Preserving alpha channels

Hope I can explain this clearly...
I created a simple sequence of frames in photoshop with alpha channels, saved them as .tif, and imported them to FCP. They work fine, but now I'd like to save the sequence as a quicktime (conversion?) and preserve the alpha channel. Haven't had any luck yet.

and DONT render the timeline before you export ... if you have rendered then trash those renders first and then re-export to an alpha compatible codec (to trash renders simply toggle visibility, or use Tools > Render Manager)

Similar Messages

No way to preserve Alpha channel with vanishing point?????

Such a great tool to use for making "sets" in After Effects, but My alpha channel disappears when I use the vanishing point filter & export to AE.
Any way to retain it?

> Or do I just need to keep using the older versions of AFX.
No. Just use the previous version of Adobe Media Encoder to transcode your master file (e.g., QuickTime with PNG codec) to FLV:
removal of FLV and F4V export features from Adobe Media Encoder, After Effects, and Premiere Pro

No Method of Batch Export for Clips with Alpha Channels?

Good morning,
As many a flustered editor has eventually discovered, in order for FCP to export sequences with alpha channels to a 32-bit format, the timeline has to be un-rendered at the time of export, or else the transparent parts will appear black in the outputted file. This sort-of makes sense if you know how FCP and render files work, but in a perfect world I think I'd have designed the export interface a bit differently. Now that I think about it, I'm actually working in an Animation (Millions of Colors +) sequence, so converting transparent areas to black makes no logical sense at all.
Anyway, I have several sequences that I would like to export as 32-bit TGA QuickTime files, preserving their transparency. If I Export Using Compressor, the process results in pre-rendering of the sequence, turning the transparent areas black. The same problem occurs if I export QuickTime reference movies from FCP and open them directly with Compressor.
Does anyone know of a way to avoid this silly phenomenon or am I stuck individually exporting each sequence from FCP, one...at.......a................time?
Thanks,
Zap

Thanks, Andy, "Batch Export" eventually did the trick!
I forgot about that tool because I've never actually had to use it before! After playing around with it for a while, I found that as long as the sequence settings for each sequence in the batch are set to a codec with an activated alpha channel, it works just fine.
Thanks again,
Zap

Photoshop CC is not showing save "Alpha Channels" to be checked!

This hasn't happened before! As in... it didn't happen as recently as yesterday.
I have a 3 layer image, 2 of them with a large transparent area. I will be importing this into After Effects.
It allows me to check "layers" but not to preserve the transparency. "Alpha Channels" is greyed out.
When I import into AE, even in the media browser the transparency is gone. The transparent area is now black. Ditto when I drag it into the composition canvas.
Mode = RGB, 18 bit
When I import the files from yesterday that *did* preserve the transparency, they still keep the transparency. So I know it's not a problem in AE.
This is where it gets super weird. When I take yesterday's file, open it, and try to save it under a new name -- TODAY IT DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO CHECK "ALPHA CHANNELS".
What have I done to take this option away?

HOLY CRAP -
Indeed, I did not have that.
So I added a channel, and it automatically showed up as Alpha 1...... and my whole image turned red.
When I turned off the image channel, it went back to normal.
Am I possessed?

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.

Alpha channel in Exporters

Hello,
I'm having difficulties with alpha channel in an exporter. Symptoms - no alpha channel is given to my exporter by Premiere Pro when using source with alpha channel. I created a sample test video that has rows of (red pixel, green pixel, blue pixel, alpha pixel). So, while examining bits in the memory, I always see 0xff for alpha component (i.e, red pixel looks like 0xff 0x00 0x00 0xff, green pixel looks like 0x00 0xff 0x00 0xff, blue pixel looks like 0x00 0x00 0xff 0xff, and alpha pixel looks like 0x00 0x00 0x00 0xff), which looks to me like no alpha channel given in the frame. I request frames in BGRA_4444_8u pixel format. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but shouldn't that color format give me alpha component if source has alpha? I thought "ok, may be sequence or project settings have setting that i'm not enabling to preserve alpha", but as I found out, Premiere Pro preserves alpha unless explicitly told not to preserve by user. SDK Exporter sample project description mentions support for uncompressed 8 bit RGB with or without alpha. Does that mean that Premiere Pro should give frames with alpha channel if source had it? I looked at how sample exporter requests frames from Premiere Pro and only color format-specific info is custom 'sdk' color format, unless I overlooked something.
Thank you,
Petro

