3D Mask

3D Mask

3D masks enable selecting 3D vertices based on their different attributes such as position, color and texture coordinate.

Such 3D masks can be applied to any 3D Modifier Modify a 3D geometry Read More to modulate its application on a per-vertex basis. 3D masks can also be applied to Surface Display geometry's triangles as a surface Read More renderer components in order to modify their opacity. There is also a way of using Image Layer This generator loads a still image and displays it. Read More or Video File Generate an animated image by playing a video file. Play it either with its Transport or from a Timeline (by drag n dropping the layer inside it) Read More as a way to mask a modifier/component according to the UV map of its generator.

Creating a mask

To create a 3D mask in order to modulate a 3D modifier , right click on this modifier and select menu Masks: Masks :

Note that, similarly to 2D modifiers, 3D modifiers can have multiple masks that get automatically blended together. As usual, masks can be duplicated with Ctrl+D or with Ctrl + drag and drop.

Using Masks

A very common usage of 3D masks is to mask a Displace modifier, like in this example based on a uv-mapped 2D layer :

Remember that masks can be applied to any modifier. Here are a few examples: A Turbulence field modulated by the Age vertex mask:

Draw lines over a geometry using a Texture Coordinates mask over a 3D Thick Lines renderer:

Displaced Random Points over a plane using their color with a Color mask:

Use Layer vertex Masks over a Scale modifier to define shape of instantiate cubes over a Plane.
3D Masks can also be used to modulate the opacity of a specific surface renderer component. Here, a Fresnel Mask is applied on the diffuse component of a surface renderer in order to do a nice shiny light on the edge of the geometry, dependent of the object's normal and the camera position:

Type of Masks

Here is a review of 3D Masks applied on a Displace modifier applied on a 3D Layer Box:



2D Noise

3D Noise

Radius Texture Coordinates

Horizontal Texture coordinates

Angle Texture coordinates

Vertical Texture coordinates
Here is a review of 3D masks applied on a white Diffuse surface component over a black Diffuse surface component on a 3D Layer Geosphere. And, yes, there is also a system of particles.

Depth (tight distance interval)

Layer Mask

Age applied on the Opacity modifier over a Particle Emitter

Velocity applied over a Particle Emitter with a Friction Field

Parameters to all 3D Masks

  • Opacity (Percentage) : Opacity of the 3d mask
  • Inverse (On/off option) : Inverse of the 3d mask

CATALOG

Full - Mask everything

Random - Randomly mask each vertex

Group 3d Mask - Mask according to object id or particles group

Age - Depends on the age of a Particle to mask a modifier / effect

Velocity - Depends on the velocity of a Particles Simulate a particle system Read More

Noise - Vertices are selected depending on true 3D (or 4D) noise functions

Linear - Using a line in space as mask

Sphere - Mask with a sphere shape

Cylinder - Mask with a cylinder shape

Box - Mask with a box shape

Depth - Vertices are selected depending on their depth between a distance interval you choose

Normal - Vertices are selected depending on their normal orientation

Fresnel - Similar to Normal Vertices are selected depending on their normal orientation Read More , but specialized to select vertices that are oriented perpendicularly to the view direction

Texture Coordinate - Uses object's UV to mask vertices. Either vertical, horizontal, radial, angular or combinations of thoses

Color - Vertices are selected depending on their color

Function - Enables to use any other type of 3D mask with a Function Function that maps a number (percentage, time, etc.) to a value Read More (for advanced users)

Texture Geometry Mask - Use any 2D Layer A single 2D Layer Read More to mask vertices using object's UV

Tracking System - Use each Tracking System To visualize tracked points using a tracking device Read More tracker(s) as Sphere Mask with a sphere shape Read More

See Also: