Images from VV4 Drastically different from VV3

Mandy wrote on 6/13/2003, 1:15 AM
Images captured from timeline of Vegas

png or jpg

The images have a checkered pattern (which is the checkerboard background in Photoshop) If I add a black layer underneath it gets rid of the transpanency. Why is VV4 spitting out semi transparent images or degraded images?

VV3 same frame is perfect when rendered to jpg or png!!!

Comments

Grazie wrote on 6/13/2003, 2:53 AM
Are you saying you captured directly from V4 Time Line and then put it back up on the T/L? OR are you going into PS, openning up the captured still and then impoting back into V4?

Bottom line here - as far as my limited experience has shown me - when I capture directly from the T/L and put the still back up on the T/L - no transparency. No Chequer Board background - hmmm... interesting. In a way a "feature" I'd really like to explore. I don't need to put up a background to make the background "opaque" - yeah?

Maybe others will have a view to this one.

I do know I can preserve a transparent background if I go via my graphics package, PsP, choose a colour or crop and make the "removed" part transparent. And then need to save as a jpg or png adn save the "transperancy" of the still.

Somehow you've been able to select a colour in the captured V4 still, and make that the transparent part. - I'll go and ponder too!

Very interested in this,

Regards,

Grazie
Mandy wrote on 6/13/2003, 3:02 AM
Thanks for the feedback , please read the updated post. VV4 is rendering the images worse than VV3.
Tom Pauncz wrote on 6/13/2003, 7:51 AM
Internal preferences? How do you get at those?
Thanks
SonyEPM wrote on 6/13/2003, 10:35 AM
fyi .png will save the alpha channel, .jpeg will not.
rmack350 wrote on 6/13/2003, 11:56 AM
Yep, transparency in jpeg is impossible.

I had a similar experience in photoshop with PNG files saved from Media100 on a Mac. I think it had to do with Quicktime-not M100.

I don't remember what the solution was (I knew a lot less then and I'm using Vegas to grab stills now-without incident BTW). If I were to guess, I'd say that you need to go to the Photoshop Layers palette and set the opacity level to 100%.

The quick way is to hit numpad-0 in photoshop.

V4 doesn't save my PNG files with the Opacity down. Maybe Vegas uses an existing PNG library on the PC? Or maybe Quicktime replaces the library? My V4 was installed after QT. Maybe that's a factor?

Rob Mack
Mandy wrote on 6/13/2003, 4:06 PM
"Change "JPEG save quality" to 100 in internal preferences."

How, where?
zcus wrote on 6/13/2003, 5:48 PM
It could be that you have "Multiply" selected in the dropdown compositing mode?? or your track level is not 100%
Mandy wrote on 6/13/2003, 11:27 PM
Sorry Ive got that covered.

"Change "JPEG save quality" to 100 in internal preferences."

How, where?
rmack350 wrote on 6/14/2003, 2:24 AM
Welllll,

I'm not finding it in the normal prefs but if you hold down shift while opening prefs you can create all sorts of trouble for yourself.

Jpeg save quality is down near the bottom of the list under the "Internal" tab.

BUT. You say you see the checkerboard in Photoshop? THERE IS NO TRANSPARENCY IN JPEG FILES. None. Never ever. Look for the opacity setting in the layers palette in Photoshop. Just hitting numpad 0 in photoshop should set the current layer opacity to 100%

(Time passes...)

OOOPS! I just found a way to get a semitransparent PNG file exported out of vegas. Nudge your track opacity down a few clicks to 98% or so and then save a png. Viola! A slightly transparent PNG image with checks showing in Photoshop!

(More time passes...)

The png file I just saved with track at 98% also shows checks in the Vegas trimmer. But I don't see it in the preview window. None of this is a surprise, really.

I can't get a jpeg file to do this but I'm not surprised because jpeg has no alpha and can't be transparent on it's own.

Rob Mack



jetdv wrote on 6/14/2003, 7:48 AM
I use transparent PNGs created from Vegas all the time to place lower thirds on top of my video. I created the lower third separately using generated media and track motion, took a snapshot of one of those frames, and can now overlay that over video.
rmack350 wrote on 6/16/2003, 1:52 PM
Generally, I'd say that the PNG save function is fine. However, on frames with a lot of detail, like a motherboard, the image loses a lot of its detail.

This is because the PNG and JPEG saves are interpolated to 654x480. Some data is thrown away. If all I want is to use the stills in Vegas I find I'm much better off saving to clipboard and then making a PSD file at 720x480. I have vegas set to always treat psd files as 0.9091 PAR. No blurring and mushing of all the little pinholes in a CPU socket this way.

On the other hand, PNG saves can give you transparency automatically. No extra steps.

Rob Mack
Mandy wrote on 6/16/2003, 3:21 PM
"I have vegas set to always treat psd files as 0.9091 PAR"

hOW DO YOU MAKE THAT SETTING
rmack350 wrote on 6/16/2003, 3:56 PM
That is another little hidden thing. It's explained in the manual (in passing, I think).

Go to media pool
Right-click on the media file you want. (Let's use a PSD file)
Set the PAR to 0.9091
"MouseOver" the diskette icon next to the "Stream" listbox. Read the tooltip.
Click the diskette icon.

Now, ALL PSD files will ALWAYS be treated as if they're 0.9091 PAR.

Rob Mack