How to make a vector mask containing a hole in Photo?

[edferg]

How do you make a vector mask containing a hole in Affinity Photo?

Assume I want to mask a photo of a doughnut in Affinity Photo.  I want a vector mask so I can modify it with precision at any time.

I use the pen tool to draw a closed curve around the perimeter of the doughnut , then fill the curve black.

I present my filled curve to the doughnut layer and get the short blue vertical line.  The mask works as expected, but of course the hole has not been addressed.

How do I deal with the hole?  Nothing I have tried works, except the following:

I draw another closed curve for the doughnut hole and fill it black.  I position this layer below the doughnut / mask layers described above, and change its Mode to Erase.

Now I have the doughnut , a transparent background and transparent hole. This is exactly what I want, with the ability to edit both the doughnut perimeter and the hole, using the node tool.

This technique seems to work well, but it feels like a work-around. Is this the only way to make a vector mask containing a hole?

[v_kyr]

See: Vector Masking in APh

Also check the vector shapes donut etc. You can convert that to curves and adjust it's nodes to your needs then.

[edferg]

6 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

See: Vector Masking in APh

Thank you.  I've seen this video.  However it demonstrates a simple, single mask.  I 'm dealing with a round mask with a hole in the center.

[v_kyr]

Look at the APh shape tools, there is one with a donut shape, also the cog shape tool offers a lot of customizations (can also be made a ring). Try to reuse those for your mask. - Or draw two circles with the shape tools (a smaller on a bigger one) and then geometrical substract those, you will get a donut like shape too then.

[edferg]

Thank you.  The donut shape can be made to work as a mask after converting it to curves, adding many points, and moving each node to conform to the object I wish to mask.  That is a lot of work.

I really need to stay with closed curves which I draw myself.  How do I geometrical subtract two closed curves in Affinity Photo?

[firstdefence]

2 hours ago, edferg said:

How do I geometrical subtract two closed curves in Affinity Photo?

Layer > Geometry: Subtract 

or use the top tool menu:  

You might have to customise the menu to get this, so right-click  and choose customise Menu, you can drag the geometry strip onto the menu.

[edferg]

Thanks everyone!  Layer>Geometry: Subtract converted my two curves into a single layer, which allowed me to mask my image with a hole in the center.

I had never even noticed the Geometry options in the Layers menu before.

[oliiix]

Nice  that's it, thank you firstdefence! Needed this as well