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Best Way to Import Animation with Separate Alpha
Another alpha channel newbie question:
What is the best workflow for importing an animation into an Avid sequence that has a separate alpha channel file? I was given a folder of 100 .tiff single frames of an animation and also a folder of 100 .tiff frames for its alpha channel. Is it best to import each set into the Avid and combine them there, or is it better to make them into a combined movie, say in QuickTime Pro and then import that as a single file? Or does it really not matter and is just dealer’s choice?
Tom Carlson
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3 Replies
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Import them as you normally would. Check your import settings that “Autodetect Sequentially-Numbered files” is checked. The Avid should bring in each as single master clips. One for the matte, one for the fill. Lay the Alpha channel over the top and drop the Matte Key effect on it, and you should be good to go.
Richard Sanchez
Los Angeles, CA“We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.” – Bill Hicks
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Thanks, Richard.
I know I must be doing something incredibly simple in the wrong way! All I see is a black screen when I drag the imported file into the source window. I thought it might be a matter of inverting the alpha channel, but that didn’t work either. Guess I’ll keep poking around.
Tom
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Since they have given you a separate file for the Alpha channel that suggests there is no embedded Alpha in the pictures.
So just click ignore when importing. That should work for both as they are both in effect “video”.
One final thing – if these came from Photoshop chances are they are RGB levels so select that rather than 601/709.
Then use 2 layers as Richard suggests. Apply the Matte key to the Alpha. You may need to invert that but it will be obvious if you do.Hopefully that’ll work
best wishes
Neil
http://www.patience.tv
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