Hi Petro,
I looked into the SDK samples, and there was a few adjustments I had to make to get the alpha channel to round trip successfully, when exported out using the SDK Exporter, and reimported using the SDK File Importer.
First, I had to make sure info in the file header was set correctly. In WriteSDK_FileHeader(), I set the bit depth according to the codec setting retrieved using:
mySettings->exportParamSuite->GetParamValue(exID, 0, ADBEVideoCodec, &codecSubType);
For "SDK file format", 32 means there's alpha, and 24 means no alpha. For the two video "codecs" supported, I set it like this:
switch(codecSubType.value.intValue)
    case SDK_8_BIT_RGB:
        mySettings->SDKFileRec.depth = 32;
        break;
    case SDK_10_BIT_YUV:
        mySettings->SDKFileRec.depth = 24;
        break;
The other change I had to make was in RenderAndWriteVideoFrame(). One of the parameters for RenderVideoFrame(), SequenceRender_ParamsRec, includes a member called inCompositeOnBlack. Again, I set this according to the codec:
switch(codecSubType.value.intValue)
    case SDK_8_BIT_RGB:
        renderParms.inCompositeOnBlack = kPrFalse;
        break;
    case SDK_10_BIT_YUV:
        renderParms.inCompositeOnBlack = kPrTrue;
        break;
This inCompositeOnBlack may be the problem you're running into. You should set it to false if you want the alpha preserved.
Regards,
Zac

Unexpected Alpha channel behavior in Premiere

Is there no way to interpret alphas as straight versus premultiplied in Premiere? Why do my transparent layers and clips with alpha channels display differently with a Black Video layer below them?
Background info:
I'm exporting my film to files with codecs that support alpha channels, not because I want an alpha in the result but because I need full RGB / 444 color coding for digital cinema theaters. I'm using ProRes444, Targa and PNG Image sequences to preserve as much quality as possible in my master exports.
I've discovered that there is no option to disable the alpha transparency in the Export Media step while preserving at least 10 bits per color channel (Trillions of colors in AE).
To solve this problem, I've had to add a "Black Video" clip to the first video track, underneath the film's content. When this is done, the pre-rendered text elements with alphas look different. They are movie trailer style text treatments that are light text over pure black. (I'm on my ipad right now and don't see a way to upload screen shots to show examples)
The result with the black video layer applied at the bottom is similar to the way QuickTime 7 displays straight alphas incorrectly. This problem occurs with both straight and premultiplied renders. The rendered text is from after effects and is stored using the animation codec.
I'm aware of how to work around this, by maintaining the alpha transparency in Premiere and then removing the alpha channel of my export by running it through After Effects, but that is a ridiculous, time consuming step.
I'm working with the GPU Mercury Engine on with a K5000 from NVIDIA. Can anyone explain this behavior? Is there no way to interpret alphas as straight versus premultiplied in Premiere? Why do my transparent layers display differently with a Black Video layer below them?
Here are the screen shots
UNDESIRED EFFECT using Black Video layer at bottom: Notice the fuzzy glow surrounding the text. This is happening with both straight and premultiplied renders.
INTENDED LOOK when composited over nothing: The glowing edges are displayed the same way in Premiere as in After Effects.

In my understanding, the reason 444 is indicated is because they are not RGB codecs. They simply sample the same amount of color as is possible in true RGB codecs. They still require a conversion from RGB to YUV for coding to a file, which almost always introduces a very slight shift in values, though usually imperceptible or acceptable. If the codec is truly RGB there is no need to indicate luminance vs color sampling.
...I think.
Again thank you for your awesome input! You've been a huge help here on my day off. :)

Alpha Channel

Is it possible to save a still frame in FCP as a PSD file with an alpha channel? If so, how do I do this?

