Comments

Laurence wrote on 4/24/2009, 11:30 AM
You have to do it uncompressed or with a codec that has an Alpha layer like the very expensive Cineform Neo 4k.

Another thing you might try is to render your animation with a generated pure green background that keys out easily with the stock Sony Chroma Key filter.
otter wrote on 4/24/2009, 11:58 AM
Thanks! I'll give that a try.
Former user wrote on 4/24/2009, 12:35 PM
You can also render it to a QT codec like the Animation codec. It supports Alpha and is not as big a file as uncompressed.

Dave T2
TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/24/2009, 1:29 PM
rendering to individual png's saves alpha. Rendering to uncompressed AVI saves alpha. Rendering to QT with PNG codec can save alpha.

Lots of alpha options! (I'd recommend the QT-PNG way, smaller & faster then the others)
HinaB wrote on 4/24/2009, 2:13 PM
How do you render to individual png's .... I can't locate that option under render as?

Cheers

Graham
saintom wrote on 4/24/2009, 3:17 PM
How do you render to individual png's

I happen to be doing that right now.

In the video preview screen, click on the floppy icon. you can save as a png or jpeg

Tom
Laurence wrote on 4/24/2009, 3:17 PM
Step me through the QT-PNG way. That sounds like it would be perfect for animations.
rmack350 wrote on 4/24/2009, 3:28 PM
There is no option to render a PNG sequence, but there's a script included that will save PNG grabs from the preview window (with PAR cooked in, unfortunately). Also, Debugmode's frameserver can do it without cooking a PAR into the images (It exports at actual pixels)

Vegas 9 looks like it'll finally have a proper image sequence export feature.

<edit> And Saintom rightly points out how to save PNG one at a time, which is nice and quick if you only need one (but the PAR is cooked in, and possibly your preview window quality settings too). You can also copy a preview frame to the clipboard. This at least ignores your projects PAR and can give you actual pixels if that's what you want.</edit>

Rob Mack
TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/24/2009, 3:34 PM
Yeah, when you're rendering stills be sure to know what the project PAR is, that's what the images need to be set at when you bring them back IN to vegas.

QT with PNG support:
*render as
*change to Quick Time
*
rmack350 wrote on 4/24/2009, 3:40 PM
Sometimes when you export an image sequence you don't want the PAR cooked in. There are ways to defeat it in Vegas but you have to jump through hoops Hopefully the new Image Sequence render feature gives you good options.

Rob
TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/24/2009, 3:40 PM
Yeah, when you're rendering stills be sure to know what the project PAR is, that's what the images need to be set at when you bring them back IN to vegas. Once you get used to it it's a no brainer, but if you're not thinking it can cause you to pull your hair out. :D One way it renders out the frames with the pixel count adjusted to the project AR, the other way it rendering out the image at 1.0 PAR but the project resolution.

QT with PNG support:
*render as
*change to Quick Time
*click "custom" button
*video tab
*change "video format" to png
*slide quality slider to "high" (100%, not sure why these always default to mid way)
*make sure the project properties match the video rendering properties (frame size, FPS, AR, etc)
*save your template or hit "ok" if you don't want to save
*render your file

To check the alpha, put on your vegas time line. Right click, properties. Media tab, then change "alpha properties" to something besides "none".

boom, uncompressed quality WITH alpha channel at a fraction of the size of TGA's & uncompressed AVI.
richard-courtney wrote on 4/24/2009, 3:46 PM
FYI:

QT uncompressed is perhaps the best method of all.

Individual PNG files would not have audio, if that was important.

AVI files can be huge.