Fireworks CS4 Resources

Mask objects by using the Reveal and Hide commands

The Modify > Mask submenu has several options for applying empty bitmap masks to objects:

Reveal All: Applies an empty, transparent mask to an object, revealing the entire object. To achieve the same effect, click the Add Mask button in the Layers panel.
Hide All: Applies an empty, opaque mask to an object, which hides the entire object.
Reveal Selection: Can be used only with pixel selections. Reveal Selection applies a transparent pixel mask using the current pixel selection. The other pixels in the bitmap object are hidden. To achieve the same effect, make a pixel selection, then click the Add Mask button.
Hide Selection: Can be used only with pixel selections. Hide Selection applies an opaque pixel mask using the current pixel selection. The other pixels in the bitmap object are shown. To achieve the same effect, make a pixel selection, and then Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Add Mask button.

Select the object you want to mask.
To show the object, select Modify > Mask > Reveal All. To hide it, select Modify > Mask > Hide All.
Select a bitmap painting tool from the Tools panel.
Set tool options in the Property inspector.

If you've applied a Hide All mask, you must select a color other than black.
Draw on the empty mask. In the areas where you draw, the underlying masked object is either hidden or shown, depending on the type of mask you applied.

Select the Magic Wand or any marquee or lasso tool from the Tools panel.
Select pixels in a bitmap.

Original image; pixels selected with the Magic Wand
To show the area defined by the pixel selection, select Modify > Mask > Reveal Selection. To hide the area, select Modify > Mask > Hide Selection.

The results of Reveal Selection and Hide Selection

A bitmap mask is applied using the pixel selection. You can further edit the mask to reveal or hide the remaining pixels of the masked object using the bitmap tools in the Tools panel.