Motion's Alpha Chanel Isn't Interpreting

I'm exporting a lower third from Motion with Alpha. When I test it in Motion, by placing an image under the layers, it works. I export Quicktime Animation with color and alpha, then import in After Effects. At that point, it imports without an alpha channel. It doesn't even give me an option with alpha options. So I'm stuck. The only other option is to import from LiveType. For some reason the same process works, but I want to use Motion's advanced functionality.

Hi Mark, thanks.
I realized my problem. I was using the Animation codec without selecting Millions of Colors + from the Advanced button. That's an extra step not required by other programs that I use, so I overlooked it. Once I did that, all worked well.

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FCP Motion=lose alpha channels in pict files?

Hi there! I'm a regular FCP and AE user, just starting to dip my toes into Motion...
I just sent to Motion from FCP a section of my sequence that had logos being animated with accompanying text. I prepped the logos in Pshop and added alpha channels to cut out their backgrounds so they could float on black; saved as .pict with alpha. They read correctly in FCP but when sent to Motion the alpha channels disappeared. If I re-import the original .pict file then the alpha is read correctly but then I have to re-do all my moves, fades etc. which kinda defeats the purpose of sending to Motion (at least on this job). Also the text generators disappeared completely; I know I could re-do in Motion with better results but still, that's annoying.
Are these just "features" of Motion or am I doing something wrong?
TIA, JK

Hey John,
Maybe Motion is incorrectly guessing the premultiplication of the alpha. Did you look at the media settings for the PICT? Go into the Media tab of the Project View, select the PICT media item, then go into the Media tab of the Inspector. There's a popup there for the premultiplication settings.
Good luck!

Is there a file type that encodes alpha chanel and is viewable by an ipad?

Is there a file type that encodes alpha chanel and is viewable by an ipad?

If you mean images, use your graphics app to Save for Web as PNG file type.
Nancy O.
Alt-Web Design & Publishing
Web | Graphics | Print | Media Specialists
http://alt-web.com/

Motion 5 Alpha Channel Support

Does anyone have an answer on what is supported? I know Prores444, but I can get transparency information out of the Animation Codec, but it results in jerky vision when field based media is imported into Avid. The file does contain an alpha channel, but there is a problem, on import to Avid V6
Anyone recommend a good workflow for getting Video + Alpha out of Motion 5 and into a PC based Avid that doesn't have Prores, and surely it doesn't involve a 2 pass output with separate Matte and Fill.
John

ProRes 4444 has a playing bandwidth that can choke all but the fastest computers. FCPX uses Optimized versions of video to get the playability down to a reasonable rate. ProRes 4444 makes editing video simple, and therefore provides a better environment for frame level edits.
I didn't know you could export Animation out of Motion 5... I have the Animation codec, but it doesn't appear as an option for me...
Anywho...
You have other options.
1) you can export Alpha channel as a travel matte in any codec you like. From the Share > Export Movie dialog, in the Render section, the Color dropdown menu, select Alpha (only). You will also need to export the Color channels as a separate video.
[*I know you already stated you do not want to use this option but it means you can use any codec.]
2) you can Share > Export as Image Sequence and use PNG, PSD or TIFF
Image sequences seem messy, but if you group all the images into a dedicated folder, it's not that different from a video file. You could even import them into Avid and export a compatible video file, then delete the sequence (just assuming - I haven't tried using Avid since the 1995 Mac version so I have no real idea if that's the case.)
Any self-respecting NLE can handle travel mattes and image sequences.
HTH

Alpha channel not be interpreted in FCP 7

Dropping in a .motn file into FCP 7's timeline - the alpha channel is not being recognized. If you render out a file and bring into FCP 7, then the alpha is recognized. Anyone else experience this?

You may need to right/ctrl-click on the .motn file in FCP and tell it to interpret the Alpha channel... (or it might be clicking on it and going under the Clip menu and setting the alpha channel)...
Patrick

How should spatial motion tangents and shape tangents be interpreted?

I'm writing a script that needs to interpret motion paths. The After Effects Scripting Guide specifies that each keyframe has a position, an in tangent and an out tangent.
My assumption was that these tangents indicate the position of the control points for a cubic bezier curve, relative to the keyframe position. So the curve from position p1 at keyframe 1 to position p1 at keyframe 2 is a cubic bezier determined by the points (p1,p1+out1,p2+in2,v2), where out1 is the out tangent of p1, and in2 is the in tangent of p2. Is this correct?
When I read about shapes, however, I got a bit confused. Shapes are also specified by vertices, and each vertex has an in-tangent and out-tangent. My initial assumption was that these also specify control points in a cubic bezier curve. But the guide shows an example of an oval:
As far as I know, there is no way to represent a circle or ellipse using cubic beziers. This got me thinking that perhaps my interpretation of the curves as cubic beziers is incorrect (I'd like to think that a circle in AE is really a circle, and not an approximation
Does anyone know how to interpret the tangents in both cases correctly?

