# How to animate masks? STUCK! **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [February 4, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053 "2004-02-04T16:46:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![subhashls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@subhashls](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/subhashls)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/1 "2004-02-04T16:46:53Z")
Hi, I have the following logo: ![](http://www.drpoef.com/chuchu.jpg) I want to make an effect as the image is being traced on the screen, because it is letters interwined. I went to Flash MX, imported the image, made a layer above it, and made it a mask. The mask layer is a white oval, and when I mask it, it shows up as I wanted, which is the only part of the logo shown is through the oval. When I tried to make a motion tween or shape tween to the oval, it wont move in the path that I want. I want it to start at the top right, and move down to finish one letter, and go on from there. I just cant get it to move in the path I want. Any help would be greatly greatly appreciated. I dont know what stupid mistake I am making, but am totally stuck. The file is located here: [http://www.drpoef.com/temp/stuck.fla](http://www.drpoef.com/temp/stuck.fla) Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/2 "2004-02-04T19:17:19Z")
I had a very brief look before my computer crashed, but i noticed that you only had two frames for the image? You will need to insert the same number of frames as you had in the mask (25 i think) to stop the mask strobing. i dont know if there was anything else wrong. hell i dont even know if what i said was right, i only started flashing a week ago :S but i thought id try and help anyway i could 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/3 "2004-02-04T22:56:52Z")
should work fine, looks to me like you just havent done the tweening properly - the oval doesnt actually have a path set in flash, if you are having trouble with that just do the flash mx lesson on tweening. hope that helps, but to be honest im just a fumbling newbie 😛 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/4 "2004-02-04T23:02:03Z")
Thanks for the tip Insomniac…I have done the MX lesson on Tweening, but I guess it would not hurt to try again. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/5 "2004-02-05T01:38:04Z")
you should try a frame by frame mask instead since you have a complex shape, it’s hard to have achieve it on tweens… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/6 "2004-02-05T14:13:22Z")
> \*Originally posted by noxious \* > \*\*you should try a frame by frame mask instead since you have a complex shape, it’s hard to have achieve it on tweens… \*\* Thanks for the tip. How would I do this? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/7 "2004-02-05T14:49:40Z")
i would assume he means creating keyframes and moving the mask frame by frame to get a more defined and accurate mask animation for your shape. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/8 "2004-02-05T16:50:56Z")
yeh basically you put a keyframe in for every frame you want in this animation, and move the mask a small amount every frame, to create the desired effect. This can be quite tedious though, and it may end up being easier to have the mask follow the line, it really depends if you can be bothered or not 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/9 "2004-02-05T19:52:51Z")
Just get the solution here: www.digoin.se/engin/stuck.zip Best regards ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/10 "2004-02-05T20:03:01Z")
> \*Originally posted by realengin \* > \*\*Just get the solution here: www.digoin.se/engin/stuck.zip Best regards \*\* THANKS! I am just about to check it out. Thanks again ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/11 "2004-02-05T20:38:56Z")
I think it sucks that you can’t use as to move masks. Oh well I managed to re-work Phat7 menuing system using as. I’m happy. These little challenges stop my brain shrinking. Now to linto a couple of dots executing sin and cos waves Oh an sort out my menu slider ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 6:51am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/12 "2004-02-10T06:51:52Z")
thanks soul… yes that’s it… something like this… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 9:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/13 "2004-02-10T09:43:11Z")
Your way works too but I don’t like to use so many keyframes because it makes the hole thing just harder. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/how-to-animate-masks-stuck/42053/14 "2004-02-10T14:08:53Z")
Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate it. Also, I didnt think properly about what I was doing when I started this idea. The way I explained it, all your help was dead on, but after I saw the effect, I realized I explained it wrong. I am trying to make it trace the image on the screen, and I was told on another forum masks was the way to try it. But, now I see that the masks will hide all the other stuff as it moves. Is there anyway to get around this? Thanks again.