by LUN Studios·Workflow
Images © LUN Studios. Used for product review; image policy.
MASKit earns its place in the aescripts library for reducing custom vector shapes to masks in as few as one click, with SNAPit handling orientation and CENTERit handling centering.
MASKit is a script for After Effects that turns custom vector shapes into masks, in some cases with a single click. The workflow starts by importing a vector graphic and adding it to the composition, then right-clicking the vector layer and choosing Create > Create Shapes from Vector Layer. After selecting the new shape layer, clicking MASKit generates the masks.
You can adjust position, scale, and rotation on the shape layer before generating, and mask multiple shape layers at once. Masks are always created with the Add setting, which you can change afterward. SNAPit orients the new masks to match the original shape structure and is optional if you plan to move them individually. CENTERit only centers the selected shape layer or layers.
MASKit works on custom shapes drawn with the Pen Tool, but not on After Effects Ellipse, Rectangle, or Polygon shapes. It is compatible with After Effects 2020 through 2024, and a demo video is available.
MASKit is best for turning custom Pen Tool vector shapes into After Effects masks quickly.
MASKit is completely free to download and use.
MASKit is compatible with After Effects 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020. If you run one of those releases, the script's masking workflow should be available to you. The plugin is at version 1.0.0, released May 23, 2023 as its initial release. Because compatibility is listed for those five versions specifically, users on older or newer builds should check the developer's page before installing to confirm the script runs as expected in their particular setup.
MASKit will not work on After Effects Ellipse, Rectangle, or Polygon shapes. It is built to work on custom shapes made with the Pen Tool. The intended workflow is to import a vector graphic, add it to the composition, right-click the vector layer, choose Create > Create Shapes from Vector Layer, then click MASKit on the resulting shape layer. If you need masks from a primitive shape, you would draw the equivalent path with the Pen Tool first so the script can process it.
MASKit includes two helper buttons alongside the main masking action. SNAPit orients the new masks to match the original shape structure, and it is a one-time-use button — running it more than once on the same masks may offset them repeatedly, though undo can correct that. SNAPit is also optional if you just want the masks and plan to move them individually. CENTERit centers the selected shape layer or layers only; it is not used for aligning masks, and if you adjust position you should not use CENTERit.
MASKit is listed as free in this catalog. There is also a trial that allows the masking of one path, with CENTERit and SNAPit deactivated in that mode. For current licensing details and to download the script, check the developer's page on aescripts. Keep in mind that clicking MASKit multiple times on the same shape layer will generate duplicate masks, which the undo button can fix, so it's worth knowing that behavior when you first try it.
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