Hi,
Bezier segments are polynomial curves, and as such, can't plot a circle (if X and Y are real polynomials then X^2+Y^2=1 would imply that both X and Y are constant, so a Bezier segment plotting exactly a portion of circle would plot at most one point of that circle...).
However they can approximate a circle (or ellipse) arc. This is what the example is talking about.
There is not just one way to decide when the approximation is good or not.
You can try to minimize the max radial distance from the approximated circle to the ideal one, or minimize the difference of areas, etc...
You'll get different data each time.
The most used convention for cubic Bézier and 90° arcs is "like this": start with a quarter of ideal circle, set the start and end points of the Bezier segment to coincide with the extremities of the arc, the tangents tangent to the arc, and adjust their common length so that the point at parameter t=0.5 coincides with the middle of the arc. Then (calculate) you find that the tangent length should be 4/3* (Math.sqrt(2)-1) (0.552284741...) times the radius. This extends to 90° ellipse arcs as well since the image of a segment under affine transformation is the segment defined by the image of its control points. That's where the 55.23 comes from. If you want more info there are articles on the net about that (Cubic Bezier + circle).
There other approaches (other contraints) that give closer approximations but for video it really doesnt matter, even 0.5 or 0.6 would work, noone will come and tell you that your circle is not a circle...
Your interpretation of motion path / shape path data is correct.
Xavier.

Swf to avi with alpha chanel

Hi,
It is possible to convert an swf animation (flash 8 with
filters) in ".avi" with alpha channel?
(The background must be transparent)
I'm using a software named SWF2VIDEO, with this tool I'm able
to convert my ".swf" in ".avi". Some codecs give me alpha options,
but when the .avi is imported in After effect, there is no alpha
channel or he is not detected.
Someone have any idea on this?
Thanks.
PS: I can't use flash player 5 (for the .mov export) cause
I'm using flash 8 features

Hi,
It is possible to convert an swf animation (flash 8 with
filters) in ".avi" with alpha channel?
(The background must be transparent)
I'm using a software named SWF2VIDEO, with this tool I'm able
to convert my ".swf" in ".avi". Some codecs give me alpha options,
but when the .avi is imported in After effect, there is no alpha
channel or he is not detected.
Someone have any idea on this?
Thanks.
PS: I can't use flash player 5 (for the .mov export) cause
I'm using flash 8 features

MOTION IS NOT READING ALPHA CORRECTLY (Frustrated, Please Help)

I've exported a file with an alpha channel from Motion 4, and when I pull it into another project, it is not recognizing the alpha channel. In the project tab area, it displays with a checkerboard as if it has alpha ... I've checked the alpha interpretation ... but in the MAIN project window, all I see is black where the alpha should be (not the desired background on the layer below it. I've checked every suggestion that I've been able to find in these forums, and no one seems to have an answer. Am I the only one having this problem? I'm ready to scrap Motion and go back to After Effects over this.

Thank you to those who replied. By further process of elimination I have discovered that Motion does not recognize the ProRes 4444 Alpha Channel. When using a clip with the Animation Codec, it reads the alpha channel perfectly. The ProRes 4444 Clips I exported from Motion with Alpha work perfectly in After Effects ... so clearly Apple has a bug to fix

No Alpha when import in Motion

Hi,
I have a clip that i need to export with Alpha Chanel in Motion.
For export, I use proRes 4444 with millions colors + but when i import the clip in Motion, the millions color + become Millions Color Only... > So , i loose the transparency and got a black background...
Any help is appreciated

Tom Wolsky wrote:
If you are exporting with alpha from FCP make sure the section you're exporting is NOT rendered. If it's rendered then the render file, which will contain no alpha channel, is built into the export file.
Good call, Tom, but sad. That ol' bug got fixed with FCP7. I can export alpha clips easily these days, it's just rare that I need to.
bogiesan

Motion 5, Importing a PNG, Alpha Channel Wonky

When I import a PNG into motion the alpha map gets brighter— brighter than it looks in photoshop, preview, pixelmator, etc.
Then in motion if I just export the project as a movie, the alpha channel values seem to return to normal in the MOV file. It's comforting to know that the final product will turn out ok, but how am I supposed to know what it will look like wihtout having to export the project everytime I want to see what it looks like. Note: I don't ever remember encountering any problems like this with Motion 4.
Any help appreciated. Thanks.

Very top right of the Motion interface, 4th icon from the right, check those settings.

Can't export alpha channel on a lower 3rd

I was able to sucessfuly change the font color of my live type.
I am intermediate to graphics and I was using the Digital Duice Editor's Took kit #10 - #239 lower third to use as a lower third while adding text in motion. I thought the alpha channel was built in. When I export in motion to .mov I get the lower third, my animated text, but a black background (no alpha to lay over the video) Slap me if this has been asked before, but I have tried a lot of things and still have the black background exported. Do I need to add the alpha overlay that comes with the lower third #239 in motion to make this a mask?
The Digital juice lower third works well in FCP and allows me to super impose it over video. Do I have to set up motion to have an alpha background before I impor the lower third?

