Using AVI With Alpha as a "Graphic"

plasmavideo wrote on 5/18/2005, 3:16 PM
Is there any way to use an uncompressed AVI file with an Alpha channel as a menu graphic object in DVDA 3? I can import the video and it plays just fine, but it does not "key" over the background. Still images with alpha key fine. The alpha is definitely there - I made it in Vegas and confirmed it's there by keying it over another track in Vegas after rendering.

Thanks!

Comments

bStro wrote on 5/18/2005, 3:31 PM
1. Add your AVI to the men as a graphic
2. Go to the Media tab of its Properties window
3. Select the filename there and hit the down-arrow on the right; choose Media Properties
4. Change the Alpha Channel setting to whichever one works (Straight usually works fine).

There is also an Alpha setting directly on the Media tab of the Properties window, but it controls how transparent the entire graphic is, and I do not believe it's related to the alpha channel inherent to the media file itself.

Rob
plasmavideo wrote on 5/18/2005, 3:53 PM
Thanks. I found that other alpha setting, but it just adjusts the overall transparency of the graphic. I'll look for the other setting tonight. I didn't see that anywhere in my nosing around today, and didn't see anything about it in the manual.

Thanks again.

EDIT: Oh, of course, it must work just like Vegas - should have thought of that. I'm sure I'll find some more hidden features the same way. It'll be 1AM before I get to try it!

Regards . . .
plasmavideo wrote on 5/19/2005, 11:38 AM
Hey Rob.

I found that setting and tried it - still no go, so I'm not sure if it just doesn't work for video files or not. PNG still images key fine.

I'll email tech support after I play around a bit more. It may be something simple I'm not catching. This is only my second project using DVDA.

Thanks for your help.

Tom
bStro wrote on 5/22/2005, 8:02 PM
Did you try all of the listed options -- Straight, Premultiplied, Premultiplied (dirty)? Uncompressed AVIs with alpha channel transparency created in Vegas work fine for me in DVDA using the Premultiplied setting. The other settings did not.

Rob
plasmavideo wrote on 5/23/2005, 7:43 PM
Yep - that got it!

I thought I had tried that several times, but it was 3AM when I was working on that final piece. Premultiplied was the way to go, although I didn't need that in setting in Vegas to make it key - straight alpha worked fine.

I didn't look hard enough.

Many thanks.

Tom
musicvid10 wrote on 1/13/2016, 3:30 PM
Her's a ten year old thread that saved me hours of trial and error on my menus today.
Worth a bump.
musicvid10 wrote on 1/17/2016, 3:14 PM
Here's the menu I've been working on for a bio reel.
There is a top text layer, two transparent AVI layers, a button text layer, and a solid movie screen background.

I've got the curtains AVI with alpha in DVD Widescreen size if anyone wants it. Can be easily turned back to its original red color.

Turn off "Annotations" to prevent annoying popups during playback. I don't know why Youtube thinks this is ok..


Former user wrote on 1/21/2016, 1:26 PM
Musicvid10, it looks good, but I am curious why you built this in DVDA instead of Vegas?

Just asking.
musicvid10 wrote on 1/21/2016, 5:24 PM
It's a DVD menu with buttons.
The transparent avi was built in Vegas starting with a freebie.
Former user wrote on 1/21/2016, 8:07 PM
Okay. I always build them in either Vegas or Photoshop, so was just curious.
musicvid10 wrote on 1/21/2016, 10:10 PM
I know one can use psd layers as buttons; I hadn't tried because of the highlighting limitations using an image layer rather than a DVDA text button. Is there something better, in your experience?
Former user wrote on 1/21/2016, 10:25 PM
I don't know of any highlighting limitations. I use photoshop so I can use custom shaped buttons and if I want a moving menu, I can control the encoding in Vegas, the same as with the actual program.

What highlighting limitations have you ran into?

I build the buttons, background and highlights as well as text in Photoshop. This also gives me the option to build a Bluray Menu and DVD menu using the same file, just change the resolution. And I can use the same file with some minor alterations in other DVD authoring programs such as Encore if need be.
musicvid10 wrote on 1/22/2016, 1:15 PM
Well I'll play with it. You would have to see the actual menu to see what I'm not after.

As for now, it's working as close to perfectly as I imagined.

[EDIT] Well, I can now replicate my text buttons with .psd, but I don't see any advantage sofar.
I don't know which is worse with highlight masks -- aliasing or our attempts to overcome it.