c3d3.5 Titles with transparent backgrounds over video's?

[glennvfr]

I've just purchased cool 3d 3.5 and cant seen to save my work in a format that can be overlayed my work without blotting out the background video seems only gifs have transparent backgrounds and my program Liquid 6.2 wont import gifs. Is there something I can do or have I purchased the wrong product and should have purchased production studio? Any directions would be greatly appreciated. thanks Glenn

[Ron P.]

Hi Glenn,

What format are you exporting to?

To use your production as on overlay, which has the alpha (transparent) channel, it needs to be a 32bit avi file or a SWF file using bitmap. I use Production Studio, but I think the menu choices should be the same. Go to File >Export Video Overlay>AVI

or for creating a SWF: File> Create Animation File>Export to Macromedia(SWF)>With Bitmap

It sounds like you are just creating a Video, which is a 24bit AVI. It does not have the transparent channel...

Hope that helps...

Ron P.

[rwernyei]

Unfortunately there is no Video Overlay option in COOL3D 3.5, so you cannot use that advice given by Ron P. as it is only offered in COOL3D PS. But you can do as he suggested and create a video file as 32 Bit RGB AVI containing an alpha channel, thus making the background transparent. Other alpha options are to create TGA, GIF, SWF with transparency box checked. Final option is to save project as .c3d, Ulead's native format and import into your editor. This will import project retaining alpha and will be immediately recognized granted you are using Ulead products VS or MSP.

[glennvfr]

thanks. I found that tga supplies an alpha channel so I can supply a transparent background over my video. By the way should I have bought production studio. does that have an export facility where I dont have to export 50 frames say for two seconds worth of work but just an avi? thanks again for the help I am a newby with ulead 3d. glenn

[rwernyei]

Glenn,
Check the comparison chart at Ulead's site for the differences between the two. Some of the big features added to COOL3D PS are video backgrounds, lathe editor, freeform tool, video texture.... just to name a few.

As for the Video Overlay step in COOL3D PS it just sets the 32 Bit RGB AVI template for you on the fly. You can do this in COOL3D 3.5. Under File select Create Animation Files/Video File. Now appears the Save dialog select Options/Frame-based/Compression None/Data Type 32 Bit RGB. This will create an alpha AVI so you will not need to use an alpha TGA image sequence. That's it.

[MrA]

The way I do it is, for like a title, do the title animation as you would, but, use a green background, then when you import into your video editor, use chroma key and as an overlay.

[rwernyei]

MrAmigo2121,
That is one way of doing it but it defeats the purpose of using this capable software that creates an alpha channel for you. The editor will recognize the alpha channel in the overlay process, so there is no need of using any key for overlay type. By the way, most editor's chroma keying tools are rudimentary at best. Serious compositing should be done within a devoted program rather than the editor.