I am intermediate to graphics and I was using the Digital Duice Editor's Took kit #10 - #239 lower third to use as a lower third while adding text in motion.< </div>
You are rendering out of Juicer 3? You have done in the past, going to FCP, and the alpha is intact? Then it must be your settings out of Juicer or you have not interpreted the alpha prperly in Motion. It might be straght or premultiplied, depending on your settings in Juicer.
Exporting out of Motion with alpha is easy if you know how to select the proper codec. It must be Animation (ther are other alpha-aware codecs but Animation is idiotproof).
Without watching over your shoulder, it's difficutl to tell whaich of the many beignner's mistakes you could be making. Once you figure it out, though, you wil lnever make them again.
bogiesan

Motion menus just with audio

Hi,
I'm trying to create a "motion" menu using just an audio file associated with the menu. The idea is to have a static menu with a background music.
I tried to to do this but when I build the DVD, Encore (CS4) complains about the pixel aspect ratio (says it is unsuported).
I guess that as it doesn't find any video to build the motion menu, its PAR isn't correct. Nonetheless I suppose that doing what I want to do is pretty standard.
Can someone please help me out?

I'm assuming that you're trying to add audio to a still menu.
Two questions: 1) Where do you get the menu (Adobe Encore library, created one in Photoshop, etc).
2) where did you obtain the audio and what is the format (MPEG, WAV, PCM, etc?)
Try the following first.
1) Create a new project. Use a standard still menu from the library
2) Add an audio track.
3) Preview the project.
If it works, you can trouble shoot it from there

FCP not reading templates correctly from Motion (Urgent)

Hi all,
I am trying to work in FCP (6.06) with templates created in Motion 3.0.2 But FCP seems to be seeing video drop zones as text layers!?
If I use a pre-existing template (or one I have created), when I bring it in to FCP I get the correct amount of input dialogue boxes for the amount of layers in the template, but regardless of whether they are drop zones or text layers the control dialogue box in FCP looks the same and I am unable to actually get anything to appear correctly on the timeline. It's driving me nuts!!
Also: when I have a template on my FCP timeline I am unable to save the project! I delete the template from the timeline and am able to save the project again...
Even weirder: I'm getting the same result on two machines!!
Any Ideas what could be causing this!? (i've tried software update and re-start)
Best
GK

Thank you to those who replied. By further process of elimination I have discovered that Motion does not recognize the ProRes 4444 Alpha Channel. When using a clip with the Animation Codec, it reads the alpha channel perfectly. The ProRes 4444 Clips I exported from Motion with Alpha work perfectly in After Effects ... so clearly Apple has a bug to fix

I want to export with alpha channel using a codec that carries less data than gopro cineform

Hi--I want to export some intermediate files with an alpha channel. i'm using gopro cineform, and these files end up being so large, meaning that i have to sit through hour long renders. is there a a codec i can use that has an alpha chanel but creates a smaller file size?
thanks

Thanks for your help Patrick. I tell ya, I can't believe what's going on. As I said, this project until today has not caused me any issues what-so-ever. The other six sessions are totally fine. I also created a quick project with the same settings added text - then exported using the same settings I've used before, and it exports with the proper alpha channel.
Yet, I rebooted the Mac, made sure to delete old versions in the trash can and everything. Still, no alpha.
To keep moving forward, I literally had to use a color key in FCP to cut out the background color.
Crazy!

Motion and alert message

I have built maps for a TV show. They are vector, I was able to put the movement in the map as I wanted to do in motion. I made a QT movie of it and opened it in a new project to add text while still in motion. It's simple.
When I try to make a QT movie of the map and the text together I get an alert message that only says that it had trouble with the export?
I tried then to just import it into FCP. I plop it on the timeline... render it there and I get a message in purple? that says during these particular frames there are render issues? Any ideas out there and is there a more elaborate description of what these various alert messages mean?
Greg

I have built maps for a TV show. They are vector, I was able to put the movement in the map as I wanted to do in motion. I made a QT movie of it and opened it in a new project to add text while still in motion. It's simple.< </div>
There's been nothing simple about your project, Green.
There are only two reasons I can think of that would prevent your movie from playing: A: It's not rendered properly; and B : It's not rendered properly.
Never seen purple error messages in the FCP interface, sorry, that's new. But there's obviously something odd about this movie. We may or may not be able to help.
When you said vector art in earlier posts, did you ever identify the source application like Illustrator? Motion's vector rasterization isn't dependable but it does seem to work with AI files. I just don't bother with Motion for these things, I revert to what I know works: After Effects
If this was my project, I'd abandon Motion for now and hire an After Effects artist just to get it done. Then go back and figure it out.
If you get the movie properties from QT Player, what's the image size, codec and frame rate?
I hope Patrick and the rest of the wonks can help you out.
bogiesan

Motion's Alpha Chanel Isn't Interpreting

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