TGA/PSD w/Alpha proper workflow?

I have Targas with pre-multiplied alphas which I need to load as symbols into Flash CC.
As Flash has no .tga support I've saved them as .psd which still have the alpha channel.
When importing them into Flash they do not use the alpha channel, just show as normal graphics in a big white rectangle.
What am I doing wrong?
regards, R

Can you try importing the Targa files in illustrator and then import into Flash.,

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What's the proper workflow to combine multiple video types and turn them into one high quality DVD?

I'm trying to combine 1080i (29.97fps), 1080p (29.97fps), and 720p (24fps) video files into a single Premiere Pro project, and end up with a high quality DVD.
There are a few problems I can't solve:
1. There seems to be interlacing and clarity issues any time I export it to DVD dimensions (720x480), and on some TVs I'll get a bouncing motion on the 720p footage (slideshow). Yet everything seems to look perfect when I export it something like an HD MOV file.
2. If I use Final Cut X to make the DVD, I'll get audio popping and decent image quality. Yet if I use Encore, I'll get horrible interlacing, but good audio.
I don't have any training in video workflow let alone how to properly diagnose and solve problems that arise. So I need someone to lay out the proper workflow and settings from start to finish to get these three different types of footage to look great on a DVD using Premiere/Encore.
I've attached sample images showing the types of footage I'm using and the kind of problems I'm running into for reference.

By far the best way to get the quality of encoding is to use Compressor and not DVDSP. You can set Compressor up to do the AC3 (which DVDSP can't do). Alternatively, use a better encoder than Compressor, such as BitVice or MegaPEG.X... but remember that these do not do AC3 encoding.
Keep the encoded assets all in a single folder on your mac, then drag that folder into the DVDSP 'Assets' tab. This will import them all and keep them in the folder, which is a neater way of doing things. Select all of the clips within the folder (or simply select the folder itself) and drag them on to the track - they will go on in alphabetic or numeric order (whichever you have used as your names). If using numbers, remember to use '01', '02', etc otherwise clip ten, eleven, twelve and so on will follow clip one... clip two will come after clip 19.
Drop them all on a single track. You can then point a menu button at the track and all of the clips will play one after the other. If you want black in between then you will be better adding this in a NLE such as Final Cut, then exporting the entire sequence of clips as a single file. Alternatively, create a black .pict file the correct dimensions for the video format you are using and manually add it in between each clip on the timeline. Or, create a series of black .pict files and name them 011, 021, 031 and so on. Place them in your folder of clips with the MPEGs named 01, 02 and so on. When you select all and drop it onto your timeline within DVDSP a black clip will go in between each piece of footage (sequence will be 01, 011, 02, 021, 03, 031 ). This is probably the quickest way to do it. You can reuse the same black .pict files for every project like this and as long as you follow the same naming convention it will always work.
Like anything you want to automate, the first couple of times take longer to set up. After that it is a lot easier.

Proper Workflow

I am going to be working with a Canon XL2 the next few days and am wondering what the proper workflow is. I will not be shooting 24p so it will just be at 30, and the final output is intended for the web. Please let me know!
Message was edited by: LilB

Capture the format you've shot, edit it, compress for the web... nothing out of the ordinary here.
Jerry

How to change the colour of Background in TGA sequence with Alpha

We are going to be loading an animated name key ,created in Motion, into our clarity system for live broadcast. To do so I need to export the animated name key as a TGA sequence. Unfortunately the background for the produced files are black and leave a dark halo when the alpha channel is applied. Is there a way to change the background colour of the produced TGA files to white?

Use the rectangle shape tool. Draw a rectangle over the entire frame. In the shape tab, color it whatever you want. Export your TGA sequence.
Andy
PS: But if you place a colored bkg in your motion project that you will effectively have no alpha channel. Are they referencing the TGA's alpha?

Placed PSD drops Alpha?

