• Maxon Cinema 4D

  No alpha channel renders into After Effects

  Posted by Ron Moore on June 15, 2009 at 1:41 pm

  I’m fairly new to Cinema 4D and having problems rendering an object that has an alpha channel (not a black background) when I open it up in AE. I’ve added a compositing tag and an external compositing tag to the object and set an object buffer in the Multi Pass tab of Render Settings but still no transparent b.g. I’m sure there’s something fundamental I’m skipping but so far it’s beyond me.

  Ron Moore replied 16 years, 5 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Adam Trachtenberg

  June 15, 2009 at 2:14 pm

  Object buffers need to be set up on AE. Use them as luma mattes to knock out the background.

  If you render with a full scene alpha it will be recognized automatically.
• 

  Ron Moore

  June 15, 2009 at 3:45 pm

  Thanks for the tips but I’m still unclear on the procedure for setting up the object buffers. I set them up in C4D but when I have them on the timeline in AE and choose Luma Matte, I do get a transparent bg but the object itself is partially transparent. Also, I’m not sure how to render with a “full scene alpha.” I checked the Alpha Channel box in the Save tab of the Render Settings but keep getting the black bg over in After Effects. I’ve been working with Cinema 4D now for 6 months but apparently am not straight on some fundamental workflow between C4D and AE. I think once I get past this I’ll be able to make some strides, but it’s just not quite sinking in. I’ve watched some tutorials on Cineversity on this topic but even that info didn’t make it clear enough for me.
• 

  David Hooper

  December 1, 2009 at 4:44 am

  Having the EXACT problem but in Nuke! Can’t get a Cinema 4D scene to export with an alpha to save my life!! I think it must be so fundamental that I actually can’t find anything on it on the web. So crazy. I just create a simple opaque sphere, rendered it as a QuickTime WITH alpha checked…but alas…it is basically a “transparent” bubble looking thing in ANY composite. I’m sure there is just some tiny check box I have missed somewhere. Let me know if you find anything.

  Thanks from grinline.com
• 

  Ron Moore

  December 1, 2009 at 3:02 pm

  I just always remember to render out with the Animation compression and the alpha channel is preserved.

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