I need to take this video that is in 1080i, save it as SD and preserve it as a template that can be brought in for future projects. < </div>
Bring your clip into an empty project, assign your motion and filter settings, and save the project as your template. The important thing you want to do is make sure you do not discard the media files associated with the template because the media are in your original project's capture and render folders.
Since this is going on the web, file size is critical. I want to crop out the unnecessary black to the left of the picture. How can this be done and how can I save this as a 320x240? < </div>
Your original file size is not related to the Web version in the slightest, a fundamental misunderstanding of compression workflow. You want to preserve your clip at its maximum resolution until the last possible moment, through all renders and composites. The last thing you will do is compress to your Web format of choice.
bogiesan

Alpha Channel in Quicklook

I would like to view videos i have with alpha channel in quick look but my quick look will not show me alpha. it substitutes it with black. I have seen it on other computers but have never been able to have it on mine... any suggestions? thanks.

Hi Petro,
I looked into the SDK samples, and there was a few adjustments I had to make to get the alpha channel to round trip successfully, when exported out using the SDK Exporter, and reimported using the SDK File Importer.
First, I had to make sure info in the file header was set correctly. In WriteSDK_FileHeader(), I set the bit depth according to the codec setting retrieved using:
mySettings->exportParamSuite->GetParamValue(exID, 0, ADBEVideoCodec, &codecSubType);
For "SDK file format", 32 means there's alpha, and 24 means no alpha. For the two video "codecs" supported, I set it like this:
switch(codecSubType.value.intValue)
    case SDK_8_BIT_RGB:
        mySettings->SDKFileRec.depth = 32;
        break;
    case SDK_10_BIT_YUV:
        mySettings->SDKFileRec.depth = 24;
        break;
The other change I had to make was in RenderAndWriteVideoFrame(). One of the parameters for RenderVideoFrame(), SequenceRender_ParamsRec, includes a member called inCompositeOnBlack. Again, I set this according to the codec:
switch(codecSubType.value.intValue)
    case SDK_8_BIT_RGB:
        renderParms.inCompositeOnBlack = kPrFalse;
        break;
    case SDK_10_BIT_YUV:
        renderParms.inCompositeOnBlack = kPrTrue;
        break;
This inCompositeOnBlack may be the problem you're running into. You should set it to false if you want the alpha preserved.
Regards,
Zac

Aperture, photoshop layers and Alpha channels - notes

In examining Aperture 2.0 to see if I could use it instead of Adobe bridge in my workflow (which makes intense use of Photoshop) I found that Aperture (and, apparently, OS X) cannot properly display a preview for a .psd file with either layers or an alpha channel. In some cases, the preview image is simply an error message, in others the alpha channel is displayed as black. These problems make Aperture a non-starter for me.
Searching this forum for information, solutions, and/or workarounds, I found some references, but nothing of high value. (Sorry, posters.) Started my own investigation, and discovered some things that might lead to a reasonable workaround. My notes are here:
http://homepage.mac.com/bbarlow641/webinfonotebook/
too long, I think, to put into a forum post. Sorry to link out to somewhere else, but if you're interested, it's worth a click. (Or the linked page may not have "high value" either. But it helped me to think through the problem.)
Ben

