To rotate a layer mask in After Effects, you can directly manipulate it in the Composition panel. Here's how:
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Select the Layer: First, select the layer that contains the mask you want to rotate.
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Select the Mask: In the layer panel, click on the mask you intend to rotate to select it. You will see the mask's path displayed on your composition.
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Locate the Rotation Handle: Move your cursor toward one of the corner edges of the mask’s bounding box. You'll notice the cursor change to a rotate icon when it's in the correct position, just beyond the corner resize handle. This happens when your cursor is slightly further from the corner than the resize cursor.
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Rotate the Mask: Click and drag the rotate cursor to rotate the mask around its center point.
- To rotate with specific increments you can press and hold the Shift key while rotating. This snaps the rotation to a 45-degree angle increment.
- The anchor point determines the center of rotation for your mask. If you want to change the anchor point you can use the "pan behind tool" to select and drag the anchor point to a new location.
Visualizing the Process
| Step | Action | Cursor Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Select the mask | Pointer Arrow |
| 2 | Hover over mask corner resize handle | Resize Arrows |
| 3 | Hover slightly further from the mask's corner | Rotate Icon |
| 4 | Click and drag to rotate | Rotate Icon (dragging) |
Using the bounding box handles you can also resize the layer mask, press and hold shift for proportional resizing.
By following these steps, you can quickly rotate your layer masks to achieve your desired effect in After Effects.
