I have gotten really good at creating overlays and alha channels but I am puzzled by something. I get alpha channeled video from my friends in .mov format and when I select Alpha channel option it does not work. I have to manually select the color.
Outside of using image sequence are there other video formats that recognize built in alpa channels?
2nd question
Is it possible to make a short image sequence file stretch along a whole edit while maintaining its original FPS. Is there a fomula to calulate using speed control?
MSP8 - What is best method for Alpha Channel overlays
Sure, there are many ways.
Answers:
1)Ulead's accepted files that retain alpha channel. TGA &TGA image sequence, SWF, GIF & Animated GIF, UFO, PSD, PNG, .c3d. and 32-Bit RGB AVI.
2) This is a copy/paste from one of Terry's earlier replies.
For animators this is one of MSPro's strongest features; the ability to use image sequences as if they were any other video clip while preserving the alpha channel. Works in VideoStudeo too.
This is done using a custom Ulead filetype: *.uis = Ulead Image Sequence.
The images should have been saved to their own folder with sequentially numbered filenames;
file00001.tga, file00002.tga, file00003.tga etc.
If not then rename them. The number of zeros doesn't matter as long as there are enough, MSPro/VideoStudio will figure that out. Freeware image viewers like IrfanView can do this in batch mode. That out of the way;
Defining Ulead Image Sequences:
Start by opening the "Insert Video File" dialog. When the dialog opens change the filetype to "Ulead Image Sequence files (*.uis)" and click the "Options" button. The "Define Image Sequence" dialog will open.
Just for training purposes check the filetypes list for compatible formats. *.tga, *.png, *.psd, *.gif etc. come in with their alpha channels. I leave it set to "All files".
Click "Select", browse to the folder holding the images and single-click the first image you want to use in this particular *.uis. This does not have to be the first saved image (ex: file0000.tga) .... you can start in the middle if you want.
After selecting the first image in this seqence also set the number of consecutive frames you want to collect. You don't have to use all of the rest, just what you need.
NOTE:You can define several *.uis's from a single set of numbered images.
Once the first image and number of frames to collect have been defined click "Open" and you'll go back to the "Define Image Sequence" dialog.
Now set the frame rate (1-30 fps), the *.uis's filename and where you want it stored (I keep 'em with the source images) and fill in any annotations you want to use. Click "OK" to go back out to the main "Insert Video File" dialog.
The *.uis takes almost no time at all to be created....it's just a placeholder that defines what images to use, the frame rate and stores the annotations.
Now insert the *.uis file to the timeline as if it were any other video clip and go to town. The alpha channel will be automatically applied when used as an overlay. On most any decent system they will also preview in realtime, presuming they don't have to be scaled too much.
Answers:
1)Ulead's accepted files that retain alpha channel. TGA &TGA image sequence, SWF, GIF & Animated GIF, UFO, PSD, PNG, .c3d. and 32-Bit RGB AVI.
2) This is a copy/paste from one of Terry's earlier replies.
For animators this is one of MSPro's strongest features; the ability to use image sequences as if they were any other video clip while preserving the alpha channel. Works in VideoStudeo too.
This is done using a custom Ulead filetype: *.uis = Ulead Image Sequence.
The images should have been saved to their own folder with sequentially numbered filenames;
file00001.tga, file00002.tga, file00003.tga etc.
If not then rename them. The number of zeros doesn't matter as long as there are enough, MSPro/VideoStudio will figure that out. Freeware image viewers like IrfanView can do this in batch mode. That out of the way;
Defining Ulead Image Sequences:
Start by opening the "Insert Video File" dialog. When the dialog opens change the filetype to "Ulead Image Sequence files (*.uis)" and click the "Options" button. The "Define Image Sequence" dialog will open.
Just for training purposes check the filetypes list for compatible formats. *.tga, *.png, *.psd, *.gif etc. come in with their alpha channels. I leave it set to "All files".
Click "Select", browse to the folder holding the images and single-click the first image you want to use in this particular *.uis. This does not have to be the first saved image (ex: file0000.tga) .... you can start in the middle if you want.
After selecting the first image in this seqence also set the number of consecutive frames you want to collect. You don't have to use all of the rest, just what you need.
NOTE:You can define several *.uis's from a single set of numbered images.
Once the first image and number of frames to collect have been defined click "Open" and you'll go back to the "Define Image Sequence" dialog.
Now set the frame rate (1-30 fps), the *.uis's filename and where you want it stored (I keep 'em with the source images) and fill in any annotations you want to use. Click "OK" to go back out to the main "Insert Video File" dialog.
The *.uis takes almost no time at all to be created....it's just a placeholder that defines what images to use, the frame rate and stores the annotations.
Now insert the *.uis file to the timeline as if it were any other video clip and go to town. The alpha channel will be automatically applied when used as an overlay. On most any decent system they will also preview in realtime, presuming they don't have to be scaled too much.