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Help Centre
A Cutter node is a tool used for creating “masks,” and can hide parts of a drawing, a group or even an effect. You can change the mode of the cutter to determine how parts of your image are hidden and how the cutter matte is used.
Regardless of the mode, the Cutter node requires the same set up. Make sure you have your Cutter node set up correctly before changing the mode. See Using the Cutter node for more info on connecting it.
What is an un-inverted (default) cutter?
An un-inverted (default) cutter works by using the shape of the matte layer artwork to hide the artwork on the affected drawing layer. In the Node view, you can visually tell if the Cutter node is un-inverted if it has an icon of a white mask on a black background
In the example below, the green diamond is our disconnected matte, and the circle is the drawing that will be affected. In the second image the matte has been connected to the Matte port, and we can see it has hidden the circle where the two had overlapped.
| Disconnected, visible matte | Connected matte cuts the circle |
What is an inverted cutter?
An inverted cutter works by showing areas of the drawing layer that overlap with the artwork in the matte drawing node. In the Node view, you can visually tell if the cutter node is inverted if it has an icon of a black mask over a white background
In the example below, the green diamond is our disconnected matte, and the circle is the drawing that will be affected. In the second image we can see it is only showing the section of the circle where the green diamond (matte) overlapped.
| Disconnected, visible matte | Connected matte invert-cuts the circle |
Where should I use each cutter type?
Below are some suggested uses for each mode of cutter.
The un-inverted cutter
Use the un-inverted cutter:
- for hiding a character behind an object in a flat background that has no layers, like a table.
- in rigging when creating a patching system where the Auto-patch cuts the line art.
- with a peg and keyframes to reveal a hidden object or effect.
The inverted cutter
Use the inverted cutter:
- in rigging to isolate a pupil inside of an eye, a texture inside of hair, a tattoo inside an arm etc.
- in paperless animation to create a moving pattern inside of clothing.
- to contain a character or an effect in a part of the background - like a window.
To learn more about cutters, see About Masking and Cutting Parts of Elements in your Scenes.