bbarlow641 wrote:
Saving the file as a layered TIFF file would preserve the layers - that might be a good idea since Aperture doesn't recognize psb files. But any "saving as" step - as a psb or as a TIFF - creates a second (large) file, so I don't think it's an ideal solution.
I don't know if that helps in your workflow, but the way I handle this is:
• import the raw file into Aperture
• open in external editor (i.e. PhotoShop; external editor format: tiff)
• edit in PhotoShop
• when saving I am asked if I want to save it as layered tiff (provided the preferences are set accordingly: File Handling / Ask before saving layered tiff files);
• here two things are to be considered:
_ the file extension used by PS is "tif", so it has to be changed to "tiff"
_ on my MacBook Pro the Save As-dialog opens showing the correct file location (i.e., the correct subfolder inside the Aperture library), on my Mac Pro the initial location is somewhere else (remembered from the last saving procedure); I have to work around this by first command-clicking in the image window's title bar to open the edited file's location in the Finder, so that I can then drag it onto the Save As-dialog. This is actually slightly annoying, but I did not find out the reason so far.
• Aperture automatically refreshes the saved file.
This way I end up with just this one extra file. The whole procedure would be a bit simpler using referenced files instead of storing them in the library.
My settings in PS do have the "Maximize Compatibility" option set (in the notebooked example, it's set to "ask", normally it's set to "always"). I'm using CS2. Maybe this setting works in CS3 to create the composite? I've heard several people here say that same thing, but it definitely doesn't do it for me...
For me this works, and as far as I remember also worked in CS2; do you see a difference in file size between files saved both ways? How does Preview.app display the file saved with "Maximize Compatibility"?
Since my first post, I've been trying to figure out how to add a PS action that would run an Applescript to tell GraphicConverter to open and close a file, creating a preview. But it seems that while an Applescript can trigger a Postscript action, the reverse (having a Postscript action trigger an Applescript) is not possible.
Might something like a hot folder with an automator scripts attached to it be a possible workaround?
Message was edited by: Bernhard Barkow

How do you get 32-bit float effects to work with an alpha channel?

I make a few bugs and lower thirds, but I'm having a lot of trouble getting 32-bit float effects to correctly export with transparency.
When I make semitransparent animations with bright lighting effects, they look great in AE but I can't seem to find any way to bring them over to Final Cut and get them to look like they should.
I've attached this example of a bug with a screenshot from AE on the left and from FCP on the right. The colors dim and the vibrant blue gradients get flattened into a dull greenish color.
So far as I can tell, all my alpha and color management settings are correct. I've tried endless settings options and codec options to try to fix this, to no avail.
You can create an extreme case as an example by creating a semitransparent shape, cranking the color way up to a saturated superwhite color, and moving it around with motion blur. The render looks pretty much just like a 8/16 bit render, and nothing like it did in your canvas.
I have a feeling the way AE multiplies the superwhite color values with the alpha channel gets "lost in translation" when it is rendered to 4 8-bit channels. Is there any way to get it to look the way it does in the canvas?
Thanks,
Clint

Thanks so much for your ideas. I'd already tried experimenting with a number of color management options, including 'Preserve RGB' and turning off 'Convert to Linear Light' but they didn't fix it. I had also already tried using the "None" option from the codec menu.
I pulled it back into AE, and it looks the same as it did in FCP.
I'm starting to think the issue has something to do with AE rendering to a file differently than the way it renders to the canvas. For example, here's a fast moving 50% opaque superwhite shape in the AE canvas:
I rendered this using Animation + Alpha using Best settings and 32-bit float, and reimported it into AE:
I think the answer may lie in the fact that the first image looks solid white in some places, even though it is 50% transparent. It's almost like the excessive RGB values "bleed" over to the alpha channel. The rendered image (probably correctly) looks grey because it represents white at 50% opacity.
What I want to do though, is find a way to make my render look like my canvas. So it seems I need to do two things to the image:
1. Find a way to increase opacity in areas of excessive white, so that they are not grey in the render.
2. Find a way to "bake" the superwhite colors to a level below 100% white so that they show up in the render.
I tried the "Alpha from Max Color" effect and this seems to get kind of close, but unfortunately it discards other parts of the alpha channel (like drop shadows).
It might also be helpful to know that when I have AE output to an external NTSC monitor (via Intensity card) the monitor shows the exact same artifacts as the render.

