[Andrew Ronholm]

I went on to YouTube and looked it up. So I chose PNG, and checked the alpha checkbox, I chose where to save it. I then went to the output tab, and chose all frames at the bottom, and also 720p for the resolution. Then and I think this is what I was doing wrong, I used SHIFT+R, and it started rendering the sequence. Now I opened one of the pictures in the preview app here on my mac, and low and behold, no background. So I guess all I had to do was choose “all frames”, pick a resolution. Then under save, choose the format, destination, check the alpha box, close render settings, and then use SHIFT+R.

I’m so happy Brian, I just did it with a PNG sequence, and it worked perfectly in AE, it also worked with me changing the format to quicktime instead of PNG. So all I was doing wrong was using the wrong rendering method, and not telling to render all the frames.

Honestly, I can’t believe it took me this long to find out that this was what I was doing wrong. I feel like such a newb, LOL. Anyhow THANK YOU SO MUCH Brian. If it wasn’t for you buddy, I’d still be making a green screen and keying. So thanks so much buddy, I love you for this.

Very much appreciation, Andrew.

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual and Sound Effects Artist, 3D Animator, Graphics & Web Designer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Director, and Writer.

I know that sounds like a lot, but I really do all those things, and I do them for myself so it’s more of a full time hobby.

[Andrew Ronholm]

Ok so I did this, I opened render settings, chose quicktime format, animation for the compression method, and chose where I wanted to save the file. Now heres where I don’t know what you mean. I’ve always clicked on that middle button, [the one beside “render active view”] held down my mouse button and chose the bottom option. Yes this has always been intended. When I single click without holding that middle button the “render in picture viewer” button I get only a single image, it’s not a video. Although when I click on the layer tab, it does in fact show the alpha layer, and it DOES NOT have ablack background when I import that single picture into AE. So it did work. But I need to render a video, in fact I need to render quite a few of them. So how do I do this? Where is this render button that will render the whole sequence and still have that wonderful alpha channel?

BTW, this is the first time I’ve ever gotten an alpha channel working so THANK YOU Brian, seriously. If you can just tell me how to get a video rather then a single picture to render, then I think I’ll be good. Also I’m very happy to hear that it’s not the software and that it was me doing something wrong.

Thanks again, Andrew.

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual and Sound Effects Artist, 3D Animator, Graphics & Web Designer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Director, and Writer.

I know that sounds like a lot, but I really do all those things, and I do them for myself so it’s more of a full time hobby.

[Andrew Ronholm]

So I checked the “single pass” option under layer tab like you said, and selected the information tab cause I didn’t know what you meant by selecting the thumbnail. I can’t select the little picture on the right so I can’t see what you meant. In the information tab it says the information below. I’m not sure but I think that RGB means there is no alpha channel.

Information
Depth: RGB (8bit)
Color Profile: sRGB IEC61966-2.1

This was with me choosing PNG, as the format. I imported this sequence into AE and it still had the black bg. It also did say millions of colours+ (premultiplied) Could this be because I have perian installed? Or maybe VLC? I’m pretty sure that app’s on a mac stay in there own little bubble, and don’t effect other programs, but I’m not sure about perian it’s a codec pack I got so I could play certain things that neither QT, or VLC would play. I will gladly remove it if it’s the issue.

Now I did a TARGA aswell and it says the same as above for the depth and color profile. I also imported it into AE, and they all say the same thing, Millions of Colours+ (premultiplied). Now if it’s working for you guys, then I’m doing it properly, but it must be the way my computer is showing the footage, so the problem could be below the software level, on a global level. Also I’ve reinstalled C4D R11.530, and I also have both r11.530, and R12.016 installed, and I’m getting the same thing from both when I import them into AE.

So I’m guessing that there isn’t much more that I can do to get this alpha channel other then what I’m doing. So does anybody have any suggestions on what I could do to fix this global interpretation of an alpha channel? Oh also I have Action Movie Essentials, which is a bunch of explosions, dust, smoke, etc. that are already made and ready for import with an alpha channel. When I import anything from this pack videos they have that transparent bg that I’m trying to get with C4D. So I’m totally confused here, and I really hope someone has an answer for this. Until I get it resolved I’ll just make a green/blue screen behind my 3d objects and key it out in AE. But it would be much easier if I didn’t have to do this.

Thanks for your time, and I really hope we can all figure this out together.

Andrew.

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual and Sound Effects Artist, 3D Animator, Graphics & Web Designer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Director, and Writer.

I know that sounds like a lot, but I really do all those things, and I do them for myself so it’s more of a full time hobby.

[Andrew Ronholm]

I’m currently rendering a video out which I recorded with snapz pro showing what I did. It shows me rendering in the 3 formats that support the alpha channel and it also shows the way AE sees it, I guarantee you guys will be baffled by what you’re seeing. It’s totally not right at all. And if it is me making a mistake, at least you guys can identify it and tell me what I’m doing wrong.

Thanks for your time, Andrew.

P.S. I’ll be asking on this forum but in a new thread so people that have already responded can see it’s still not resolved and that they can see what I’m doing.

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual and Sound Effects Artist, 3D Animator, Graphics & Web Designer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Director, and Writer.

