Opacity Masks - What can you make with them?

[JaffDave]

After spending many hours playing with this feature I still can't see an obvious use for it. Seems a lot of effort has gone into a tool that does so little. I think I will wait to see if anyone does anything impressive before spending any more time on this one.

End result: a grouped transparency mask rather than a sliced vector.

Back to work for me with a new spanner in the toolbox.

[ss-kalm]

Try watching XaraXhris' video .... there "appear" to be items that you couldn't produce before.

[angelize]

Here is an example by using an inner contour to create the OM you now have an editable transparency that follows the contours of an irregular object!

[Scotty]

Here is My indulgence


Jim

[JaffDave]

Here is an example by using an inner contour to create the OM you now have an editable transparency that follows the contours of an irregular object!

I can still do that with Xtreme Pro 5.

[tonylondon]

Maybe at some stage someone will organise a competition using OM? I have a gut feeling the tool will have lots of uses, but I lack the inspiration.

[Tallis]

maybe the bit of confusion in this thread is a good hint to xara that the feature needs more xara-made videos...

[David O'Neil]

I just came across a place I would use opacity masks to do something quicker: compositing pictures. I am using the photo tool on two copies of the same picture, directly on top of each other. These have two different photo levels applied, so that different items stand out in each of the pictures. In my case one level is applied to adjust the black background of a star field, and the other to bring out the stars on the second photo. If I had 6, I would just draw a bunch of circles on the top one for the stars I want to keep, and then apply it as an OM. It can be done in 4 and 5, but it is much slower.