Hello,
I have a PSD file that when placed in Illustrator, the background is white and not transparent. The file is 8bit, the PSD has no layers, and it is not large about 2kx1k in size.
I have tried tiff and even PNG. I also tried to embed the file. I tried save for web, and the white background is still there.
Ironically, when I save the file, Bridge shows it coirrectly, until Bridge loads the preview and then the alpha changes to no longer be transparent.
Any help please?!?!
M

Yes my Photoshop files are a single layer with areas that are transparent.
So how do I get the transparency to be seen in illustrator? It used to work but now it doesn't and I am not sure when it started, but now it is becoming more and more of a problem.
I have trashed the preferences, I have updated the software and still nothing.
Now something new, when I take an object, and try and lower the opacity, instead of something becoming more transparent, it just becomes light, like it is doing the transparency against white.
It is all messed up!
Help Please,
M

Saving TGA with straight alpha (not premultiplied) and other weird stuff

Is there a way to save the alpha channel not premultiplied in a tga as I need straight alpha ... ?
While testing I got strange behaviour.... I have 5 bar from white to black with RGB value of 255,191,128,64,0
1) Copy pasting those from rgb to alpha give me some "conversion error"
255
191
128
64
0
255
191 and 192
128 and 129
64 and 65
0
Opening this in other software will give me
255
175
105
46
0
2) Copy pasting the red channel to the alpha give me "converted premultiplied" value
255
191
128
64
0
255
204
149
85
0
opening this in other software will give me
255
191
128
64
0
I don't think we're the only one that needs to have straight alpha?
cheers

RGB to Grayscale make sense but shouldn't create that much noise ...
When copying from the red channel to the alpha channel, in the same file, I got those value as shown in the graphic and that's not gamma
But opening the image in any other software will be as the rgb value was. That means that editing value directly in the alpha when you need the exact value is impossible. That why we have to copy it from the red channel to the alpha channel to have the exact value

Proper workflow for youtube?

I'm new to FCP X, and video editing in general.
I created some nice videos, recorded in 1080i, and when the sequence is finished in fcpx, I have been using the following workflow:
1. Render the whole thing first (as I keep background rendering off while I work)
2. Use the "Export using Compressor Settings" in the Share menu
3. Choose the "Video Sharing, 720p" setting
4. Save it to my desktop
5. After hours of waiting...
6. I login to my YouTube account
7. Add the video, and then wait.
The problem I'm having, is the incredibly long youtube wait to upload. The file I'm using came out of FCPX/Compressor at about 750MB. It's 9 minutes long or so.
I've literally been trying for 7 hours straight to get this stupid video to finish going to youtube. It goes, stalls at, say 56%. I quit, try again later, and maybe it gets to 86%. 7 hours? It's taking me longer to get the video out for viewing by the client, then the entire time I spent shooting and editing it. Awful workflow this way.
So, I'm looking for some real-world workflow on youtube.
Should I be trying to upload a 750 MB file in the first place?
If not, how would I export it down, and keep the quality at 720p?
Am I missing steps here?

Well, the video processed, and it's now in the wrong ration, it's 4:3 as in SD.
So, quickly, which File Format would I use? I get a whole list. I just chose QuickTime movie before, and got the SD ratio.
MPEG-4? H.264 for Apple Devices?
Then I need to choose Video Compression, there are several H.264 options there as well.
I do see the bitrate slider, and can easily enter 5,000 for that.
Just a few tips would ge appreciated.
Anything I can do to streamline the creation of the proper file for youtube upload would be great.

Using Lightroom Mobile to sync photos to desktop – proper workflow?

Just wondering what people suggest as a workflow for importing photos taken on a cameraphone into a Lightroom library.
I want the photos to be saved into the same folders on my hard drive that the rest of my photos go into (Pictures > 2014 > 8 > 3 etc). Using Lightroom Mobile and syncing with the desktop app works well, but the files aren't saved inside my library, are they ...
Is there a way i can do this without physically importing them?

