Power Mask controls
Power Mask is a set of options for isolating the color correction that you make to a specific area in your image. Using a mask for color correction is sometimes called 'secondary color correction'. Power Mask offers two basic shapes, a radius that defines the width of the shape, and additional controls let you set a feather and inversion for the masked area.
Looks 1 note: The Power Mask controls are the same in Looks 2 as in Looks 1. The only difference is the default settings have changed for Feather Size and Feather Bias.
Activate Power Mask
The Power Mask is not enabled by default. Turn it on by choosing a Mask shape from the Mask pop-up. When you select a shape, the color correction is automatically isolated to the default shape shown in the canvas or preview window of the host application.
Mask pop-up
Power Mask offers two basic shapes: a rectangle or ellipse that is defined by two points on the image. The Mask size and shape is controlled by the placement of the Top and Bottom points and the Radius control.
The default size is dependent upon the size of the clip that Looks is applied to. For example, with a DV-size clip that measures 720 pixels wide by 480 pixels tall, the mask will be 20% of the width of the clip and 50% of the height, which works out to 144 pixels wide by 240 pixels tall. You can change the height of the mask by moving the Top or Bottom points and change the width by entering a new Radius value.
Mask has three options:
View Mode pop-up
Lets you see the area that the Power Mask covers. All of the modes except Apply are intended as previews of the mask.
View Mode has three options:
Apply: The default mode shows the color correction applied to the image. You will typically want to return to Apply before you render your final result.
Mask Only: This preview mode shows a black-and-white representation of the mask area.
Red Mask: This preview mode shows the mask as a semi-transparent area with a red fill.
Inverted Red Mask: This preview mode shows the non-mask area as a semi-transparent red fill.
At left, Apply Mode. At right, Mask Only Mode.
At left, Red Mask Mode. At right, Red Mask Inverted.
Draw Outline checkbox
Lets you remove the yellow outline that shows the mask area in the Comp or Canvas window to allow you to see the mask edge more easily. This switch is not available in Final Cut Pro.
Top, Bottom
Top specifies where the top of the mask is drawn. Bottom specifies where the bottom of the mask is drawn.
You can alter the point value numerically or by clicking and dragging in the Preview window of the host application. You will typically use the point overlay in the Preview area to adjust the top point visually. You only need to use the numerical controls in rare cases when you wish to constrain movement of the mask to a single axis.
The Top and Bottom controls can be reversed. There is no limitation on where these points can be placed, and the Top and Bottom designations are only a convenience to describe where you can find their onscreen controls in the Preview window .
The mask can also be transformed by dragging while in the center of the mask outline. The cursor will change to a white cursor with a crosshair when inside the mask. Clicking and dragging will move the X and Y coordinates of both the Top and Bottom points simultaneously.
Radius
Lets you set the width of the Power Mask shape. The Radius is a value that represents half the width of the shape as is calibrated as a percentage of the target video clip.
For example: A Radius value of 20 applied to a DV clip will yield a shape that is 40% of the frame width (288 pixels) wide, while the same value when the mask is applied to an HD clip that is 1280 pixels wide will result in a mask that is 512 pixels wide. The maximum value is 100, which would result in a mask that is twice the width of the target frame size — more than enough for any selective adjustment.
Invert Mask checkbox
Power Mask can change the image inside or outside the shape area. By default, Invert Mask is off and color changes only happen inside the mask. Turn on Invert Mask to cause the color change to happen outside the mask, effectively using the mask to protect the shape area.
Feather Size
The rectangle or elliptical mask shape can be softened using the Feather controls. Feather Size sets the amount of softness at the edge of the mask shape.
Like the Radius control, Feather Size is based on a percentage of the mask size. This makes it different from most feather controls because the feather is not based in pixels. Because the Feather Size depends on the mask size, the feather width will increase and decrease with the overall shape of the mask. This is useful when tracking a shape that is coming toward the camera.
For example, you could use a Power Mask on an actor’s face as the actor walks toward the camera. The mask shape will give a very small feather when the shape is small, but as the actor moves closer to the camera, you can adjust the mask shape to match and the feather will grow with the shape automatically.
Feather Bias
Controls the center point of the feather falloff, letting you adjust the softness to lie more inside or outside of the mask edge. This helps achieve a soft-edged mask that will blend the color correction seamlessly into your image.
The default is 0, which means that the center of the feather falloff — where the transparency is 50% — lies directly along the edge of the mask. High values push the center point to lie outside the mask so that the inner shape is more solid and the outer edge is soft. Low values push the center of the falloff inside the mask edge and make the shape very soft on the inside area of the mask.
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Left to right, Feather Bias at -100, 0 and 100.