Getting ALPHA Channel to work

Dav_Grove wrote on 9/19/2018, 3:09 PM

I am trying to create a simple graphic shape ie just a square blue rectangle. So that when I add it on video track 2. I want to see the video image on track 1 with just the blue rectangle also included on the output video. I have read that you can initially create a graphic with many popular drawing tools making sure that it is the same size as the project in Movie Studio (1920 x1080) and then save of as a xxxxx.png file format. So my graphic is a blue rectangle on a white background. I know somehow this graphic must contain an ALPHA channel so it will not show any white colour when on the output video so you would just see the blue rectangle with the white being transparent. However I cannot seem to get the ALPHA channel to work. When I look at the Properties info it says there in an ALPHA channel set to Premultiplied the Background colour is Black. The Media Background Colour shows ALPHA 0.0 and all the other values at 0.0

 I have tried the other ALPHA settings but with no luck.

Any Ideas please???

Comments

Marco. wrote on 9/19/2018, 3:12 PM

Overlaying images/videos must be on the upper track, background images/videos on the lower track(s).

Dav_Grove wrote on 9/19/2018, 3:49 PM 
That makes no difference. I have done it like that with no success. The attached image shows the Movie Studio TEXT works but the one I made next to it does not

 

 

 

Former user wrote on 9/19/2018, 4:03 PM

A graphic that simple you could just use a mask or wipe. But the alpha has to be created in your image software. Normally you don't put white where you don't want anything.

 

Marco. wrote on 9/19/2018, 4:06 PM

In that screenshot you're showing above that image either has no alpha channel or the whole frame of the alpha channel is covered by at least one of the RGB channels. As david-tu pointed you need to set your alpha channel and the area with reduced or zero opacity when you create the image. Otherway you need to apply keying in Vegas Pro (which isn't the way you usually use such grafics).

Dav_Grove wrote on 9/19/2018, 4:25 PM

Thanks for your patience guys, I have used a very simple graphic as an example. What have I missed?

 

 

Marco. wrote on 9/19/2018, 4:40 PM

You missed that there is both no alpha channel and no transparent area in that grafic (in your grafic there is nothing but white and blue and it is 24 bit total whereas it would be 32 bit if it would have an alpha channel). If there is no transparency, how would Vegas handle this (without further keying)?

Former user wrote on 9/19/2018, 4:55 PM

How are you creating the graphic?

 

Dav_Grove wrote on 9/19/2018, 5:27 PM

I have tried a couple of drawing tools to create a .png file. The closest I have come to is using Turbocad as you save it off as a png file there does seem to be some options about setting the background transparency. I have been playing around with this

Dav_Grove wrote on 9/19/2018, 5:48 PM

It is clear I am having difficulties understanding how to set an Alpha channel and being able to set a background as transparent

Marco. wrote on 9/19/2018, 5:52 PM

Download, unzip and try -> this PNG example. You'll see you don't need to do anything in Vegas Pro but to place it into an upper track.

Former user wrote on 9/19/2018, 6:23 PM

Turbocad is not a graphic program so it wouldn't do an alpha.

Dav_Grove wrote on 9/19/2018, 6:25 PM

Many thanks for the PNG example it has become clear how to set this layer in the drawing tool, done an example of my own that works