quicktime with embedded alpha movies

[cresshead]

with final cut express there's no easy way to throw a png seq or tif sequence of frames onto the timeline which you'd want to do if there was need for using the alpha channel to comp over some bg footage like creating animated lower thirds for example.

so not been a huge fan of final cut express as the only way was the make the default still image length 1 frame then you had a messy time using the clips...not like that of premiere which 'saw' the seq and just asked you if you wanted to import it...

any how....found way to make quicktime mov's with embedded alphas....i had previously read that the 'animation' codec supported alphas with in quicktme
but had tested it and no alpha came out....i now know why!

for the codec select animation
...here's the 'key' though...as i've tried 'animation' before and it didn't give any alpha
the key is to select millions+ in the number of colours..THEN it stores the alpha....
...i've been i click away for 2 years!....got a hint today from a blog post from studioartfx
website as he's just bought finalcut express and is using embedded alphas frm vue, poser and
lightwave in FC express with quicktime files!

no more need to use/have quicktime pro and make reference mov's from seq of images if i were
to use finalcut....put final cut pro back on my might buy it list or possibly speed edit...

Hmm speed edit....

SO...does speed edit support quicktime with alphas?....anyone?
and is there a demo version out yet of speed edit?

[cresshead]

also 'png' quicktime codec stores the alpha if you select million+ and looks to a be a bit small in file size too.

[cresshead]

and jpeg2000, ..basically any codec that has millions+ that you can select from a dropdown...cool!

[SBowie]

So does "None" ...

[cresshead]

Q. seeing as you a video toaster guy...am i right ot think that speed edit/video toaster will 'see' all of these alphas?

[SBowie]

Good question - I'd have to say no. Sticking to SE, which I've used more lately, I've got to think back to late last year when I tested Quicktimes, but if memory serves, "None" doesn't work, but "Anim" does. I don't think the newer ones (like JPEG2k, for example) will work, even in 1.2. (If you feel like sending me a small sample, I'll test it for you.)

[Sarford]

One big advantage of FCP (at least to me) is the ability to make a movie with a custom resolution. So a movie of 2000 * 100 is very much possible. Very handy if you use it for incorporating custom clips in flash (like me).

I don't know if speed edit can do that too.

[SBowie]

Interesting question. For some reason, the lower vertical limit for SE seems to be 120 ... so you can create a 2kX120 project, but not 2k X 100. Likely just an oversight, rather than a real limitation (since few would find reason to drop below that.)