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Bitmap masking?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 10:57 pm
by ExplodeCreative
Wondering if this is a bug or expected behavior?

Using a vector to mask a bitmap works great. But if I try to use a bitmap to mask another bitmap, it just uses the bounding box and ignores the alpha.

https://ibb.co/WtGCqRG

Re: Bitmap masking?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 11:01 pm
by synthsin75
If the image is a PNG, it will mask within the visible area of the image.

Re: Bitmap masking?

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 11:40 pm
by Greenlaw
Try disabling GPU Acceleration...

Image

Masking previews in the workspace can be inaccurate when GPU Acceleration is enabled, and using a bitmap layer as a mask is one of the situations where it can fail. For example, in the above image, the red square is a vector layer but the white 'gingerbread man' cutout used as the mask is a bitmap layer painted in Photoshop.

This one of the reasons why I keep GPU Acceleration disabled most of the time, and I only enable it when I need it.

Either way, this limitation is a display issue and it doesn't affect the final render quality. Press ctrl-R to check.

Hope this helps.

Re: Bitmap masking?

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 6:18 am
by ExplodeCreative
Thanks Greenlaw! It works like a charm :D

Re: Bitmap masking?

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 7:42 pm
by Greenlaw
Cool! Glad that helped!

There are situations when GPU Acceleration is clearly helpful, like when there are lots of high-res bitmaps or very complex vector layers in the project, or when I need to see certain effects more accurately in the display port.

But most of the time I find it's better to leave GPU Acceleration switched off.