Alphas not importing correctly (or at all)

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

If you’re in PS and work with a transparent background then you do not need to explicitly create an alpha channel for each layer. When you save the file, either as a single layer or as a multi-layered file and import them into AE, the alpha channel for each layer will be automagically created for you.

Ad for your outline issue, it sounds like AE is not recognizing the type of actual alpha channel. Select the footage item in the Project Panel and open up the Interpret Footage dialog and try one of the Alpha Channel types there.

If all of these fail, then you should put up a few images from PS and AE so that we can have a better idea of what’s going on with your workflow.

HTH
RoRK

Intensive AE & Mocha Training in Singapore and Malaysia
Adobe ACE/ACI (version 7) & Imagineer Systems Inc Approved Mocha Trainer

[Danielle Masek]

Thanks. I tried those things and its still coming up black w/white outline.
My image is a silhouette of a guy who’s all black. So the transparency is around him. My bg in AE is black but I’ll have smoke behind him so you’ll see some of his outline.
I have, in photoshop, set him as white in the alpha channel, black everywhere else.
I’ve saved WITH the alpha and a trans bg as a targa and tiff–didn’t work. I’ve saved as a PS doc NOT including the alpha channel and WITH a transparent bg–same result. Interpret footage didn’t have any effect.

Here is the image:

(obviously the actual bg is transparent but I can only upload jpgs)

And here is how it comes in in AE:

**I look down at where you’re standing
Flock of sheep all on display
With all your lies piled up around you
I can take it all away**

[Brian Charles]

OK. here is the image in PS:

Here it is in AE with another background (not black):

Now is the time to use the Matte Choker on the image to remove the halo.

[Danielle Masek]

Thanks. It didn’t occur to me to have him in front of something first, even though I know that technically. I’m sorry I’m so dense. I’m not usually, lol.

**I look down at where you’re standing
Flock of sheep all on display
With all your lies piled up around you
I can take it all away**