Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel)
by David Lewis
on
May 30, 2008 at 12:52:09 am
Greetings all -
I stay busy - so I'm not one for relentless posting. However, this forum was instrumental for me to figure out how to create that cool website trick where a person walks onto the website, so I want to let you know how I got it done. In other words, how to take video footage shot in front of a blue/green chromakey screen, apply the Vegas chromakey filter to create the mask, and export (render as) a file that can be converted into Flash with the Alpha channel intact.
Once you have your footage and chromakey set up in Vegas, render the clip using the mov (QT6) file format. My "Project Properties" rendering mode is set to best. Over in the "Render As" I selected "mov," and selected the "3mbs" template. Once again, confirmed the project quality as "Best" and moved over to the video tab. I set the "Field Order" to "None," since it is meant for web delivery. I set the "Video Format" to "Animation." This allowed me to select "32bpp color" as the "Compressed Depth." (A trick I learned here. As I understand it, moving the compressed depth up from 24 to 32 allows the file to carry the alpha channel info, which requires the additional 8 bits.)
I wish to roundly endorse Moyea Flash Video MX Pro as a solid tool for converting video files to flv and/or swf files. (It's bargain priced at $70.) It handles all my Flash video conversions GREAT! To be able to render an flv file with alpha channel info you need to hunt down and install the VP6.4.2 codec.
After this process I was able to load the flv file into my Flash creation software (I use SwishMax 2) and VOILA! Seamless integration of chromakey video into the Flash format. Woo-Hoo!
Best regards to all -
David Lewis
www.lewisproduction.com
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by Rick Wise on May 31, 2008 at 12:36:31 am
Thanks, David. I use FlixPro 8 and am thoroughly pissed off at On2 for their one-computer policy. On2, which charges about $250 per license, will not let you install their Flash converter on two of your computers. I'm going to try Moyea and if it works as well as Flix Pro, use it on my laptop.
By the way, if you buy directly from Moyea they want $99 for the program, but it's $69 elsewhere.
Rick Wise
director of photography
Oakland, CA
www.RickWiseDP.com
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by Ron Shook on Jun 2, 2008 at 5:20:32 pm
Rick,
[Rick Wise]"I use FlixPro 8 and am thoroughly pissed off at On2 for their one-computer policy. On2, which charges about $250 per license, will not let you install their Flash converter on two of your computers. I'm going to try Moyea and if it works as well as Flix Pro, use it on my laptop."
By all means give us a report on this Moyea. I'm very curious.
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by Allen Zagel on Jun 2, 2008 at 5:57:41 pm
Heya
I've used Moyea Flash Video MX Pro ever since it came out. I know the developers. They're in China believe it or not. The program works just great. I'd be lost without it for many uses.
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by Ron Shook on Jun 2, 2008 at 6:25:04 pm
Allen,
[Allen Zagel]"I've used Moyea Flash Video MX Pro ever since it came out. I know the developers. They're in China believe it or not. The program works just great. I'd be lost without it for many uses."
So just what is it? A reverse engineered version of the On2 Flix Flash 8 codec? Does it appear to have equal quality and can it be used in most instances where the Flix codec can be used?
I'm a little unclear as to exactly what this software is. Does it do 2 pass encoding like Flix Pro?
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by Allen Zagel on Jun 2, 2008 at 7:36:58 pm
ha ha ha
I've already helped them correct it many times before but they must have someone doing the website who persists in spelling and English grammer his/her own way.
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by Ron Shook on Jun 2, 2008 at 9:30:01 pm
Allen,
[Allen Zagel]"I've already helped them correct it many times before but they must have someone doing the website who persists in spelling and English grammer his/her own way."
Blimey! A very unwise methodology if they want to sell to English speakers. Should I drop 'em an e-mail and suggest that it's not particularly good and profitable to have their English language website read like a clumsy Nigerian e-mail scam. Do you want the editing job?
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by Kevin Gill on Sep 15, 2008 at 3:59:25 am
I recently downloaded the new trial of Sony Vegas 9.0.
Here is my issue, I want to create a transparent video myself walking across my web site text and images. Its a short clip, only 15 seconds.
I took the video and Chroma keyed out the green screen, and tried to make it transparent. I applied on the second event a transparent png file and also tried to use the alpha mask.
Thanks to David Lewis of this forumn I am able to make it a alpha chanel in Sony Vegas as per his post.
I know the chroma effect worked because I can put an picture on the event below my chroma key overlay and it looks like I am in front of the picture.
Next I put the transparent png back on the event below my keyed out video overlay and rendered it as Quicktime Mov, uncompressed 32 bit etc.
Then I used another program Rad Tools and took the rendered file and converted it to an AVI. Then I took another program called AVS4U and converted it to an SWF file.
Withe basic html code and the traqnsparent mode code i was able to get the swf file on my web site but the background is all black and not trqansparent.
Also because my Host is Microsoft Office Live they wont allow any executable files to be uploaded so I guess I have to make it a stand alone swf or some see through video frame. I know that I cant use any FLV files, they never load because it appears the java script run has and executable and Office live wont allow it. I can only use swf files. Please help. Thanks, Kevin Gill.
Re: Vegas to Flash with Solid Chromakey (Alpha Channel) by David Lewis on Sep 15, 2008 at 2:42:44 pm
Then I used another program Rad Tools and took the rendered file and converted it to an AVI. Then I took another program called AVS4U and converted it to an SWF file.
This is why it doesn't work. You must go from the 32-bit uncompressed MOV directly into a flash rendering program that supports alpha channel.
Best,
David
BTW - I still use Moyea's Flash Video MX Pro - A robust, stable, versatile and dependable program. As they say on their website: "With these enhanced functions, this program is to be the best and the must choice for worldwide users." Amen, y'all - I couldn't say it better myself.
