Do you mean in aximmetry or in Photoshop ?

if Photoshop you can read this topic

https://designshack.net/articles/graphics/a-complete-beginners-guide-to-masking-in-photoshop/

Hi, I meant in Photoshop, I did use the Masking once before in Photoshop and it is working, now I forgot how I did it before.

The question is if I Mask one Window then how it will be connected into the final graphic which is an .AVI or .MOV file exported from After Effects??

maybe this video can help you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ-P1kdKFL0

Thank you, no it is not helping me, Aximmetry staff will know how to do it, hopefully I will get a reply tomorrow.

Hi,

We recommed using a different a compound than you used last time.
It does not need an alpha video (which is complicated to produce). Instead you can use two still masks can be easily drawn for e.g. in Photoshop.

Insert a Split_2Part_Mask compound into your scene and connect like this:

If you also use an Overlay* compound then wire Split in between like this:

You'll have a new SPLIT control board:

On the SPLITTER panel you can specify the background image or video (will be seen around the two windows):

On WINDOW 1 you can select between the Live (the virtual studio scene) image, an external video input, or a number of video files:

Draw a mask in a picture editor software of your choice that cuts out the place of Window 1 on the screen.
For e.g.

(the image can contain gray areas as well which will result in partially transparent window edges)
Specify this image file on the WINDOW 1 panel:

Select LIVE and adjust Live Offser and Scale in order to fit the desired part of the scene into the masked area on the screen

For e.g.

       or   

If you also need to display videos in window 1,  then select one of the videos and adjust Offset and Scale:

Note here that you can specify a different Offset/Scale for Live and for the videos, they usually need this separated handling.

Similary for WINDOW 2 draw another mask for the second window, specify the file and adjust Offset and Scale:

If Skype image is coming from a video input, then select EXT for WINDOW 2 and select the appropriate input device:

You can switch on/off the Split Screen mode any time with the button on

Also you can put any of the two source into fullscreen by the Full buttons:

Hello,

Thank you for the reply - but I want to use the previous way, please check the attached, I just want to mask these two windows, I really forgot how I masked them out last time - just please remind me how do I mask them so that I can use this for some of my skype calls??

You can do it the way I described.

Set this image as the Template on the SPLITTER panel.

Then draw two separate mask images. One is white at the area of the left window, the other is white at the area of the right window.

Then simply follow my tutorial above.

Hi,

No my question is when I draw two separate mask images in Photoshop, then what should I do with these white mask images, how do I link it with the video in the Splitter template please???

Let me put it differently, this temlate is 11 seconds video with two separate windows - once I created two masks in photoshop, then what should I do with the mask??? How do I link the mask with eht 11 seconds video please???

If you select the WINDOW 1 or the WINDOW 2 panel you'll find the Mask property for each of them.
You have to specify the two files in these two properties.