Alpha channel and ProRes 4444

I have a number of AE files that I would like to render in Media Encoder with their alpha channels using the ProRes 4444 codec. I cannot figure out how to make ME give me an alpha channel. If I render in AE, I get the alpha channel without a problem. How can I get ME to give me an alpha channel? I am using ME 2014 on a Mac.

Hi Remy,
Choose QuickTime. Then from the list of formats in the Video tab, choose ProRes 4444. Scroll down to "Depth" and choose 32 bit. This will allow you to export with an alpha channel.
Thanks,
Kevin

Similar Messages

ProRes 4444 with BOTH Alpha Channel AND Timecode?

Recently did a large project of creating alpha channels from green screen footage.
Made the timelines 4444 and tried to output.
If I export as Quicktime, I get the timecode but not the Alpha channel.
If I export as Quicktime Conversion, I can get the Alpha channel, but not the timecode.
Am I doing something fundamentally wrong?
Is there a way to get both on the same output?
Like I said, this project is large -- 91 files -- and it takes more than 8 hours to export out either way even on a current 6 core machine.
What I really do NOT want to have to do is some crazy copy and paste of the timecode information from two separate exports.

You said, "'export as Quicktime' is a very vague description."
Actually, it's not.
A person only has a few choices in Final Cut Pro. If you want to get really specific;
File > Export > QuckTime Movie...
Or
File > Export > Using QuickTime Conversion...
That's it!
With the first and ONLY the first, it will export whatever is on your timeline and you can get Timecode, but I can't figure out a way to make it output the Alpha channel with it.
With the other, you can get any sort of converted output you can input, including ProRes 4444 and Alpha, but unfortunately not the Timecode track.
UNLESS some Guru out there knows some sort of trick.
I'm hoping to find somebody that knows one.

Resolution, audio, alpha channel, and backup questions (newbie)

Hello!
Well, after a few weeks of fidgeting around with FCE, I've come up with quite a few questions:
Image/Audio questions
A. What is the best still image size for import to a NTSC DV movie? Is it the 720x480 px (3:2 aspect ratio) standard of the DV image, or the 4:3 ratio of your generic CRT TV?
I know it depends on pan/zoom. This brings up the next question:
B. I have a still image - literally a blue and black two-color image - that I'd like to zoom. It will start out with a very close shot - and zoom out until it takes up around 10% of the screen. The ending frame (the DV size) will be about 10-12 times smaller than the original image. Does this mean that I should make the original 10-12 times bigger (in both directions) than a DV frame?
This clip is essentially an imitation of the opening of the movie "Home Alone", where the screen begins blue, and as it zooms out, you see it's a stylized house, which zooms out to a tiny size. That's essentially the effect I'm going for.
Audio/Video sync issue
C. Some of the clips I've imported from old iMovie projects are a little out of sync. It's not a conversion issue, but an issue with bad editing on my part . So, I have a still image that's about 1.5 seconds too short - it cuts to the next still, which is 1.5 seconds too long. I've added edit points at both ends of the out-of-sync clip, so that I have a 1.5 second clip, with its own audio and video.
The problem is that the audio is perfect, but the video is bad. So, I need to replace the video, without changing the audio. How is this done?
D. Sometimes, I'll end up with either audio or video that's not quite right after importing a movie. However, FCE locks them together. Is there a way to unlock them so that I can change either? Essentially, is there a way to change the audio and video from one clip into two seperate clips?
E. Can I export a single clip or two only? (eg - the same as the "Share selected clips only" check box the iMovie's share menu)
Alpha channel/marquee question:
In one idea I had for this short, I have a still image (and some video) where I'd like to highlight a small area in one part of the image. In one part, it's a small object in the background that I'm highlighting. If you've seen a documentary where they have a group photo, and highlight the face of one particular person, that's the effect I'm going for.
I've made some Photoshop images that can achieve this effect - using a transparent background, a black top layer (at ~40-80% opacity), and an eliptical marquee for the highlighted portion. I then import it, and fine tune the location/size. It works, but it takes a lot of time to talor each shot. Is there some way to do this IN Final Cut Express? A filter perhaps?
In addition: (alpha-video)
is there a way to turn part of a video into an alpha channel, so that it's transparent in the final movie? It's not so much a solid color (as the bluescreen/chroma key technique would need), but more of background. For example, I would like to take some footage of my family walking in front of trees, remove the background, and place an entirely different video/still in. Is that possible?
Backup: FInal question:
I have my source media organized fairly well on my external drive. However, if my drive should die, It would be incredibly tedius to re-link all the files. (I do have a fairly current backup of the external files). Not to mention finding the orignal capture files, re-timing the project, and so on. The project file itself is probably the easiest to back up.
So, how do you back up EVERYTHING? Some projects may have hundreds of files, all over my external drive. Is there some easy way to back up all the files into a single place, like a single folder or DVD, so that if my drive should fail, all the files are in one spot?
I can export them back to a miniDV tape, but I don't have that many, plus they're $5 a pop. I can do this with Toast, but I'll likely end up missing some out-of-the-way files. If only .Mac's Backup had a Final Cut preset.....
I know that's a BUNCH of stuff up there, so if you can help with any of them, i'd be appreciative.
Thanks,
Daniel
15" 1.67 Powerbook G4 (non-HiRes), Slot loading iMac DV SE Mac OS X (10.4.7) 1G RAM on PB, 384 MB iMac.

