-
getting a clip w/ alpha channel into FCP … how?
i’ve created a couple of clips in After Effects rendered with premultiplied alpha channels, but when I import these into FCP it doesn’t seem to want to recognise the alpha channels correctly … is there a trick to doing this?
i’ve tried changing the ‘Alpha’ setting in the Item Properties for the clip …. FCP seems to have recognised that an alpha channel exists and automagically sets the alpha type to ‘Straight’, but none of the settings change the way the clip is interpreted – it only sees a flat fully opaque video layer.
i’ve rendered this element twice, using the ‘Animation’ codec, and again using the ‘Avid Meridian’ codec … neither are working for me in FCP (but both are interpreted correctly when reimported into AE). The alpha channel is there, but FCP is just not seeing it ‘correctly’ it seems ….
At a loss … although I don’t need to do this (everything works just fine with the usual matte and fill composite) I just hate it when something doesn’t seem to work the way I thought it did !
Thanks in advance for anyone who can reeducate me with this one
Cheers
Andy -
3 Replies
-
Take a look at the alpha channel in AE, is it correct or solid white. I follow the same process, using the stock “lossless” setting in AE without difficulty every day.
-
[Andy Mees] “i’ve tried changing the ‘Alpha’ setting in the Item Properties for the clip …. FCP seems to have recognised that an alpha channel exists and automagically sets the alpha type to ‘Straight’, but none of the settings change the way the clip is interpreted – it only sees a flat fully opaque video layer.i’ve rendered this element twice, using the ‘Animation’ codec, and again using the ‘Avid Meridian’ codec … neither are working for me in FCP (but both are interpreted correctly when reimported into AE). The alpha channel is there, but FCP is just not seeing it ‘correctly’ it seems ….
“If you’re coming out of AE premultiplied and FCP is seeing it as straight, you won’t get the alpha you’re expecting. Changing the item properties in the Browser will not change the properties of a copy of the clip already in the timeline (well, that’s not entirely true, just too confusing to go into here).
Open the clip in the Browswer Viewer and select the alpha view mode. Now try changing the item properties for the alpha. Post back.
As Gabriel says, alpha works just like it’s supposed to but it might not be set properly. You could also try rendering a short clip out of AE using straight instead of premultiplied and be sure you’re using Millions of colors +.
bogiesan
This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”
-
thanks guys
good tips, I’ve just checked in AE and the alpha channel is correct, I’ve looked at the alpha channel of the clip in the viewer and again it is correct… so this is good, seems FCP is indeed interpreting correctly 🙂
the problem I’m having seems to happen when I place the clip in the timeline … I’ve been using test sequences in DVCPR50, Animation and Avid Meridian Compressed (the latter two using Millions of Colours+)
obviously I’m doing something wrong, please jump in and correct me !
again, thanks
Andy
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up