Procedure for Integrating Alpha Channel when saving as .dds file

Hello,
I'll try to keep this brief but that may be tough...
One project I use Photoshop CS4 for is painting aircraft used with Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX). Here is some background for folks who aren't familiar with this.
Each aircraft is downloaded as a "Paint Kit". The kits look much like the "trees" that plastic aircraft model kit pieces come attached to (see picture below).
I paint and add layers onto the kit until the aircraft resembles the design I chose. The paint kit includes a background, base parts usually in white, and an assortment of layers adding physical wear, shading, lines and rivets you see on actual aircraft.
Additionally, the kit includes an RGB Alpha Channel and Specular Maps. In this application, the Alpha channel provides the reflectivity or gloss on the aircraft paint. The Specular maps provide a sheen much like the subtle reflections you see from a metal flake paint job when the sun hits it directly.
Once all painting and manipulation is complete, the kit is "cut" into specific sizes. Once the kit is cut, each section is saved as a DDS file using NVidia tools. The resulting DDS files are placed into folders within the main FSX program folder. The FSX program "assembles" the sections and processes the different layers and channels resulting in aircraft that are incredibly detailed and realistic.
My problem is I don't know how to properly integrate and preserve the Alpha channel during the "Flatten Image" and when saving the file as a dds file. As you can see in the "Layers" section in the picture, the Alpha channel is already made. I just don't know what to do with it to preserve it and ensure the reflectivity it provides is visible in the final product.
Any help is appreciated - what I need to know isn't what the alpha does, but how to properly integrate it into the final product. I've searched for this info for the last several days, but I've had no luck in finding specific information on how to do that. I believe it's one of those procedures that is so simple, everyone knows how to do it. I guess I'm the only idiot on the planet that doesn't know how... .
The paint kit can be downloaded at http://library.flight1.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=1467 if you need it to answer my question or if you're just curious about it.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Mark

I know nothing about Nvidia DDS file format or 3D. From you screen capture you have no Alpha Channel. You do have a normal layer named Alpha Channel with its visibility turn off. Why are you flatting ? When I use Save As and use the file type pull-down and select DDS format to save I get the Nvidia DDS save Dialog that I do not know how to use or understand the buttons options or pull-down menu items. The file instruction and its background make no does not seem to match up with the parts.
I think you have to read the documentation for the Nvidia DDS plug-in. and the normal map plug-in https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

Export for DVD with Animation codec without alphas channels not working?

I'm using FCP 5 with DVDSP. My FCP projects consist of quicktime movies that are using the Animation compressor (for lossless quality), and the movies contain alpha channels (thus they were rendered at Millions + colors to preserve the alphas).
This is my problem. I want to now export a quicktime movie to use in DVDSP with animation compression, so it is again lossless quality (obviously to presever the quality through these steps). But I do NOT want to preserve the alpha channels, because what I've learned is that when made into a DVD, the alphas are not preserved and the image looks wrong (as if without the alphas).
So I basically want to "flatten" the video, if there was some way.
I would assume the solution would be to, in FCP, export a quicktime at animation compression, but set to Millions for colors, and not Millions + (I was taught that the Millions + will preserve the alpha info).
Well, what's happening is when I set it to that, it renders, but then I get info on the movie in Quicktime and it says it has Millions + still. And thus, it looks wrong in DVDSP.
What is going on? Is this a bug in FCP?
Does anyone have an idea as to how to get around this. The only thing that has worked for me is to export the Quicktime movie with "none" for compression, but that's making the movie SO large that I can't work with it and it doesn't play right when I make the DVD.
I really appreciate anyones help on the matter. Thanks!
Brian,.
Quad-core 2.5 G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6) 30" Apple Cinema Display
Quad-core 2.5 G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 30" Apple Cinema Display