Try breaking these up into separate questions. Easier to answer and easier to be found by someone searching for answers to the same question.

Alpha channel and imaging lingo

I have a 32 bit image with an alpha channel. When placed on
the stage only
the black anti-aliased text shows and no background shows
(using the copy
ink)
I'm scrolling this image with imaging lingo where I take a
sliding portion
of the original image in one direction or the other. When I
do this the
background of the portion on the stage is white instead of
transparent.
I'm creating an image and assign a portion of the text image
to it. I tried
pImage.useAlpha = TRUE but I get an error saying the property
can't be set
which is rediculous I know. pImage is definitely an image, I
checked it
with the debugger.
useAlpha might not be the correct solution but it brought up
a second
question. First, how can I maintain the alpha channel with
imaging Lingo
and second why do I get the error telling me that the
useAlpha property
can't be set?
Craig
Craig Wollman
Lingo Specialist
Word of Mouth Productions
212-928-9581
www.wordofmouthpros.com

Thanks. You're right, I did need to create the image in 32
bits but
otherwise I only needed to set useAlpha to TRUE and the alpha
was maintained
perfectly without any other changes.
Craig Wollman
Lingo Specialist
Word of Mouth Productions
212-928-9581
www.wordofmouthpros.com
"Lukewig" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:ek0ibj$c9k$[email protected]..
> Hi Craig,
>
> If "pImage.useAlpha = TRUE" gives a 'cannot set this
property" error, then
> pImage.depth is less than 32. Change your code to
something like this to
> confirm:
>
> if pImage.depth < 32 then put "oops, no alpha to use"
> else pImage.useAlpha = TRUE
>
> As how to "maintain the alpha channel with imaging
Lingo", I gotta scratch
> my
> head each time (its kind of counter-intuitive). Basic
rule of thumb is
> turn off
> alphas for copypixel operations, extract your alphas and
copypixel them
> separately, and then reset the alpha of the final
composite image (of
> course,
> the details depend on whether your are wanting to
combine your alphas or
> not).
>
> -- Luke
>
>

After Effects CC Render Errors with RED footage and ProRes 4444 proxies

Working on an 8 Core, 2008 Mac Pro with 16GB of RAM running Mountain Lion.
I just upgraded to After Effects CC and I'm having a whole bunch of errors ...
-- the 'MooV' file is damaged or unsupported
-- error getting package info for file "..." ( 3 :: 164 )
-- Error (4) reading frame from file "..." ( 86 :: 2 )
I'm trying to make ProRes 4444 proxies from RED files (sometimes as big as 4K), which will eventually end up in a 1920x1080 project. I'll make a 4444 proxy, work on it all day with no problems, then when I try to render (or save a RAM preview) any one of the previous errors will show up.
My projects seemed to work just fine fine in AE CS6, and I've worked with RED footage in AE before with little issue. I've completly restarted my system, re-installed everything, worked off an external drive, worked on my internal (software) RAID, rendered to local and external hard drives, adjusted my multiprocesser render settings (on and off), cleared the cache ... nothing is fixing it.
Does anybody else have any ideas? Or insight. Or anything?!
Thanks for your time,
Eliot

I'm working on a MacbookPro, Early 2013, OS X 10.8.4, and I'm having the same exact error:
However instead of using RED footage, I'm using a 3rd party plugin called Element 3D and Optical Flares from VideoCopilet.net.
I'm not sure if the bug is related, I'm just wondering if anyone else has any idea on how to fix this problem. I have a fresh install of CC so I can't downgrade to CS6.
Another error popped up during multiple trys in export:
In case the old file was actually corrupted, I checked all my backups that worked perfectly fine with CS6 in the past, and I get the same error when I copy them over to my hard drive on my mac.
My current setup is:
Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory: 16GB
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB
I really don't want to recreate this entire file from scratch. That would be a lot of hours wasted... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

IDCS3: Alpha Channels and InCopy: Bug!?

