How do I create a DECORATION FRAME?

Post by **jparnold** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:48 am

I have searched the VideoStudio forum but cannot locate anything about creating FRAMES such as those selectable under DECORATION - FRAME.
All I know is that they are TIF images but obviously they must have transparent areas and I only thought that GIF images could have areas set as transparent. Or are WHITE areas in TIF images treated as transparent by VS when used as a FRAME or OBJECT?

How can images be created and then stored in ....SAMPLES/DECORATION for use within VS?

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:07 am

John -- I don't know how to create a frame or have it recognised by VS. On the creation side, though, I would have thought any decent drawing progam like PI, PhotoShop, PhotoPaint and the like could do it as long as it has the capacity to create an image with an alpha channel or transparency.

But the formats that can be used for this definitely include TIFF and PNG, and not only GIF.

Hopefully someone with more experience in the area can tell you if any particular steps are required to get VS to recognise them once created.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:15 pm

John I see you use PSP. While I do have PSP, I don't currently have it installed. The Frames used in VS, are PNG images, which support transparency or alpha channel, and this is done in image editing programs by using Masks or sometimes called mattes.

A mask layer works on the grayscale color, having the 2 basic of white and black. Anything that is painted black will be 100 % transparent, anything painted in white will have 0% transparency, any degree between (gray) will be a degree of transparency..

So here we go..

Your image must be either 8-bit grayscale or RGB. I'm going to suppose just any RGB image/photo.
Open your image in your editor, and just to get a look at the "mask" enter mask mode. Your image should be covered with a semi-transparent red (or whatever color you have your mask set to) film. That's telling you that there is nothing transparent. We need to create it. So exit mask mode.
Use a selection tool to create a selection on your image.
Now we need to erase that selected part of the image. In PI you can go to Edit>Clear.
Now make the selection an Object, go to Selection>Convert to Object.
Your Object will appear White. Now we will need to create the Mask so that your video can show through.
On your Newly created Object Layer, enter Mask Mode.
Invert the Selection (Selection>Invert)
Now we need to paint it White. Go to Edit>Fill, select White.
Now we need to paint our Selection Black. Go to Selection Invert
Edit>Fill, Black
Now the Mask should show Red over your selection, exit Mask Mode

Now when you save your work you must designate the selection area to be transparent. It should currently appear white. In PI, use the Web>Image Optimizer, and choose PNG as the format. On the Transparency tab, you need to select the color for transparency. Use the eyedropper to pick the White selected area. Once done, that should be transparent.

Save your image, then you can bring it into VS on an overlay track, and your selected area should be transparent, allowing your video on the main track to shine through...

Here are the images used to create the frame.
The original from the EasyPalette:

Then with a frame:

Here's an example of the frame used in VS..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8TC03e6U24

MrA · Post by **MrA** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:52 pm

I get an error when trying to add the png file to VS, says computer does not have enough memory or the file is copy protected.. very vague error message..

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:00 pm

What PNG file? I just grabbed both images that I had uploaded to ImageShack, and they both loaded into VS fine. The one with the frame, still had the transparency, so can be used as a frame.

Are you inserting the PNG file to an overlay track or the main video track?

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:05 pm

Ron, how about posting this in the Tutorial section.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:08 pm

I'm preparing to do one a little better, using CamtasiaStudio. That way I can show the steps to go through..

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:10 pm

Vicki · Post by **Vicki** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:39 pm

Hi-
To add to Ron's excellent advice, I have created some frames a bit differently, using Photoshop or Fireworks and saving to the jpg format.

The part that I want the video track to show through I make into a solid color that is not found in the frame.

In VS, check apply overlay options, and chromo-key to get rid of the color.

Also, the MS Clip Art Gallery has some great borders/clip art/photos that may be useful as frames. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipa ... x?lc=en-us

What graphics editing program do you use?

Vicki

MrA · Post by **MrA** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:37 am

vidoman wrote:What PNG file? I just grabbed both images that I had uploaded to ImageShack, and they both loaded into VS fine. The one with the frame, still had the transparency, so can be used as a frame.

Are you inserting the PNG file to an overlay track or the main video track?

No, I was just using a image I had, it originally was a jpg, then I saved it all out as a png, and it would not load into VS at all, can't get it to the timeline, much less into the library. I'll try another image..

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:55 am

Maybe it has become so transparent that VS just can't see it!!

(Just kidding...

)

MrA · Post by **MrA** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:21 pm

Ken Berry wrote:Maybe it has become so transparent that VS just can't see it!! (Just kidding... )

LOL, didn't even think of that.. sometimes the obvious isn't so obvious..

Really, I see possibilities here, like, drawing the corner of a virtual room with that flat screen hanging on a wall.. etc..

Post by **jparnold** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:49 am

Thanks for the tutorial Ron.

And sorry for the late reply - for some reason or other I have stopped receiving email notification that my post has received replies. I have "Notify me when a reply is posted" ticked. I think that this has happened in the past too - I wonder why?

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:29 am

There is currently yet another problem with the server -- very slow responses when you post a reply, no notification of replies, no notification that a PM is waiting, no registration messages to new users... We raised it last week with Corel but nothing has happened...

Post by **Ron P.** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 1:14 pm

The notifications, and registration emails should be working now. They worked on it yesterday (1/22/08 ) . Steve and I both tested, and confirmed it was functioning.

The slowness, I don't know why it randomly acts up..