Hi,
it would be interesting to know exactly what you are doing here.
Does it mean that you upload the images from your Lr Desktop?
It might take a while before the sync is done.
Which version of Lr are you using?
If you compare Lr Mobile with lightroom.adobe.com - is there any difference?
Does it help to update Lr Mobile to 1.2.1?
Thanks,
Ignacio

Finding proper Workflow to terminate

Dears
how can i find the workflow instance which keeps the cpu 60% usage please any suggestion ..thank you

check this post on how to find the workflow which is causing high CPU
http://sharepointjack.com/2013/sharepoint-server-wfe-high-cpu-caused-by-workflow/
Refer post below for more details
http://sharepoint.stackexchange.com/questions/79856/sharepoint-2013-workflow-manager-1-0-causes-high-cpu-on-server
My Blog- http://www.sharepoint-journey.com|
If a post answers your question, please click Mark As Answer on that post and Vote as Helpful

Premiere Pro/After Effects -learning proper workflow?

I'm just beginning with video editing in Premiere Pro/After effects. I have used more basic apps such as iMovie and GoPro Studio. I understand the principles of post production for still images as I am a veteran photo retoucher. But as I want to produce videos with more professional productions values, my plan is to learn these Adobe apps from the ground up -and properly.
2 questions:
1 - Is it correct to assume that most video/audio editing will be performed in Premiere Pro with After Effects used primarily for special affects & enhancements beyond the scope of Premiere Pro? It seems that many features are "Shared", so I want to direct my training efforts in the most appropriate directions.
2 - Would Lynda.com be the best resource for training? I see that some of their offerings are not always for the most current versions of some apps.
There seems to be a jumbled assortment of basic training videos from Adobe. Some are intros from Lynda.com while others are from Adobe and go back to CS6.
Note to Adobe: I would like to see more complete & integrated ADOBE training materials offered for the various CC apps, which would be updated in reasonable relation to newer versions of the various CC apps. I would be willing to pay for quality training materials created by working industry pros.

1 - Is it correct to assume that most video/audio editing will be performed in Premiere Pro with After Effects used primarily for special affects & enhancements beyond the scope of Premiere Pro? It seems that many features are "Shared", so I want to direct my training efforts in the most appropriate directions.
premiere pro to edit. they have added some audio features to premiere, but if you do need more advanced audio editing, you can use adobe audition. the same can be said of premiere and after effects. they seem to keep slowly adding AE features into premiere pro, but when you need to take it beyond the basics, you then need AE. i would say AE is for visual effects, composting, advanced motion graphics & titling, and fixing video problems with a clip when you cannot in premiere. AE has some tools like the clone tool (photoshop) and rotoscope that premiere doesn't. while you can do some of the same thru different methods in premiere, its just more advanced in AE.
2 - Would Lynda.com be the best resource for training?
most of the information on lynda can be found thru others tutorials on youtube and adobe, and blog type websites etc. however, you could spend a month digging thru the random and unorganized, repetitive information on the web, or just watch a series geared specifically towards the subject you want to learn. time vs money. i have watched some lynda videos and the essentials courses for adobe products are very well done imo.

Proper workflow when using both Final Cut (Motion) & Adobe Effects

I am trying to use some Red Giant Software, and its capabilities are severely limited in Final Cut and Motion because you can not use the bezier pen to create shapes on the fly. For Final cut and motion you have to create the shape you want in illustrator 1st, and then import it as an SVG in final cut or motion. There are quite a few plugins that have this issue.
What is the best way to have all my movie editing only in FCP, but to use adobe effects in place of motion (or in addition to). My major fear is that I am continually want to be making changes to my already compressed video out of adobe effects, so when I pull it into FCP I may want to make a change further compressing in effects, and back into FCP and so on and so forth. If I save it as uncompressed video my video files would be so large then it would take years to render each time.
Any suggestions?