We use the InDesign/InCopy CS3 workflow.
So this is what I do in InDesign: I place a psd image in my layout and use its alpha channel to wrap text. Then I manually adjust the channel's path for my preferred result.
If another user edits the attached .inca file, saves and closes ist again, the manual adjustments to the psd file's alpha channel in the InDesign file have gone!
Does that sound familiar to anyone and is there a solution out there?
Thanks in advance!
Sven

Yes, I've seen it. First make sure you're all fully patched to 5.0.4,
then check to see that text wrap only effects text beneath is disabled
in your prefs.
If none of that works, try opening the InDesign file in InCopy.
Bob

Exporting with alpha channel and edges are ragged

I've got a short animation that is mainly a PSD of a map of NC with some animated push pins on it. I've got a local cable provider wanting an export of the animation with an alpha channel. He's using Premiere on a Mac, I'm on PC. No matter what codec I use that supports an alpha channel, the outer edge of the graphic of the State comes out ragged. Zooming in to the PSD in PhotoShop shows that the edge is antialiased, so I would imagine that this is what is causing the ragged edge on export.
Here's grab of the export. This is with QT Animation codec-quality 100, but the same results occur with DNxHD, Cineform, PNG, etc.

I think you are just seeing the extra areas of the fill.
If the output files works correctly in the editor, you should be good to go.
MtD

Alpha Channel and Blue Screen

Hi- I have an animated sequence with a transparent backround. Within this animation a window opens revealing a blue screen in which I place a picture. Behind the entire sequence I want to place a backround image, but no matter what, the background image always dissapears once the blue screen portion of the animation is present. I've tried nesting with all of the animation in its own layer and the backround in its own, but it makes no difference. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks a lot.
Robert

I'll try to break this down further. (I'm no wordsmith, so I apologize ahead of time if it's not clear enough)
In a nutshell, what I'm describing will put your window contents ON TOP of your blue screen window (instead of being visible behind the blue screen footage)
I'm going to call your footage (the animation which already has an alpha that you also need to key) Blue screen.
I'll call your window contents Foreground
I'll call the footage that is behind everything (what needs to be visible through the alpha that already is present in your blue screen footage) Background.
There will be 3 individual layers.
Layer 2
Foreground
Image Mask (inverted. Blue screen footage w/ the Keyer applied as the Image)
Layer 1
Blue screen copy
Primate RT
Blue screen
Layer
Background
That is how it will appear in the Layer List.
Steps:
Create your Project
Click the + in the Layer List 2 times to create 2 new layers (for a total of 3 layers. Layer, Layer 1, Layer 2)
Add your Background to Layer
Add your Blue screen to Layer 1
Copy the Blue screen and paste it within Layer 1
Add your Keyer to the Blue screen Copy (I used Primatte RT) and Key out your window.
Add your Foreground to Layer 2
Add an Image Mask to the Foreground (with the FG selected, CommandShiftM)
Drag the Blue screen copy in the Layer List onto the Image Mask
Invert the Image Mask by clicking the Invert Mask checkbox in it's Dashboard or Inspector.
You should now have the Window Contents sitting on top of your Blue screen and your Background all visible. Hope that helps.

