transparency with lens flare

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

I must be losing my senses. You should be looking at using a plugin such as Xmult. Xmult will actually create an alpha channel for you when applied to your lens flare layer.

I just googled but the site is inaccessible.

Can someone else recommend a similar plugin that’s free. I recall there used to be a similar plugin available FOC.

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[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

This may give you a headache but it works.I just did a test to make sure I am right about it and also to clear out the steps in my head.
Here it is:
Do the Lens Flare (LF) animation on a black layer like it was suggested, using a blending mode to visualize. Once you are happy, turn the blending mode to normal.
Nest your LF layer in a comp moving all attributes.
Duplicate that. Now you have two pre-comps: LF1 and LF2
Open LF1. Add Adjustment layer. Apply Hue/Saturation and take out all saturation. Apply Levels- compress white to 211 and move gamma (midtones) to 1.49
Exit LF1 and turn visibility off (the eye)- you got a matte for LF2.
Apply Set Matte to LF2, take matte from layer pre-comp LF1, Blue channel (Red or Green do the same).
You can check the alpha of your comp and you will notice that you have a clean alpha with the Lens Flare included.
Play around with Levels in pre-comp LF1 to adjust the matte for your Lens Flare.
Get a headache pill… just kiddin’.
Hope that helps.

Ted

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Here it is Chris –

https://redgiantsoftware.stores.yahoo.net/unmult.html

Done!

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[Ben Rollason]

You can do an unmult in After Effects too without the need for plugins.

Precompose your lens flare layer.

Apply a Channel -> Set Matte effect to the layer with the precomposed lens flare as its source
Settings:
Take Matte From Layer: this layer itself
Use For Matte: Luminance.
(sets the alpha to luminance)

Apply a Channel -> Channel Combiner effect.
Settings:
From: Straight to Premultiply
Invert: checked.
(predivides by the matte set above)

Voila! Now the Lens Flare looks the same as it ever did, but it has a transparency based on its luminance and no nasty black double premult fringes.

Then you can use Channel -> Alpha Levels to muck about with the alpha gamma if you like. The layer can then be rendered with an alpha and used with any blending mode your heart desires!

The Channel menu is the best menu in After Effects: 🙂

-Ben.

vfx.benrollason.com

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Heya Ben, this sounds like you’ve got an excellent idea for a COW Tutorial. 🙂

Cheers
RoRK

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[Ben Rollason]

Hi Roland,

Actually, I’ve been thinking of recording a tutorial about the many different tricks you can do with the channel menu. Drop me a line and let me know how I go about submitting a tut to the Cow. 🙂

-Ben.

vfx.benrollason.com

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Heya Ben, you’re a good man! What you have in mind sounds interesting. It’ll be doubly good if you include the “why” as well as the required “how”. I’m already looking forward to it.

For contact, you’ll want to get in touch with Kathlyn on the following link – https://www.creativecow.net/contact_us.php

The link is actually at the top right of most of te pages at the COW.

Cheers
RoRK

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[Greg Platt]

You’re a life saver Ben- that’s exactly the technique I was just looking for. Thanks!

[Rostilen Callo]

i’m using CS4. I don’t know if other versions have it but I just choose Screen Blend Mode and then click on the box below the T Column. It’s in between Blend Mode and TrkMat columns.

[Jang Sunday]

Hi Ben,

Can you help me? i have the same problem but in Photoshop 🙁

Thanks a lot!