Your solution was definately helpful, however if you don't mind I have a few more questions.
This is the only thing that I found that would help me move FCP into AE without rendering & compressing and degrading quality.
http://www.studiodaily.com/main/training/howtutorials/f/post/Final-Cut-Adobe-CS4 -Workflow_10122.html
The problem with this is that I would never use premier to edit my video, I only want to use After effects for very specific plugins (like Trapcode 3stroke and Particular). If you look at this video it seems you would need you get the entire studio which serves no purpose as I don't want to use Encore or Premier just AE. I was hoping that I could something like the video (save it as XML format - something non-destructive), to transfer my movies between both applications.
It looks like your solution however is the best thing that I have been able to find. I also read on some posts that were labeled in October 2008 that there were some 3rd party translation software products that were supposedly going to be released in 2009. If anyone has any information about it - please let me know. If I don't find anything else I think the reference movie workaround is probably the best thing - the danger is (as another person said below), I was afraid that if I use more then 1 application to edit a reference movie that it would screw up audio & video sync or screw up the final render in some way.

Proper Arri LogC workflow?

I've searched long and hard for a proper workflow for working with Alexa LogC footage in After Effects, for delivering in LogC, but it seems there's just no workflow to be had without some kind of compromise.
Here's the two I've found so far:
1) Use the LUT generator from ARRI's website to get the proper 3D LUT, and simply use that as a guide adjustment layer above all the other footage items in your comps, so you can see what it'll look like. This is fine for some projects that don't require a linear working space for proper color blending, but is unacceptable for comping in 3d elements rendered in a linear space. If I apply the LUT to the footage, then I have no way of getting it BACK to log space for delivery! The problem is, I have no way of generating a "reverse-lut". The parameters I'd LIKE to use for a LUT are: (url option doesn't seem to be working... :/ )
Alexa, LogC, Extended TO Video, Legal WITH a color space of Rec. 709. That last bit there is the kicker. It seems there is no way to generate the reverse LUT (video, legal to logC, extended) with rec. 709. That option is just gone. So what I've been doing is just using the 1D LUT, which DOES allow me to reverse it perfectly... but the color is wrong. So this solution is far from ideal
2) Set the color profile of the footage to "Universal Camera Film Printing Density", which works OKAY, but just feels very very sloppy as the color doesn't match up to the color of the footage after run through the proper 3D LUT... which on its own wouldn't matter, but it means that any other footage I introduce isn't going to blend together correctly because it's not correctly converting to a linear work space.
Has anybody out there found a proper workflow for this? Is there any sort of "Remove LUT" utility out ther somewhere? Or better yet, is there an Arri LogC color profile I can use?

Mmmm that's what I was afraid of. What he describes as his workflow is pretty much just what I outlined in #1. This would be perfect if I was rendering out LogC from Maya... but I'm not... nobody is. Therefore by using an adjustment layer above all the other layers, you're not only converting your logc footage to video space, but you're ALSO applying that same logc->video LUT to stuff that WASN'T logC!
What I don't understand, is why isn't there a "Remove LUT" effect, that just applies an inverse lut to the footage? I mean... that SHOULD be possible right? The inverse of the curve is still a function, right? I may just have to look into doing this myself...

