3d into footage

Alrighty, i got my model animated and set how i like, now all i need to do is put it on my footage? how do i set background transparancy for avi files so i can put it over my footage?

 

When you export your animation make the backdrop either croma blue or green (or any solid color that doesn't appear in your footage). Using something like Premeire or AE import your animated footage and composite.

 

Ok, thats what i used to do, i wasnt sure if it was "the way" to do it..

 

Well the best thing to use is alpha channels. I use alpha channels and it works great.

 

As ObiJuan mentioned, use alpha channels. It's not the best way but basically the only way (besides z-depth maps that can help). Aboslutely never, ever use a solid color background to "key out". Not only will the results will be inferiror but defeats the whole purpose of correclty compositing with alpha channels.

Second don't ernder to AVI (they don't have alpha channels). Render to frames with an image file format that preserves the alpha chanel, like TGA or TIFF (never use JPEGs) or render the image to a format you like and render the alpha channels separately.

 

I personally prefer rendering to a TGA sequence. Most video editing can recognize the TGA files as a full movie sequence, and if your computer crashes while rendering, you can start the render from the last frame you did, instead of starting all over again.

And TGA does allow for Alpha Channels.

 

how do you do an alpha channel? do you know any tutorials to help me do that. i've been using the chroma key method and i get green around the edges. will alpha channeling fix that?

 

Yes, it will. All you need to do is render your video as a series of alpha channel-compatible image files, like .tga. IIRC, .tif and .png work too.

 

Ok mate this is what i do

im not saying its the best way but its as good way

save your movie as a "mov" file and when it asks for the video encoder select animation render it plunk it into adobe after effects

 

You can use any file format as long as it allows 32 bit images in the video. 8 for each of the three RGB channels and 8 for the alpha channel.

Most compressed formats do not allow for this. The two best options are uncompressed .avi and .mov with the animation codec.

Depending on what software you are using, usually you are able to select a format (which is just the file extension or shell that will carry the info) then in an options or codec/compressor menu select what compressor will be used to store the info. If you selct .mov choose animation (there may be more options that support 32 bits but I don't know of them) if you use .avi choose to have no compression or uncompressed. I've found no difference between the two really, just depends on what software I'm using and the platform and delivery.