Correctly Controlling Masks in Affinity Photo

[thomasbricker]

Ok, Im at my wit's end here.

I cant seem to figure out the correct way to set up a simple rectangular image mask in Affinity Photo.

What's really weird is, some of my layers have masks on them that behave as I want them to and new layers I create have what appear to be the same kind of masks, and they do NOT do what I need them to do. It may be that the ones that are behaving correctly, are from when I originally opened this file from a Photoshop file. The layers that are behaving are the Furniture Images layers. The layer at the top is my attempt to recreate this type of mask, and it simply wont behave the same as the Furniture ones. When I try to manipulate the mask, it remains grouped or joined with the image.

I want a layer with a Mask layer on it, underneath the pixel layer. I need to have BOTH the image and the Mask be able to be manipulated independently.

I dont want the image to distort when I try to modify the mask object.

I CAN NOT see what the difference is between my layers that are working correctly and the ones that arent. Kind of making me nuts!

Please have a look at the attached file and let me know how do I recreate whatever it was that I did in the successful version

Thanks!.

2018_10.03_SquareUp_Sale_Ad_Email.afphoto

[firstdefence]

Create a rectangle above the image and right click on the rectangle and select Mask To Below, you should be able to edit the mask and the image will not resize.

You can also create a rectangle and choose Layer > Rasterise to Mask and drag the mask to the image layer, this is probably what you are looking for. When you do this the mask thumbnail looks the same as the "behaving" masks

[thomasbricker]

Thanks FD,

 

Your first suggestion is very close to what I want to have happen. This allows for editability of the mask object which is fine. But I want to be able to resize the image, while it is inside of the mask, independently. Seems like this should be the case, but it simply isnt. I can resize the whole thing and then adjust the mask after the fact but that seems a bit convoluted. That's why I think Im missing a step.

The second method you mentioned, simply doesn't work for me at all. When I rasterize to a Mask, I get a giant white mask that is utterly uneditable. 

I prefer the set up of the first option and would like to get that to work.

[Roger C]

Thomas,

This excellent video by James Ritson shows what I believe is the behaviour you are looking for.

R

[thomasbricker]

Bingo.

Exactly what I was after.

The missing bit for me was "Lock Children".

Although the term sounds a little ominous, it affords me the functionality Im after.

Thanks Roger.