I know that sounds like a lot, but I really do all those things, and I do them for myself so it’s more of a full time hobby.

[Andrew Ronholm]

Hi brian.

Ok here’s the thing, I’ve done this about 150 times now, with all available formats. I’ve learned so much while attempting this over and over, and for the last 3 days I’ve been researching this problem. I keep getting the same answers. I tried what you said, exactly what you said, and I know this should work, but it’s not. So what I’m going to do is I’m going to use snapz pro to record me doing this so you can see what it is I’m doing. I’ll upload it to youtube on my youtube channel and I’ll link it to you as soon as it’s done ok?

Now everywhere I’ve looked it says the same things, and I thought maybe the c4d file was corrupted so I made a new one and used a different texture and got the same result and black bg. Now like I’ve said I must’ve tried this about 150 times now, trying all formats that support the alpha channel and also I tried all 3 interpretations for the footage, still nothing. So I’ll make this video and show you, so you can see what it is I’m doing and then you can give me some suggestions.

I really don’t know what else to do about this, cause it should be working, I asked on multiple forums and I get the same answers, suggestions and they all say it’ll work they promise. Now I’m not a newb, I’m not a professional, but I’m not a newb. Also I use Action movie essentials and when I import their stuff it has a transparent bg already so I know its not after effects, or at least thats what I think.

Anyhow I hope this helps people help me.

Thanks again for your time, Andrew.

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual and Sound Effects Artist, 3D Animator, Graphics & Web Designer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Director, and Writer.

I know that sounds like a lot, but I really do all those things, and I do them for myself so it’s more of a full time hobby.

[Andrew Ronholm]

Ok so I just made a whole new animation in C4D, made a sphere, added a picture of lava for the texture, then animated it rotating 90 degrees over a 3s Animation @ 30FPS. Before I rendered it I went into render settings and chose the alpha check box, quicktime as the format and in the options button to the right of that drop down list I kept it on “animation” for the compression method. I then rendered the scene, and went to file save as, saved it as a TIFF format, and kept the Alpha checkbox in that window checked. I saved it to the same location that my c4d file is located.

I then imported the file into AE along with a picture of space for a BG, and made a new comp with the imported animation. I then dragged the BG into the timeline and dropped it underneath the animation layer. Unfortunately I got the same result, and I really don’t understand what is wrong. I then right clicked on the animation in the project window[in AE] and went to interpret footage>Main and tried all three options as well as trying the 3rd option premultiplied again and this time using the eyedropper and clicking on that black bg I’m attempting to remove. Still it’s not gone. Now I’m at a loss of words here, I really don’t know what could be causing this, and I haven’t found anyone with this issue. When they do what I’m doing it always works. So what could it possibly be?

I’ve tried multiple formats while doing this. In every format that I know of that saves the alpha information, PNG, TIFF, and QT-I then check the file within AE to see what it says in the top left hand corner and it indeed says millions of colours + as well as (premultiplied) to the right of it. So what could this be?

Also I have an use action movie essentials quite frequently in my projects and when I import these explosions and such I get a transparent background. In other words they work without having to do anything to them at all, which is great. I’m pretty sure that this is what is supposed to be happening with my animations, but it’s not. What could it be, I hope someone can help me.

Thanks for your time, Andrew.

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual Effects, 3D Animator, Graphic & Web Design, and Writer

[Andrew Ronholm]

Yes, I’m just trying to do my first composite. I’m making a planet shattering in space. I already did it by making a green plane behind the sphere, and then just keyed it out in AE. But it would be much easier to do in AE if it had the transparent BG. So I’m doing exactly what you did, again. I’ll post the result in a second.

BTW, thanks so much for the help. I know this might seem a noobish thing to ask, but it really isn’t working for me. Hopefully it does now…..

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual Effects, 3D Animator, Graphic & Web Design, and Writer

[Andrew Ronholm]

Sure!
I’ll post my project file. That honestly sounds like the easiest and fastest way to get the answer I’m looking for, then you can just open it and tell what it is that I did wrong.

One question though, where can I post my project file? Surely it can’t be within this thread, can it? Either way I just put it up on my website, having one sure it great!

Here’s the link Planet

I hope that HTML link shows lol.

if not here it is so you can copy and paste it….

https://www.enigmaticstudios.net/files/Planet.c4d

Thanks for doing this to BTW, I really really appreciate your help. It’s so frustrating when you try to do something the way every one says works and it doesn’t. Thanks.

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual Effects, 3D Animator, Graphic & Web Design, and Writer

[Andrew Ronholm]

I apologize, but I didn’t realize I could view the thread as a whole. I seen the Re:’s in the list and thought I had to reply to them like email [just because when I clicked the link it only showed me that single response and not the entire thread]. I didn’t know it would all show on a thread like this until recently. So I do apologize, I also apologize for venting.

Thanks for the warning, it won’t happen again.

Andrew

Andrew Ronholm: aka Extil3
Visual Effects, 3D Animator, Graphic & Web Design, and Writer

[Andrew Ronholm]

Also I’m using Cinema 4D 11.5, and Adobe After Effects CS5. Just in case you were wondering.