More CS 5 - ProRes 4444 Alpha channel nonsense

Hi:
Quicktimes I render out of After Effects CS 5 using the ProRes 4444 codec are tagged as having an alpha channel even though my settings in the Output Module are RGB and Trillions of Colors. NOT RGB + Alpha and Trillions of Colors+. It doesn't matter whether my project is 8 bit or 16 bit.
When I bring such movies back into AE it shows them as having an alpha channel (Trillions of Colors+). If I do a Get Info in QT player it shows Millions of Colors+, and FCP shows them as having an alpha, too.
I just upgraded to Snow Leopard 10.6.8 (figured it was safe after two years) and in the process switched full time to CS 5 (I only used it in the past to open other's projects). I never had these issues with CS4. I have not installed any AJA codecs into this new OS (clean install over wiped HD).
This appears to be the opposite of the problem most have been having, which is AE won't generate an alpha in ProRes 4444 without moving codecs and other nonsense.
The reason this is a problem is because when I bring these Quicktimes with faux alphas into FCP for editing I can't export a reference movie. FCP rewrites the whole timeline.
Haven't these CS 5/ProRes 4444 codec/Alpha channel issues been going on for over a year? Do I have to buy CS 5.5 to get this to work correctly?
Thanks.
Shawn Marshall
Marshall Arts Motion Graphics

PR422HQ is way overkill for 99% of the video and film producers in the world. It's there for a specific elite of the entertainment biz, those who work in 4k on 64bit systems, I guess, that' ain't me! It's one of those "if you have to ask, you can't use it" sort of things. Anyone who uses the advanced features of the ProRes family knows why. That's the theory. In my practical experience over on the FCP forum at Apple, 99% of those using ProResHQ believe they are improving their original footage.
Apple ProRes 4444
The Apple ProRes 4444 codec offers the utmost possible quality for 4:4:4 sources and for workflows involving alpha channels. It includes the following features:
Full-resolution, mastering-quality 4:4:4:4 RGBA color (an online-quality codec for editing and finishing 4:4:4 material, such as that originating from Sony HDCAM SR or digital cinema cameras such as RED ONE, Thomson Viper FilmStream, and Panavision Genesis cameras). The R, G, and B channels are lightly compressed, with an emphasis on being perceptually indistinguishable from the original material.
Lossless alpha channel with real-time playback
High-quality solution for storing and exchanging motion graphics and composites
For 4:4:4 sources, a data rate that is roughly 50 percent higher than the data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
Direct encoding of, and decoding to, RGB pixel formats
Support for any resolution, including SD, HD, 2K, 4K, and other resolutions
A Gamma Correction setting in the codec’s advanced compression settings pane, which allows you to disable the 1.8 to 2.2 gamma adjustment that can occur if RGB material at 2.2 gamma is misinterpreted as 1.8. This setting is also available with the Apple ProRes 422 codec.
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
The Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) codec offers the utmost possible quality for 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 sources (without an alpha channel) and provides the following:
Target data rate of approximately 220 Mbps (1920 x 1080 at 60i)
Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422
Apple ProRes 422
The Apple ProRes 422 codec provides the following:
Target data rate of approximately 145 Mbps (1920 x 1080 at 60i)
Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422 (LT)
Apple ProRes 422 (LT)
The Apple ProRes 422 (LT) codec provides the following:
Roughly 70 percent of the data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (thus, smaller file sizes than Apple ProRes 422)
Higher quality than Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
The Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) codec is intended for use in offline workflows and provides the following:
Roughly 30 percent of the data rate of Apple ProRes 422
High-quality offline editing at the original frame size, frame rate, and aspect ratio
High-quality edit proxy for Final Cut Server
The Apple ProRes family of codecs provides these advantages:
Quality indistinguishable from that of the most pristine sources: Maintains superb quality even after multiple encoding/decoding generations.
Mastering-quality 4:4:4:4 RGBA: Provides a lossless alpha channel with real-time playback (Apple ProRes 4444 only). Mastering-quality 4:4:4 Y′CBCRcolor and 4:2:2 Y′CBCR color are also available.
The quality of uncompressed HD at data and storage rates lower than those of uncompressed SD: Provides real-time editing performance comparable to or better than that of any other HD codecs in Final Cut Pro.
Apple ProRes encoding at any frame size—SD, HD, 2K, 4K, or other: Apple ProRes codecs can also be encoded into nonstandard frame sizes, but nonstandard frame sizes are not supported for real-time playback in Final Cut Pro.
Variable bit rate (VBR) encoding: “Smart” encoding analyzes the image. Efficiency is increased because excess bits are not wasted on simple frames.
10-bit sample depth: Preserves subtle gradients of 10-bit sources (sunsets, graphics, and the like) with no visible banding artifacts. When you import a file using an Apple ProRes codec, you don’t have to first determine whether the file is an 8-bit or 10-bit file. Apple ProRes codecs always preserve the bit depth of your original source files.
I-frame–only (intraframe) encoding: Ensures consistent quality in every frame, with no artifacts from complex motion, and speeds up editing.
Fast encoding and decoding: Delivers high-quality, real-time playback and faster rendering times.
Equipment affordability: Because of low bit rates, you can edit more streams with more real-time effects on slower drives, or have more users accessing the same media over shared storage devices.
Workflow options for any video format that does not have native Final Cut Pro support: The Apple ProRes format provides an effective workflow for projects involving multiple acquisition formats when you want to standardize on a single codec.
Better rendering for native editing: Can be used to render long-GOP MPEG-2 formats (such as HDV and XDCAM HD) to speed up editing and avoid MPEG-2 reencoding artifacts before output.

