle]

I've been trying to manipulate this out with masks all morning and I think I'm just wrapped around the axle and getting confused and frustrating myself. Thus, I turn for help.

 

I've uploaded a simple AD document which says everything.

MaskOutline.afdesign

[Guest]

Hi claycle,

 

If I understood correctly, you want to replace the border (of the same color as the square) of the green circle with a space that shows the background.

Copy the green circle, set its border to 0, paste it on itself. Increase the size of the lower green circle to match the width of the desired transparent space. Align the two green circles horizontally and vertically.

Select this large circle (which is behind the small one) and the purple circle, subtract (with the "Alt" key pressed if you want to be able to move the green circle afterwards).

[JimmyJack]

Another way to go..... (if you're planning on a rasterized final output).

 

CMD J (or Copy/Paste) the green circle.

Set the stroke of the top one to none.

Set the bottom one to Erase blend.

 

So the erase doesn't burn through everything, group what you want affected with the two circles.

 

[claycle]

Thank you fdr the answers. Magic sauce. I learned something.

[Guest]

Thanks for your feedback claycle.