How to use a video track as a mask?

Help/How To
1

I’m starting to migrate to Shotcut (and will fully stay once the HDR: SMPTE 2084 (PQ) and ITU-R BT.2100 (HLG) roadmap is met) and I want to learn how to do the Windows 7 message box animation on this program.

I’ve mastered the animation in a previous video editor, which I’ve been accustomed to. Then as one of the things I want to master here, I’ve chosen the Message Box animation

But then, I realized that, unlike in the previous video editor, I still don’t know how to convert a video strip into a mask on Shotcut…

And this is why I’m asking for help!

By the way, here’s a screenshot of where I am with this

Captura de tela 2024-09-28 180219
Captura de tela 2024-09-28 1802191920×1080 84.7 KB

2

Hi Alex,

Can you please provide a link to a video you have previously made of the animation you are now trying to achieve in Shotcut? I see your screenshot and where you are currently at, but I think that would help.

It might be that you need to use glaxnimate (built in) to do any serious masking where odd shapes and movement are involved. If it is just a rectangle then mask → simple shape might get you going.

3

Can you please provide a link to a video you have previously made of the animation you are now trying to achieve in Shotcut?

Two, one with, and without a fade-in (used for the corner pin)

4

You use the filter Mask: From File on the clip (or track) that should be masked. From your screenshot, add the filter to Message test.png, and within the filter choose Message test mask.png

5

I don’t know how to explain this, but…

Captura de tela 2024-09-28 200602
Captura de tela 2024-09-28 2006021920×1080 240 KB

I tried that.

6

Note:

This is the video track that I want to use as the mask, just by itself

7

It all depends on how important the imitation of “fogged glass” by the window is for you. If this is not important for you, the animation of the appearance is done with only two filters - SPR and Fade IN. If you also need the effect of sweaty glass, it will be a little more complicated, you may have to draw an animated mask in glaxnimate to carefully overlay the track with blur.

8

To create a Windows 7 message box animation in Shotcut, use the Mask: Simple Shape filter and the Size, Position & Rotate filter to animate the box. Adjust keyframes to control the movement and masking of the message box. Solution Credit

9

Please check my note above, because the shape I want to use does not exist in Mask: Simple Shape

10

Just out of curiosity, what happens when you add a chroma key filter (and choose black) to the video track with the warning message you linked?

If you provide a link to that video (the one you want to mask) for download, someone will take a look and make it work.

11

The video track you’re talking about is already transparent

12

So are you going to give a link to download that transparent video, as per my previous request? Probably, if it isn’t large you could just upload it here.

As far as I can tell, @dimadjdocent gave you a workable answer.

13

I only used a transparent image, and Corner Pin values in my note above
Message test mask
(Trust me, this is the image^^^^)

14

OK cool thanks. You often referred to the video track (and my eyes are bad so I couldn’t read the text in your previous screen recordings sorry) so I figured you might have a transparent .mov file.

So that shouldn’t be a big deal and I still reckon @dimadjdocent has a potential solution but will take a look in a couple of hours.