Workflow issue with Bridge and everything else

Short and sweet. Well, not really.
I use windows - so as a result, for some reason unknown to man (after a decade of waiting), I still cannot see "previews" of most, if not all of any adobe software in the windows dialogue boxes.
think PDF's and the registry hacks we have to do to "enable" previews. But on a mac I can?
So I have to use bridge - a lot.
Now when I have a linked image in illustrator (or whatever) and choose "reveal in bridge" it will hunt and drill down through a multitude of folders and display the image in it's native folder - which I can then open in photoshop for instance - edit it - and Illustrator will detect the change and update. Awesome.
But aside from running a script to send a batch job to a program, it really doesn't "do" anything else that one would expect a "bridge" to do;
     I cannot create a "project" portfolio that would track a client project and all it's related documents.
     Or collaborate with a team.
     I cannot have non destructive edits of a document (such as using an instance of a file like lightroom does) - or "send copy to photoshop" and have Bridge stack the results.
     I cannot combine and tag collections of documents (make a database of stuff).
     I cannot ask Bridge to tell me which documents have placed documents, or (vice versa) which documents are placed into other documents - that would be so cool.
          imagine being able to select a jpeg or psd file and have the option to "Find documents using this file"
          or looking at a "project" and having a list of all first level documents with all their subsequent "placed content" listed all drop down expandable
So my beef today is that I finally spent an hour messing about thinking I had something "wrong" and went through Bridge CS6 with a fine tooth comb trying to find out if anything had changed.
and nope - it still doesn't behave as one would think it would.
Currently, I have some documents that require monthly changes to images, which for the most part came from one photo shoot, and all have essentially the same perspective, appearance, lighting and shading, but all different products and I have a folder of "preformatted images". So monthly I really only need to update the images, and a bit of text. Being posters, InDesign whines a bit for vector art manipulation, so I stick to Illustrator for this job.
But in Illustrator, I cannot choose another image to replace my linked image - without either;
     a: (reveal in bridge), select new replacement image - place as a new image, which then needs to be manipulated as the "old" image was, "remaking" all the adjustments, and then finally deleting the original linked image.
     b: (reveal in bridge) keep bridge open on the image I need (and it's name), go back to illustrator to open the "relink" windows dialogue and "blindly" browse till I find the image I want as shown in bridge.
     c: simply relink and browse blindly to find a file you can't see a preview of and guess, or drag and drop, or all the other non practical ways to replace the image.
Option B gives the desired end result where the image I have in a clipping mask, buried in a document in a certain way, with certain effects, is simply replaced without impacting anything else.
     But this takes quite some time when there are a lot of images.
So Bridge and its promised workflow functionality still isn't living up to it's purpose exactly.
Bridge isn't bridging.
With indesign, it's the same issue - you can't "relink" by revealing in bridge, choosing a "replacement" image and "update"
Maybe a "relink with Bridge" choice in the Links menu?
and in bridge, since Illustrator triggered the request, a button appears to "Replace" - once you finish browsing and highlighting the replacement image you need, just click it and it's done.
So two issues -
Why can't previews of adobe files be shown in windows explorer (still)?
     if they did, I'd really have no use for Bridge.
Why isn't bridge actually communicating with the apps connecting to it?
- and yes, I understand that I cannot ask bridge to go find a placed file and replace it with "this" file, but when illustrator "asks" for "this", bridge should be able to "respond" and give "that" since the app initiated the request.
Bridge should be a workflow tool as advertised - it should literally be able to be a proper workflow hub for all things adobe (and be able to catalogue and track all design file type previews - corel files, cad, 3d, etc)... but as it stands it's just a glorified windows explorer without workflow options.
Bridge hasn't been altered in years, and it's still lingering around - I think - so that we can simply see thumbnails, rather than just allowing each adobe program to make "previews" windows needs.
I can change metadata in windows, I can use freeware to change it extensively.
So aside from the "open in" options and the ability to browse all adobe file types, what's the point?

I couldn't read all through your post as I am jetting out of here.
Buy this:
http://www.fastpictureviewer.com/codecs/
and install it. It's relatively cheap. Screen shot is from Windows Explorer.
Handles ID, PSD, etc., files as well. Though the preview uses greeked text for the most part for the ID files.
Take care, Mike

Transparency/Alpha Great Mystery (IMPORTED PNG Sequence)

Ok, this one is going to fall under the "I would LOVE to get an explanation of this one!" category. Just when I thought I knew everything about transparency and alpha channels, etc ...
The problem: I am importing a PNG sequence into After Effects (CS 5.5), however AE refuses to see the Alpha channel contained within the sequence. Now before anyone jumps the gun and says, "But wait, PNG does not really support alpha, it just supports transparency!" Right, something I just learned, and still -- quite honestly -- baffles the heck out of me.
But anyway, another PNG sequence exported from the exact same program, imports into After Effects just fine with an "alpha channel" and all. I double-checked, and there is NOT an option in the program to export the PNG without transparency info.
Importing sample images from each sequence reveals the EXACT SAME THING ... both have transparency, but NEITHER have an alpha-channel per se.
Sooo ...
1) ANY idea why in the heck AE would interpret one's transparency, and not the other?
2) Is there a way to FORCE AE to see the transparency of the one?
3) IF not, is there something out there that will convert the PNG's with transparency to another format (TIF, TGA, PSD) with an alpha? I just don't want to have to re-render the sequences again.
ANY insight into this bizarre-ness would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks,
Tim