The odd tale of Quickmask and the alpha channel

I'm posting this in hope rather than expectation - as I keep requesting this is fixed, but I seem to be a lone voice.
I understand that this code was written back in the 90's - and I get the impression (from a senior Photoshop engineer no less) that no one really understands it...
The odd tale of Quickmask and the alpha channel
Try this:
With Quickmask set to it's defaults (double click the quickmask icon and ensure it's set to 'colour indicates : masked areas'), paint in black to create a 'red' quickmask area. Hit Q to return to the selection border. You should see two selection borders - one at the edge of the image defining the outer edge of the selected area, and one defining the inner edge of the masked area that you painted.
Now hit the 'save selection as channel' button at the bottom of the channel palette to create an alpha channel.Everything's as expected - the alpha is black ('unselected') where you painted.
Now repeat the process, but with the Quickmask mode set to 'colour indicates : selected areas'.
In this case where you paint in QM mode should be selected. Paint a patch and hit the Q key - it is. You have a single selected area. Now hit the 'save selection as channel' button at the bottom of the channel palette to create another alpha channel.
This time the alpha is incorrect - it's the inverse of what it should be.
And it gets worse:
Ctrl / Cmd click on the alpha thumbnail to load the alpha as a selection -
notice that it even loads the black area as a selection.
It's been like this as long as I can remember... and I really wish it was fixed.
I'm a Photoshop ACI. QM is a tool I'd like to get my students to use more, but this behaviour makes it 'difficult' to teach Quickmask to users, particularly in conjunction with alpha channels. In my experience it seems that most users find it more natural to 'paint on' a selection, rather than than 'paint off' a mask.
So most users would prefer to set 'colour indicates : selected areas'
I've been around long enough to know the rubylith heritage upon which Quickmask is modelled, however I now think it's time that baggage was left behind. I wonder what proportion of current Photoshop users even know what rubylith was?
There are two points here:
1. There should be NO connection between the QM paint state and the subsequent creation (or loading) of an alpha channel.
Whether you choose to label it a feature or a bug, it's clearly wrong to toggle out of QM mode, see a selection on screen, make an alpha channel - and find your alpha is reversed.
And in addition to that - it's a 'freak' alpha that subsequently loads reversed...
2. I think it's time to drop the rubylith baggage and set the QM paint mode to a default of set 'colour indicates : selected areas'.

Charles,
Thanks to your replies I've now discovered another twist to this tale...
When I'm saving a selection, I typically use the 'save selection as alpha' button in the channels panel. That shows the issue I'm referring to.
However, I've just discovered - thanks to your comments - that if instead you use the 'Select > Save selection' menu command you get a 'correct' alpha.
If you care to try that second example again you'll find you can get two different alpha's from the same selection - depending upon which saving option you choose!
This is now getting so complex, I'll have to put a pdf together explaining it and send it to our fiends at Adobe.

How can I dispaly alpha Channels to proxy and show transparency correctly?

