Use local Object Selection on an image/video layer, refine the region with add/exclude gestures, and turn the selection into a mask for later editing.
Where: Native Video Editor → Viewer toolbar → Object Selection.
Before you start
- Select an image or video source layer in the composition. Object Selection is unavailable while editing a 3D layer. The browser/device must support the local WebGPU segmentation path.
Key ideas
- Object Selection is a viewer tool, not a layer type: The toolbar’s Object Selection tool lets you click or drag around an object in the selected image/video source. It produces a selection that can be applied as an editable mask.
- Add and exclude before applying: Use clicks/drags to select objects; hold Option on macOS or Alt on Windows/Linux to exclude an object/region. Escape cancels the active selection.
- Inference stays local: This compositor selection path runs the local SAM/WebGPU segmentation layer. It does not upload the frame for a remote AI inference.
- A mask remains editable: The selection overlay offers Add mask and Apply mask actions. The created mask can be refined as a composition layer effect instead of flattening the source pixels.
Steps
- Select the image or video layer whose visible source contains the object. If the selection tool is disabled, check that a source layer is active and that you are not inside 3D-layer editing.
- Choose Object Selection from the Viewer toolbar and wait for the local segmentation model to become available if it is the first run on this device.
- Click an object or drag around it to select it. Add other desired objects with further clicks/drags; hold Option/Alt to exclude an object or area.
- Inspect the selection boundary in the Viewer, especially hair, transparent edges, overlapping objects, and motion frames.
- Choose Add mask or Apply mask from the selection overlay to create the editable mask on the selected layer.
- Refine the mask with the layer’s mask controls, then inspect the composite against a contrasting background and scrub nearby frames for video sources.
- Press Escape to cancel before applying if the selected region is not the intended subject.
What Object Selection does—and does not do
- It segments an object in the selected image/video source and creates an editable mask.
- It does not create a separate cutout layer or replace the original media.
- It is not available for a 3D layer selection; exit 3D editing and select a supported image/video layer.
- It is local SAM/WebGPU selection, distinct from cloud subject-removal or prompt-based segmentation tools in other surfaces.
Review before applying
- Zoom in to check fine edges and small gaps.
- For video, scrub multiple frames; a mask result at one frame does not guarantee a moving subject remains covered through the full clip.
- Keep the original source and use the editable mask so you can revise a selection without destroying the underlying pixels.
Tips
- Use Add mask first when you may need to inspect/refine mask properties before committing other layer edits.
- Use a still frame with a clearly separated subject for the first selection test; handle motion tracking separately when the subject moves.
- If WebGPU is unavailable, switch to another supported selection workflow rather than assuming a remote fallback ran.
Limitations and important notes
- Requires a supported browser/device WebGPU path and a selected image/video source.
- Unavailable while the selected layer is in 3D-edit mode.
- Segmentation is a starting mask; review edges and temporal consistency before export.
Troubleshooting
Object Selection is disabled.
Select an image or video layer, leave 3D-layer editing, and check that the browser/device supports WebGPU.
The selection misses part of the object.
Add the missed region with another click/drag before applying, or cancel and start with a clearer visible frame.
The mask looks wrong on later video frames.
Scrub the clip and review the moving boundary. Object Selection creates a mask from the selected source context; use tracking/AI tools where a temporal subject-following result is required.