Ok another follow-up with interesting results ...
1) The second sequence I have that I tried to batch in PS, did not turn out correctly. Investinging with a single frame inside PS revealed that it was not simply adding a selection to the "solid" parts, but actually sections within the solid parts. (To make it clearer, the animation is a zoom out from an open 3D book. Instead of making a selection of the book, it selected the book, and then various things contained on the book. Not sure where it was getting this selection from.
2) In AE, I simply moved those frames in the beginning where there would not be an alpha channel (or need of one) because the book is filling the entire frame. I then imported the remaining frames and it saw the alpha channel with no problem. I then just added the starting frames as a seperate sequence to the begininnig of the timeline, and wallla ... problem solved.
So I can only surmise that the 3D app did not -- oddly enough) output any alpha/transparency info for those first 60-or-so frames where the book filled the entire frame. Thus, AE -- looking at the first frame with no alpha info -- rightfully concluded that there wasn't any, and igores the transparency info.
The other PNG sequences did not start with object(s) filling the entire frame, so alpha info was written to the first frame for those. I can test this theory pretty easily. I could probably, now that I think about it, even just have created a frame 0000 with some alpha info, and then it would have worked (possibly.)
-Tim

IMovie HD 6 to Apple TV workflow plz help!

Hello all, I could really use some help here and I'm at my wits end.
I am unsuccessfully able to get Camcorder video from a sony HDR-HC3 Hi-Def 1080i (records on HDV) camcorder to look like HD camcorder footage on my Apple TV. I guess that's the simplest way of breaking it down.
I am familiar with video editing. I have all the software (and hardware- Elgato Turbo HD.264), and will buy whatever else I need to make this work, but I just can't do it.
Whatever video I export to AppleTV no matter how much I process it (in JES Deinterlaceer, iMovie 6, iMovie 09, Final Cut Pro, ad infinitum....) I CAN NOT get the resultant video to look like 'Camcorder footage' on my Apple TV.
ie...if I were to plug my camcorder directly into my TV, the interlacing, fields, whatever...makes the video look a certain 'way' (Like a camcorder plugged into a TV)...when I play back my edited footage through AppleTV it looks 'different'...like it was shot on film. The interlacing is all gone or something.
If you are familiar with the issue I am describing can you PLEASE help me with the proper workflow I need to establish to get 720p interlaced 'camcorder like' footage from my Apple TV. Or is it even possible?
Thank you so much in advance.
Brian

Ok..here are some files to help demonstrate the problem I am encountering.
access my iDisk here: https://public.me.com/testpilot58d
*RC Stuff.mov* is the footage from my camcorder in iMovie.
When I export it to HD 720p setting using turbo.264 HD, the resultant file is *RC Stuff.mp4*. This file is beautiful...perfect...crisp...looks just like my HD camcorder. It is 1280x720 progressive (Apple TV spec), avg bitrate 4,907 kbps (Apple TV spec) but it is 59.940 fps (NOT to spec) size 3.2mb
When I choose the "Apple TV" output option, I get file *RC Stuff.m4v*. It is flat, not crisp, doesn't "popp" on either my iMac or when viewed on Apple TV. It too is 1280x720 progressive, avg bitrate of 3,438 and 29.970 fps. I changed output size to 1280x720 in the Apple TV preset and it still looks flat and crappy.
So....who can get me from point A to point B? How do I need to process RC Stuff.mov to that it will LOOK like RC Stuff. mp4 but is compatible with Apple TV specs and looks as good on a HDMI LCD flat screen TV? How do I deinterlace/what field order, etc to cut the frame rate in half and still look sharp and crisp?
Thank you anyone in advance!

TGA/PSD w/Alpha proper workflow?

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