Flash video masking technique
by Bryan Zimmerman
on
Apr 28, 2008 at 8:26:40 am
Hi gang,
This is my first post here, and your help is most appreciated.
I attended an Adobe webinar last week entitled "Thinking Outside the Box", which focused on video functionality within Flash. Towards the end of the broadcast, the instructor used a very cool technique to mask out a portion of the screen (in this case a hole in the wall), and insert the video behind it. You can see the exact method at http://www.paultrani.com/video/.
I jotted down what I thought to be simple instructions as I watched the video, but when I tried to do it later that evening it would not work correctly. Does anyone know or can anyone point me to a resource to accomplish this? I know I am missing something very simple, which is quite embarrassing, but I have reached my frustration point and need guidance.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide, and I look forward to looking through some other posts for inspiration and tips.
Re: Flash video masking technique by Bryan Zimmerman on Apr 28, 2008 at 2:32:39 pm
Hi Tony,
Thanks for the link, but I am looking to bring an image in from Photoshop that has a chalkboard in the image. I want to mask out just the chalkboard so it appears that the video is playing on the chalkboard. Am I making sense? It is so hard to describe in words.
Re: Flash video masking technique by Tony Ross on Apr 28, 2008 at 3:13:17 pm
Save out a PNG with the area you want the video in transparent. Or, if you are using CS3, and your layers already have the chalkboard set up, import the psd int Flash and select the layers you want. Make sense?
Re: Flash video masking technique by Bryan Zimmerman on Apr 28, 2008 at 3:28:49 pm
Tony,
First I would like to thank you for all of your help.
I am using Flash CS3 along with Photoshop CS3 Extended.
I have a scene with a teacher standing next to a chalkboard that I designed in Photoshop CS3. When I import into flash, it preserves the layers and gives me options for editable text, etc.
From what I understand from your post, I should make the chalkboard an editable bitmap? Is that correct or am I way off base?
Re: Flash video masking technique by William Sticht on Apr 28, 2008 at 5:20:12 pm
Bryan,
You need to "cut" out the the blackboard hole in photoshop by either adding an alpha channel via layer mask or selecting the blackboard area and deleting it from the layer. From there import into flash and put both the psd and the video file on the stage. Flash will recognize the transparency from PS. Video goes behind the psd. Reposition the video so you can see it through your blackboard hole. Voila! Get creative and have fun.
Re: Flash video masking technique by Bryan Zimmerman on Apr 28, 2008 at 6:23:49 pm
Hi William,
Thank you so much for the advice! I think between you and Tony I may be able to lick this thing. I am going to dive in now and will keep you posted on my progress.