Hi all! I have a problem. Please help me. Thank you very much.
I want to display alpha Channels to proxy and show transparency correctly. I have get the datas of alpha Channels and RGB color. Following are the codes:
void HiddenData::PaintPreview()
if( !channelData ) return;
PSPixelMap pixels;
int spotChannelCount = gFilterRecord->documentInfo->alphaChannelCount;
pixels.version       = ( spotChannelCount > 0 ) ? 2 : 1;
pixels.bounds.left   = proxyRect.left;
pixels.bounds.right = proxyRect.right;
pixels.bounds.top    = proxyRect.top;
pixels.bounds.bottom = proxyRect.bottom;
int32 proxyWidth = proxyRect.right - proxyRect.left;
int32 proxyHeight = proxyRect.bottom - proxyRect.top;
pixels.imageMode     = gFilterRecord->documentInfo->imageMode;
pixels.rowBytes      = proxyWidth * gFilterRecord->documentInfo->depth / 8;
pixels.colBytes   = 1;
pixels.planeBytes    = proxyWidth * proxyHeight;
pixels.baseAddr   = channelData;
// new for version 2 of PSPixelMap
PSPixelOverlay* overlay = NULL;
if( spotChannelCount > 0 ){
overlay = new PSPixelOverlay[ spotChannelCount ];
if( overlay ){
   int j = 0;
   for( int i = 0; i < spotChannelCount; i++ ){
    overlay[i].data = channelData + pixels.planeBytes * (4 + i);
    overlay[i].rowBytes = pixels.rowBytes;
    overlay[i].colBytes = 1;
    overlay[i].r = (unsigned8)spotColorList[j++];
    overlay[i].g = (unsigned8)spotColorList[j++];
    overlay[i].b = (unsigned8)spotColorList[j++];
    overlay[i].opacity = 50 * 2.55;
    overlay[i].overlayAlgorithm = kStandardAlphaOverlay;
    overlay[i].next = ( i == (spotChannelCount - 1)) ? NULL : overlay + i + 1;
   pixels.pixelOverlays = overlay;
   pixels.colorManagementOptions = kViewAsStandardRGB/*kViewAsMask*/;
pixels.mat = NULL;
pixels.masks = NULL;
pixels.maskPhaseRow = 0;
pixels.maskPhaseCol = 0;
(gFilterRecord->displayPixels)(&pixels, &pixels.bounds, 0, 0, (void *)hdc);
delete[] overlay;
But there is a problem.The image of alpha Channels in proxy is not clear, because overlay[i].opacity = 50 * 2.55.
It looks like diffrent from displaying in photoshop.I do not know how to use pixels.mat and pixels.masks.
Thanks!

I run the plugin. But It can not show alpha channels. Can you show the code in your example clearly.Thanks! Following are the frames.
The original document:
The result:
Can not show the alpha channels.

Issue (aka bug): File compatibility and alpha channels

When I enable file compatibility mode on photoshop (so that previews and thumbnails show up), the thumbnail and preview will be wrong when there's an alpha channel in the channel palette. Specifically, the thumbnail will be masked by the top-most alpha channel in the channel palette. Consequently, there is sort of a work-around--if you create a plain white alpha channel and make sure it's the top-most alpha channel in the palette, then the preview and thumbnail come out fine. Luckily, this requires negligible extra memory.
If there's no alpha channel or I don't save alpha channels, the preview/thumbnail looks fine.
In spite of the work-around, a fix would be nice. It'd also be nice if there was a way to have a preview/thumbnails in Finder without the large memory penalty of compatibility mode.
Bart

Yes, everything in Bridge works great. However, the search function in Bridge is SLOW and a bit flaky (same problem on the Windows side as well) so I like to use spotlight instead for searching. Additionally, I like to use iPhoto to create collections of images that will contain photoshop files as well as others.
For now, it is workable for me to just use compatibility mode in photoshop and make sure all images with alpha channels have an all-white alpha channel at the top of the stack. The file size penalty is tolerable for now. If Apple ever fixes things on their end, then it's a simple script to convert my psd files back again.
Bart

Exporting Targa Sequence and Alpha Channel

I have a couple of targa sequence containing graphics that I need to export. One has an opaque arrow which rolls out over the film underneath. The second has solid text which will be laid over the arrow as it animates. I have run the image sequences in Quicktime, the arrow sequence comes out as a block of black and the solid text comes out against a black background instead of an alpha channel and I can't seem to manipulate them. I have FCP 6 which i thought had Quick Time Pro to handle alpha channels. What am I doing wrong, can anyone help?

hi,
what exactly are you doing?
why are you exporting from quicktime? why dont you import the image sequence directly into motion/fcp? Not saying you;re wrong, just wondering that 's all.
Have you got the export settings correct. Not many codecs support alpha channels. Your best bet is Animation set to Millions of colours +. the + is the alpha channel.
However motion or fcp should be able to read the image files just fine.
adam

Save for web and using a alpha channel to optimise a jpg? Is it missing in CS4/5+ ?