Thanks for the suggestions. I have not yet tried laying a solid black video track underneath to see what it does, but it seems like a good idea and I'll try it out to see what happens when I get back home.
I'll try to explain what I mean by the image looking wrong.
I'm picking up where another left off, so I'm not sure of how he cut the quicktime movie together; all I know is that they used alpha channels in Photoshop and After Effects to make the image looks the way they want it. This is a drawn character laid on a white background with a black frame around the entire image. It looks the way he wants it to in the quicktime movie, and this quicktime movie is 720x480, animation millions colors +, 24fps.
This movie, along with others of the like, need to be cut together in FCP and then put on a DVD with DVDSP. When I export it and it looks "wrong", what's happening is there is a black block behind the drawn character. The guy that made the movies in AE says that, that is what it looks like when the alpha channel is not working correctly.
To test things, I've changed the quicktime compression settings in the sequence settings. If I set it to anything that is not animation, I get that black block in the viewer. (Note though, that if I set it to animation, millions + or not +, it shows the alpha correctly both ways).
In FCP's user manual it says that if you're passing your movie on to a DVD, to use a high or lossless compression to keep the quality up, like animation or PhotoJPEG. For this reason, I haven't wanted to go to DV - especially with this type of image (graphic drawn shapes), it's easy to see a quality difference.
It really seems like there is a lot of voodoo involved with compression settings. As for now the best "fool-proof" solution I've found is to re-render the movie in After Effects at millions (not+) so that it won't contain the alpha channel info, and FCP seems to like that a lot more.
I just wish I could get FCP to work with the movies as they were because I'm having to re-edit everything to work with these new movies now.
Thanks again for the tips and insight.
Quad-core 2.5 G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 30" Apple Cinema Display
Quad-core 2.5 G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 30" Apple Cinema Display

Preserving alpha while converting images to grayscale

I am trying to convert images into grayscale.
I use this code
public static BufferedImage grayScale(BufferedImage im) {
        BufferedImage image = new BufferedImage(im.getWidth(), im.getHeight(), BufferedImage.TYPE_BYTE_GRAY);
        Graphics g = image.getGraphics();
        g.drawImage(im, 0, 0, null);
        g.dispose();
        return image;
    }but transparent parts become black. Is there a simple way to preserve opacity while converting to grayscale.

Since you want to preserve the alpha channel you'll need to get and set the pixels yourself. And you'll have to use a BufferedImage type that
supports an alpha channel. TYPE_BYTE_GRAY won't do...
public static BufferedImage grayScale(BufferedImage im) {
     BufferedImage grayImage = new BufferedImage(im.getWidth(), im.getHeith(), BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_ARGB);
     for(int x = 0; x < im.getWidth(); x++)
          for(int y = 0; y < im.getHeight(); y++){
               int argb = im.getRGB(x,y);
               int a = (argb >> 24) & 0xff;
               int r = (argb >> 16) & 0xff;
               int g = (argb >> 8) & 0xff;
               int b = (argb      ) & 0xff;
               int l= (int) (.299 * r + .587 * g + .114 * b) //luminance
               grayImage.setRGB(x,y, (a << 24) + (l << 16) + (l << 8) + l);
     return grayImage;
}

Replacing footage with an alpha channel

greetings gurus... I'm working in FCP 5.1 with DVCPRO HD footage 720p @23.98fps. I have an edited sequence of green screen footage that I am happy with. I then keyed out the green from the original source footage and exported that footage with an alpha channel (the background keyed out in AE7). My goal is to open my FCP project and replace the original source footage with the new keyed out footage so that my edit remains in tact but now with a keyed out background. I'm using the reconnect media function in FCP and of course the footage is replaced, but without the alpha channel.
When I import the keyed out footage directly the alpha channel is present; it just isn't present via the reconnect media method.
Any suggestions on how to pull this off?

it may be that for whatever reason FCP is not interpreting the alpha channel correctly when you use the reconnect option. for example, the reconnect option may assume that clip properties are unchanged. this may be esspecially true within the timeline, where instance properties are preserved.
you may be able to manually overcome this by adjusting the alpha channel information in the clip properties window
select one of the reconnected clips (one with the alpha channel from AE) and press cmd-9. see what setting is reported for the alpha channel. if it says None, try changing it to Straight.

Preserving alpha channels

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