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PD17 - My custom masks have disappeared!
PDidds [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Mar 29, 2020 07:05 Messages: 3 Offline
[Post New] Aug 11, 2023 06:18
I've been working on a project for a while, haven't touched it for a couple of months and all my custom masks have disappeared!

Where are they stored?

I have been using a green screen earthquake/boulders/dust effect on top of a video, then overlaying that video again and masking a person so that it appears they are in front of the earthquake. Because they are moving, I split the clip often and modified the mask and saved it again. This worked when I was going back into the project and editing it the next week - the multiple edited masks still existed, but I think that as I haven't worked on it for a while, they seem to have disappeared - even from previously saved backup files that I have (old-school) saved along the way.

Am I able to retrieve them from anywhere? Are they not saved in the PDS file? Are they somehow outside my project in a temporary file that has now disappeared?

Appreciate any help..
PowerDirector Moderator [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan Joined: Oct 18, 2016 00:25 Messages: 2104 Offline
[Post New] Aug 14, 2023 04:57
Quote I've been working on a project for a while, haven't touched it for a couple of months and all my custom masks have disappeared!

Where are they stored?

I have been using a green screen earthquake/boulders/dust effect on top of a video, then overlaying that video again and masking a person so that it appears they are in front of the earthquake. Because they are moving, I split the clip often and modified the mask and saved it again. This worked when I was going back into the project and editing it the next week - the multiple edited masks still existed, but I think that as I haven't worked on it for a while, they seem to have disappeared - even from previously saved backup files that I have (old-school) saved along the way.

Am I able to retrieve them from anywhere? Are they not saved in the PDS file? Are they somehow outside my project in a temporary file that has now disappeared?

Appreciate any help..


Hi,
Not sure I follow you 100% but in my PDR17, custom masks, saved though the Mask Designer, are saved in
C:\Users\[UserName]\Documents\CyberLink\PowerDirector\17.0\MyPinPs\PinP_000

Note they are not saved with the Alias name but as a sequential number, so it's not so easy to identify each one.

The thumbnail of the mask should be available in the Mask Designer > Mask Properties > Custom Masks selection window.



Are you saying that none of your masks appear in that window? or have I misunderstood your issue.

Screenshots or a screen cap of the issue would be beneficial.

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator
[Thumb - Forum Mask Location 1.png]
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Forum Mask Location 1.png
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This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Aug 14. 2023 06:59


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PDidds [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Mar 29, 2020 07:05 Messages: 3 Offline
[Post New] Aug 14, 2023 06:18
Thanks for your reply,

You are correct, none of my masks appeared in that window in powerdirector. I checked the folder location you described (see attached), and there is one mask there that I created as a test, just to see that I could still do so a couple of days ago. Only that mask appears now in that window. None of the masks from June are there. Somehow, they have all gone missing! I have not consciously done anything to that folder or my documents in the interim.
[Thumb - custom mask screenshot.jpg]
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custom mask screenshot.jpg
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This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 14. 2023 06:43

PDidds [Avatar]
Newbie Joined: Mar 29, 2020 07:05 Messages: 3 Offline
[Post New] Aug 14, 2023 06:34
I've just done another test, and checked the folder. I opened the file in the MyPinPs/Mask folder called "CustomMask.XML" and the location referred to is "C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\17.0\Cache\photoTmp\" which only contains the 4 brush masks (.png images) I have recently created as tests, nothing from June. So it DOES look as though somehow the PowerDirector Cache was cleared which removed all my previously created masks from June (and there were lots..).

See attached.

How and when does the PowerDirector Cache get cleared? Is it time based, or did I inadvertently click on something. Or is it related to creating a new/different project in the interim, which I have done, and which did not use any masks..

Thanks.
[Thumb - custom mask screenshot2.jpg]
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custom mask screenshot2.jpg
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181 Kbytes
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3 time(s)

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Aug 14. 2023 06:42

PowerDirector Moderator [Avatar]
Senior Contributor Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan Joined: Oct 18, 2016 00:25 Messages: 2104 Offline
[Post New] Aug 14, 2023 06:59
Quote I've just done another test, and checked the folder. I opened the file in the MyPinPs/Mask folder called "CustomMask.XML" and the location referred to is "C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\17.0\Cache\photoTmp\" which only contains the 4 brush masks (.png images) I have recently created as tests, nothing from June. So it DOES look as though somehow the PowerDirector Cache was cleared which removed all my previously created masks from June (and there were lots..).

See attached.

How and when does the PowerDirector Cache get cleared? Is it time based, or did I inadvertently click on something. Or is it related to creating a new/different project in the interim, which I have done, and which did not use any masks..

Thanks.


Hi,

The only way to affect the cache clearance through the UI is Preferences>General>Auto delete temporary files.
The default is 30 days, but that can be altered under the drop down to a max of 60 days.
Or uncheck it it to disable Auto-Delete.

There is a manual delete option.

I'm not sure why your masks should be in the cache but it looks like they were and have now been deleted (if the auto-delete is active).

Further testing on your system options might be the only way forward to ensure masks are saved where they are available. If you only have PDR17 installed, it should be simpler. Masks seem to be version specific, in that my PDR17 masks do not appear in other versions, I have PDR8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 365 installed, so I can't be categorical about some things!!!

Others might have additional experience to pass on?

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 14. 2023 07:06


For customer support related issues, please contact:
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