Codecs with Alpha Channel

[MatthewH]

Thanks, Vanakaru. PNG movie it is.

[raha]

for animation, i think it works if you render as Photo-JPEG and then use an alpha channel in Isadora.....

....right? 

[mark]

Dear Raha,

The photo-jpeg codec has no "built-in" alpha channel -- in other words, the alpha cannot be encoded into the movie as it can with the PNG+ and Animation codecs. You can however create add alpha information to a video stream coming from a Photo JPEG movie by using the "Add Alpha Channel" actor. But this usually only helpful if you intend to add a fixed mask. If you want to have your image use a "traveling mask" (i.e., where the mask is moving in sync with the main image) then you need to use the codecs described by vanakaru.

Best Wishes,

Mark

[raha]

Hi Mark

i haven't gotten into traveling masks....so that method works for me...

regarding Vanakuru's comment "Animation with alpha is out of the question" -- is this true? there's no codec that allows for animation to retain transparency? 

[Michel]

I think vanakaru meant is, its out of question because of its heavy cpu load. Animation does support alpha channel.

Best,
Michel

[CitizenJoe]

Does anyone know if there's a "best" option for Windows?

Cheers,

Hugh

[DusX]

I would suggest testing the DXV codec on Windows.. It seems that the free version should support alpha.
http://resolume.com/software/dxv.php

[vanakaru]

@Dusx as much I know the alpha is supported ONLY through Resolume the same as better performance.

[DusX]

OK< just did a quicktest and I have a DXV quicktime running in Izzy with alpha.
Just select 'preserve transparency' in the quicktime codec settings during export.
I have a test file that is 10 seconds 30fps 640x480 @ 17.6 mb
Seems to run smooth for me, once I set izzies framerate to match the video.

[DusX]

PS: note Izzy can't be YUV mode

[vanakaru]

@Dusx Great.

[vanakaru]

I tried DXV again(after some years+downloaded the latest codec) and indeed it works very well. I have seen reports of better performance that with PNG+. Even the file is smaller that PNG+.

When exporting from AE you need to choose RGB+Alpha and then Millions of Color+ along in codec settings to preserve alpha. 

[DusX]

Glad its working for you.. seems like the best alpha option right now.