AE and Avid – Graphics with an Alpha

[Brownmarkfilms]

Have you tried rendering out to an image sequence? Not sure about your case, but we tend to work in 23.976p and find that that’s presently an idiosyncratic framerate for going back and forth between Avid and AE using single Quicktime files. Rendering out to an image sequence (we use PNGs) usually works out the best for us, since it makes the render framerate-independent.
Not sure if it would fix your 1-pixel up and down problem, though.

[Mark]

I would suspect that your graphics are created with lines that are too thin. EG: 1 pixel in height…. The problem with graphics that are going to be interlaced and are not thick enough is that the interlace turns the line off and on each frame (on for a field, off for a field). On a thin line, this can make the lines dance or flash.

Try thickening up graphics. Also render out a straight alpha and millions of colors+

Mark

[Ben The camera guy]

thickness isn’t the problem, the whole graphic itself shakes (not just the thinnest lines…and my initial renders were straignt, animation codec, mil of colors+…can you import image sequences into avid?

[Robert Houghton]

This sounds like a field interpretation problem to me.

What are the Avid’s import settings set to? I’ve encountered strangeness like this when the avid is set to “no fields” in the import settings I believe. This might also be caused by the files you send to the avid if they are 720×540. Also (there’s always multiple possibilities when it comes to field issues) it’s possible that the frame rate is being messed around with somehow.

Avids can import sequential picture files like TIF TGA PSD. This would be a good way to start troubleshooting so that frame rate is eliminated from the “cause” list. Also, see if you get the same problem by rendering with no fields. If it’s still there, the Avid is importing it incorrectly.

Good luck.

-Rob

Motion Graphics Animation
Professional & Freelance
Respond2

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[Kenny Mims]

Hey bub, what size is your composition? 720×480? or 720×486?
You’re wotking in SD… right?

[Michael Hancock]

Render your comp out as a png sequence, straight alpha, and render it to fields if you’re Avid guy isn’t in a progressive project. Avid loves PNG–cleanest alpha you can get, and might fix the shaking issue too, but that sounds like a field problem, as someone already mentioned.

When your Avid guys imports he has to know what field order you rendered in and match it to his import settings. Also, what version of Avid is your guy running? There was a bug in the last few releases where you needed to render your AE comp upper field first, even if you were working in a lower field first project. Avid interpreted it correctly and you didn’t have the shake.

Give us some more info and we’ll see if we can get you going.

Michael.