Xara 3d with VideoStudio

[TedJohnson]

I am trying to use a 3D program called Xara 3d with VideoStudio. I have VS 11 and VS 12pro and a registerd copy of Xara 3d.

To anyone who has used Xara 3d with VideoStudio: how do you get your exported animations to have a transparent background? (for overlaying?)

I can't seem to find the correct combination of settings to get it to work with a transparent background. It seems to work fine, except that I get whatever background was present at rendering.

Thanks in advance.

[Ken Berry]

When I use Xara, the default usually has no background -- just the text and border against a grey background. When I built my title in it, I then save it by using Export Animation. There, I choose Export Animation > Save as Type: .avi. I give it a name, then in the next screen I set the size of the format (I personally am currently using 1920 x 1080 as I am editing high definition video; but you can set it to match whatever output you are using...) I use 24 bit True Colour. I click on the Advanced button, and there I make sure it is uncompressed. I then save the file.

When I open it in VS, it is (usually) in an overlay track. I select Fit to Screen (but you can play around with the size to suit what you are after.) At this stage, as you know, it has the background colour (in my case, usually the grey default background).

In VS, you will be in the Overlay tab. If not, select that tab along the top of screen. And then select the Attribute tab about a third of the way down the right side of screen. Then click on 'Mask and Chroma Key'. In the new screen which appears, check the little box to the left of 'Apply Overlay Options'.

Below that, there is another box to the right of the word 'Similarity'. To the immediate right of that is a small eye-dropper icon. Click that and the colour in the box should change to match the overlay background colour. You will see that the same occurs on the main preview screen. However, you then will probably have to adjust the first box below that (the one with 70 in it by default), usually downwards, to get a good balance between the overlay and the main video. It takes a little trial and error but you will soon get the hang of it.

[TedJohnson]

Ken;

It works!!!

Many thanks for your quick and thorough reply. You got me to the "fiddle-with-it" point.

I think that now I should probably fiddle with changing the background in Xara 3d prior to rendering to see if that makes any difference in the overlay track.

Thanks again;

Ted

[Ken Berry]

For transparencies/chroma key operations, it doesn't matter what the background colour is, as long as it is evenly lit and consistently the same colour i.e. it won't work if, for instance, you use a vari-coloured photo as background.

[Kingston]

If Xara 3D is anything like Magix 3D-Maker, there is an option to export animation to Flash-Bitmap (.swf). If you select the 24-bit color option, the Transparency option becomes enabled. With the transparency option selected, you won't need to use chromakey in VS, as the transparency is maintained.

I just tried it out in VS Pro X2 on the overlay track and it works. Hope you have the same export option in Xara 3D.