Comments

BillyBoy wrote on 6/16/2004, 8:31 AM
You can't change the actual image but you can mask parts you don't want so only shapes remain.

1. create another video track above your main video track
2. copy the video from main track and align exactly
3. drop the cookie cutter filter on top drag
4. Use its tools to block out what you don't want

The result can be circles, ovals, etc..

The downside is the "frame" is still going show so for what you want to do... have a oval and only a oval its far easier to do in a program like Photoshop. You can start by capturing any frame from you vid using the Vegas screen capture wiill give you a image to work with, then use Photoshop's tools or a similar program to make what's outside of the oval transparent.

So you'd get something like in my tutorial #15. Play the vid, its the last third.
jdas wrote on 6/16/2004, 9:18 AM
Thanks Billy . I have photoshop elements 2 ...not sure if this program can make the frame transparent. Anyway, I'll go thro' your tutorial first. Thanks again.
BillyBoy wrote on 6/16/2004, 10:02 AM
Maybe someone else can confirm it, since I have the full version of Photoshop I don't know. If Elements supports layers then once you make a oval or whatever you want to include in a cover design placing the various images that's going to make up your cover design on differnt layers then moving them around as you want then once happy just merging the visible or flatening should give you a single picture for your design.
DavidMcKnight wrote on 6/16/2004, 10:19 AM
If Elements doesn't do it, you could get the trial of Paint Shop Pro from download.com and use that.
jdas wrote on 6/19/2004, 8:14 PM
I now have Photoshop.

With Billy's help I managed to mask out the background leaving only the newly weds in the still photo using a oval shape. This was done in Vegas. Now I need to completely erase the background so that only the couple show in the oval shape when printed on a dvd cover.

I have read photoshop's manual but still have no clue how to get the above done. Hoping Billy,Jhonny Roy or anyone will offer a step by step way to achieve this in Photoshop.

Thank you in advance !

james

BillyBoy wrote on 6/19/2004, 8:36 PM
Many ways to approach it. Photoshop has a color range tool under Select on the main menu bar. If what you want to remove from the oval is all pretty much a solid color that's a fairly easy way. You can change the fuzziness slider to adjust how much is removed, then select inverse which selects what you don't want to remove. Copy that to a new file, then use the eraer tool to wipe out the background oval color then paste the couple back in. The idea is you'd have a transparent backgound, so whatever you wanted to bleed through would.

Or... use the Magnetic laso tool to draw around the couple and cut them out that way. There's about a dozen other ways.

Tell you what... since I talked you into trying Photoshop, send me the file and I'll do it and send it back to you then I'll explain how I done it.

send here: wvg@wideopenwest.com
jdas wrote on 6/19/2004, 9:20 PM
Billy, hope you got my file.

One question. Can I achieve the final result just with Photoshop i.e. without first preparing the mask in Vegas ?

james
BillyBoy wrote on 6/20/2004, 1:12 PM
Got it done, trying to send it back but my email server is acting up. Will keep trying.
jdas wrote on 6/20/2004, 7:14 PM
Got it Bill. Will start working on it this evening .

Many thanks. Have a great day !


james