![]() Although this dialog's use is quite limited, you access it by clicking the underlined word "Shape" under Mask options (highlight the layer and click M to reveal it). Try the Mask Shape dialog for those rare cases in which you must set the boundaries to exact dimensions and can't do it visually.Use Shift to constrain the shape and/or Ctrl/ Cmd to draw the shape from the center rather than from a corner.Double-click the Mask tool (in the Tools palette) to set the boundaries of the mask to match those of the layer.Indeed, if the shape calls for a perfectly circular curve on one side, you might do well to draw an ellipse (holding down Shift to make it perfectly circular) and then editing other sides of it with the Pen tool. Remember that your target shape doesn't have to be an ellipse to benefit from starting by drawing an ellipse. Given sufficient monitor space, an ideal compromise is to keep both windows open side by side, working in the Layer window and watching the Composition panel for live updates. It is somewhere between difficult and impossible to draw or see a mask accurately in the Composition panel if, say, the layer was offset and rotated in 3D space, but if you want to see the layer over its background, the Composition panel must at least be visible. Whether you draw the mask in the Composition panel or the Layer window is up to you. You can also select and copy paths in Photoshop for use as masks. Under Illustrator's File Handling & Clipboard preference, choose AICB with Preserve Paths checked. ![]() This, however, will not work unless the preferences in Illustrator are set properly. If you're looking for other common primitive mask shapes-a rectangle with rounded corners, a hexagon, or the like-you may be best off drawing the shape in Adobe Illustrator (if you have it), then copying and pasting it.
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