Alpha channel with .ufo file?

[richardnau]

I use MediaStudio Pro for video editing. The blurb for MSP 8 states that

PhotoImpact™ UFO files can be directly inserted in the timeline, maintaining all objects and alpha channel.

Well, I can certainly insert a .ufo object into the MSP timeline, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get PhotoImpact (ver 10 or 11) to save an alpha channel with a .ufo file. No problem generating and working with alpha channel in .png files, but I'd love to be able to work in the .ufo format that preserves objects...

Any hints?

Richard.

[JenT]

Don't have MediaStudio so couldn't tell you, but I do believe that the alpha channel in PI is a selection. Save your UFO with the selection highlighted and see if that doesn't work.

Otherwise, maybe post this in the MediaStudio forum, if you haven't already done so. (Any chance there's a tutorial on the Ulead Learning Center site?)

[Xyzzy2]

I think that the Mask is Ulead's name (and function) for alpha channel

X.

[plasma_video]

Try making your images with a transparent background. When you create a new file, it will give you the option to create the image with a transparent background. Then create your objects in the work area. I believe that is what MSPro will be looking for as the alpha channel, like a PNG with transparent BG.

I do lower third supers that way and save as PNG with the transparent background intact, and my editing programs use it properly as if it were an alpha channel.

This trick does not work for TGA files, however, due to the interpretation of TGA specs. For TGAs you must use the selection mask as your alpha channel. It is a bit of a convoluted procedure as to how to do this for tga, but if you are interested I can post more details.

[rwernyei]

I use TGA image sequences with background transparency selected in my 3D software all the time. MSP has no problems identifying the alpha channel. In the Overlay Options, under Type the Alpha Channel will already be selected. No special procedures required.

[ploggy]

Here a link for making alpha with TGA and TIF.

http://www.ulead.com/learning/msp6_7/page1.htm

For UFO, the Save selection is greyed out because any selection in the UFO file is automatically saved with the remaining areas as alpha channels.

[plasma_video]

I use TGA image sequences with background transparency selected in my 3D software all the time. MSP has no problems identifying the alpha channel. In the Overlay Options, under Type the Alpha Channel will already be selected. No special procedures required.

That is true. I was refering specifically to creating TGA with alpha using PhotoImpact. MSPro does a great job with TGA and alpha.

PI requieres you to make a selection, save the selection (or selections) in the selection manager and then merge them back into the document to create the alpha in a tga export. It's a little goofy, but once you figure out the technique it works well.

[richardnau]

Thanks all. I now understand the issues and am successfully using PI11 to generate lower thirds for MSP.

But... I'm not using UFO files for the simple reason that a transparent UFO file does not maintain the full canvas size -- you only get the objects and the spacing between them.

I'm using PNG files with transparency (alpha channel) because frame size is retained and this gives accrate positioning on the vide screen.

Richard.