render transparent lower third graphic?

L8R wrote on 1/28/2012, 6:52 PM

I know how to take a graphic and make it a transparent alpha through the properties. (straight - unmatted)
What I want to do is create some transparent lower third graphics to use with.... yes I know... avid, when I go to work.

I'd rather do these things with Vegas.
I can't figure out how to render the lower third so that I can import it in Avid as an alpha Matte Key - transparent lower third.
I want to be able to use this graphic as a name key on different productions.
Can anyone help?
BTW - I am using Vegas 10.
Avid Media composer 5.5

Comments

Opampman wrote on 1/28/2012, 9:07 PM

Perhaps the Avid DNxHD codec.

Jent

Former user wrote on 1/28/2012, 9:13 PM

You could render it with an alpha and make it transparent in Avid.

Are you asking how to render with an alpha or how to render transparent?

Dave T2

MUTTLEY wrote on 1/28/2012, 9:13 PM

Been awhile since I've done something like that and perhaps someone knows a better way but if I recall I rendered to AVI but change the settings from Sony YUV Codec to "Uncompressed" and on the the bottom you then have the choice to tick on or off "Render alpha channel (uncompressed video formats only)

As you mentioned, when I would bring it back into Vegas you change the Alpha channel on that avi to Straight Unmatted.

Suggest you try doing a small clip to test this as it was a really really long time ago =)

- Ray
Underground Planet

L8R wrote on 1/28/2012, 11:12 PM

Dave what I want is a semi transparent lower third graphic that I can impose over footage in Avid.

L8R wrote on 1/28/2012, 11:12 PM

Ok thanks again people.
I will try this out.

L8R wrote on 1/28/2012, 11:20 PM

It worked. I knew I could once again count on the sony forum for help.
You guys rock.

L8R wrote on 3/21/2012, 4:59 PM

I'm still having trouble with this.
If I bring in a psd lower third graphic.
change fottage to straight unmatted....
do some fades etc.
Render to avi Uncompressed. (with check box -with alpha layer)

after render when I bring it into AVID it comes up black. It shows it has an alpha layer but it's black, no matter what I do in AVID.

Does it matter in Vegas if there are blank video tracks above or below the graphic?
Do I need to have my project in 32 bit?
Why won't this work?

Please - someone... help! I would love to use vegas as much as possible as I can't stand avid. But I have to use avid at work.

When I bring it back into Vegas and choose straight unmatted, the graphic is there exactly what I want, but not in AVID

Rory Cooper wrote on 3/22/2012, 10:04 AM

In Avid On the import window click on options for alpha choose invert.

Laurence wrote on 3/22/2012, 10:14 AM

I use QuickTime PNG .mov format for this sort of thing. It does the alpha layer and the PNG compression is lossless and very effective with simple graphics like lower thirds.

L8R wrote on 3/22/2012, 10:36 AM

Hey Rory,
Yeah I've tried that... nothing..

L8R wrote on 3/22/2012, 10:36 AM

Ok Laurence. I'll try that.
Do I set my media properties to strait Unmatted or pre-multiplied ?

Byron K wrote on 3/22/2012, 9:43 PM

Another option similar to Laurence's suggestion is, render out to .png sequences w/ alpha when I work w/ lower 3rd graphics from Particle Illusion.

The only problem is a Vegas bug where the image sequence disapears and will not render if it's resized AND time compressed. But since you're using AVID this should not be an issue.

Seems to work well.

Rory Cooper wrote on 3/23/2012, 3:29 AM

This might sound weird I suspect you might have an issue with the psd artwork Mac generated right.

In photoshop save the psd as a png = check not tiff = mode RGB.

Render out sequence and it should B ok.

Paul Masters wrote on 8/9/2012, 10:09 AM

Hello:

From these posts and others, I gather it is not possible to render an m2v file with transparent background?

I am trying to do an overlay in a BD project with a mostly transparent secondary video (PIP). The authoring product (DoStudio recently acquired by Sony) requires the video to be in BD compliant format. So, AVI or other codecs can't be used.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Paul Masters

videoITguy wrote on 8/9/2012, 4:31 PM

You are creating a Blu-ray Project with DoStudio? ? Not familiar with the interface and requirements of DoStudio.

When you say "compliant" required - I have to ask myself what that is referring to? I think you are reading into that "codec" - but that might not be what compliant as an imprecise term means in this context.

DoStudio requires AFAIK other components installed to create author and produce - some even use DVDArchPro as part of the process...so again don't know what you are attempting to do.

In DVD ArchPro you can import video streams .m2v or Sony MXF containers for best results. Neither supports transparency. DVDArchPro creates transparency with media asset objects such as buttons through it's own code.

You can create .avi uncompressed alpha channel enabled and import into DVDArchPro - but the transparency channel is stripped in the process.

Paul Masters wrote on 8/10/2012, 10:27 AM

Thanks for the reply.

DSA is a BD authoring product. It does require that the assets (video / audio) be in the codec acceptable to BD (along with aspect and size). It will not rerender as DVDA does. BD spec. bit rate and other requirements are, of course a factor. No other product is required. If you want to burn a BDR or RE, needless to say, you need a BD writer. Total Media Theatere 5 will playback from a folder - others may as well.

I use Vegas to render to AVC, m2v, AC3 and LPCM uncompressed stereo and 5.1 channel (both multi track and embedded). All work with DSA and are BD compliant.

I want to have a secondary video (PIP) with transparent background. Vegas will do that with AVI uncompressed, but AVI is not a BD allowed codec. I don't know if transparency will work with PIP, but as I have no way to created a clip, I have no way to find out.

As with DVDA, you can use PhotoShop to create menus. They can have transparency.

Thanks.

Paul Masters

PS: DVDA will rerender from other codecs that are not DVD complient - to a flavor of MPEG2 I believe. I have not allowed it to do that as the double render, if nothing else, takes 'double' the time, and depending on what you start with can degrade the image.

Using DVDA with DSA does not follow. They both 'create' BD disc. DSA can create BDJ but as far as I know DVDA only creates HDMV which does not use JAVA. I thnk of HDMV as DVD on BD. The menu structure is very simuler and the 'commands' are almost the same. (FWIW... DSA can create HDMV disc as well with an upgrade to the EX version .)