Hi guys,
I have just tried to do an old technique I used to use to reduce the szie of big background images, and they was to make a alpha channel and specify which areas of the image you want to be kept at the highest quality and what areas you wanted it to be low quality.
I dont seem to be able to find it anywhere in the "Save for web" screen.
This post here suggests it might have been dumped after CS3???
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/370291
Any help would be great

As far as i know those features were removed from Save for Web after cs3.
MTSTUNER

Prores 4444 Problems

Hi there,
I'm digitizing video from a 4:4:4 HDSR through an AJA Kona 3 card (ver 6.0.3) to Final Cut trying to create ProRes 4444 files. However when I look at these files on the scopes my black level does not sit at 0 but rather it seems to add a setup to 7.5. My white levels also seem to have dropped. This shows up on the FCP scopes and on outboard calibrated scopes (back out through the Kona card).
I've tried the same material with various other compressions (10 bit, Prores 422, etc) and all of those show the blacks at 0. As soon as I use ProRes 4444 the levels are raised. I've tried using Millions of Colors and Millions of Colors+ (although I don't need the Alpha channel) and I've turned the Gamma Correction off.
Is there anything else I could be missing? Is this just what ProRes 444 does? I can't find much documentation on this subject. Thanks so much for any help.
Ryan

From the ProRes white paper:
• Apple ProRes 4444: The new Apple ProRes 4444 codec preserves motion image sequences originating in either 4:4:4 RGB or 4:4:4 Y’CBCR color spaces. At its remarkably low data rate as compared to uncompressed 4:4:4 HD, Apple ProRes 4444 supports 12-bit pixel depth with an optional, mathematically lossless alpha channel for true 4:4:4:4 support. Apple ProRes 4444 preserves visual quality at the same high level as does Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), but for 4:4:4 image sources, which can carry the highest possible color detail.
Apple ProRes 4444 is ideal for next-generation video and the most pristine computer graphics sources for cinema-quality compositing. For projects that previously required the Animation codec, Apple ProRes 4444 is a modern replacement with real-time playback support in Final Cut Pro. Because color detail is preserved, Apple ProRes 4444 is ideal for color grading with 4:4:4 image sources.
• Apple ProRes 422 (HQ): Boasting widespread adoption across the video post- production industry, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) offers visually lossless preservation of the highest-quality professional HD video that a (single-link) HD-SDI signal can carry. This codec supports full-width, 4:2:2 video sources at 10-bit pixel depths, while retaining its visually lossless characteristic through many generations of decoding and re-encoding.
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) can be used both as an intermediate codec to accelerate workflows for complex, compressed video sources and as an affordable, high- performance alternative to uncompressed 4:2:2 video.
• Apple ProRes 422: Apple ProRes 422 offers nearly all the benefits of its big brother, Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), but at a significantly lower data rate. It provides visually lossless coding performance for the same full-width, 10-bit, 4:2:2 sequences as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) with even better multistream RT editing performance.
• Apple ProRes 422 (LT): Like Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and Apple ProRes 422, the new Apple ProRes 422 (LT) codec supports full-width 10-bit video sequences, but at a target data rate even lower than these siblings. Apple ProRes 422 (LT) weighs in at 100 Mbps or less, depending on the particular video format. It balances incredible image quality with small file sizes, and is perfect for digital broadcast environments where storage capacity and bandwidth are often at a premium.
Apple ProRes 422 (LT) is ideal for live multi-camera and on-location productions where large amounts of footage are acquired to disk. The low data rate of Apple ProRes 422 (LT) also makes it an excellent choice for transcoding complex camera codecs like AVCHD.
• Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy): The third new member of the Apple ProRes family is Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy). This codec maintains HD data rates below 36 Mbps, yet like its higher-rate Apple ProRes 422 siblings, it supports full-frame, 10-bit, 4:2:2 video.
Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) is intended for draft-mode or preview uses where low data rates are required, yet full-resolution video is desired. It is the ideal format for use in offline editing workflows with Final Cut Server. The traditional offline-to-online workflow with Final Cut Pro has relied on the Offline RT codec, but today’s HD workflows demand offline video formats that support native frame size and aspect ratio. Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy) supports full 1920 x 1080 and 1280 x 720 resolutions, enabling full HD resolution while editing, and accurate representation of FCP motion effects from the creative stages through finishing.

Alpha channel and ProRes 4444

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