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Newbie question….

16 REPLIES 16
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Message 1 of 17
helgetjelta
1153 Views, 16 Replies

Newbie question….

OK, I have a red clip, using Axis as timeline fx, go into keyer, do the key, and go back again.

 

How do I check the the alpha, and how do I make a Prores 4444, with alpha ?

 

/Helge

16 REPLIES 16
Message 2 of 17
BKM
Advisor
in reply to: helgetjelta

You are going to have to do this via CFX.  
1. Open clip in a SEQ.

2. Add CFX.
3. Add Modular Keyer Node.
4. Watch Grant Kays Videos on Modular Keyer
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJMSXsdbrZ7Z-z5szvwni1xErZGKGHZjr

 

5. Once you exit the Modular Keyer your MK node has a result and matte outputs. Pipe those in the CFX result and you will create a CFXa clip. Marrying the front and alpha.
6. Exit CFX.
7. Right click on Clip and COMMITT>COMMITT CFX -- this will render and create a Matte container clip, however, it will wipe out your raw CFX effect so I suggest you make a copy of the seqence before doing the commit process.
8. Once rendered you can close the seqence and export the clip as a Prores 4444. Since it is a Matte container the alpha will be embeded.

if you want to check you key along the way you can do that by pipeingina background clip in to the Modular Keyer node or by placing a clip below the CFX clip on the timeline. You may need to add an AXIS effect to the CFXa on the timeline to activate the alpha and Key. 
From memory I think that will get you there. Let me know if you have any issues along the way.



Flame/Smoke Editor
Check out the Premiumbeat Smoke Blog
http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/category/smoke-2/
Message 3 of 17
mikeparsons
in reply to: helgetjelta

And that right there is a prime example of the sort of convoluted workflow smoke 2013 forces on people.

It really needs a gross simplification if it's handling of alpha channels - rgba (and more) is no longer an unusual case and this sort of silliness makes people run back to adobeland faster than something very fast.

Mike
All's well that ends. That's why its called finishing.
Message 4 of 17
BKM
Advisor
in reply to: mikeparsons

To a point I agree.  But he asked and I answered. If I wrote down how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich step by step it would be a 15 step process. 

But making a sandwhich and performing a key really isn't that hard.

If you would like to tell me step by step how to do it in AE, it would be equally as cumbersome.

And I get that you might want to make parts for other people to use in other software, but I would ask the larger question, why are you not just finishign this Key in Smoke. Sure there are lots of workflows and Smoke should be useful in all of them... but Smoke is and has beena finishing tool.

 


Flame/Smoke Editor
Check out the Premiumbeat Smoke Blog
http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/category/smoke-2/
Message 5 of 17
A_Over_B
in reply to: BKM

"... but Smoke is and has beena finishing tool."

 

but sadly not a sandwich maker...

& I'm all hungry now.

Message 6 of 17
mikeparsons
in reply to: helgetjelta

Actually if i gave you a step by step guide for After Effects it would be hopelessly wrong as I dont use it.

But my after effects guys routinely send me alphas on things and when I was showing them Smoke laughed a LOT.

 

Its a different beast to be sure, but its not being sold as a finishing system its being developed and marketed now as an edit solution. Ive been told directly by AD that all VFX focus is now on Flame and that Smoke wont be getting more VFX power as its focus is now firmly on editorial and product differentiation. That being the case making getting mattes out to send to a VFX system is a problem. As is not being able to put out XMLs and a whole host of other feature gaps with the other established NLEs.

 

To gloss over these inadequacies is to do Smoke's development as a capable editor a huge diservice - in an ideal world I would like to have an extended Smoke/Davinci/Flame pipe with interchange to Hiero/Nuke as a locked down workflow. I'd like to see Davinci Resolve opening Smoke timelines directly from the stone like Episode does exports and rendering back to the Smoke framestore.

 

I actually want the same things AD wants, a company where everyone cuts in Smoke and I only have to open projects and do the grading and effects, but until a lot of these 'unusual' requests like 'can i get a matte with that' get simplified people will sticj to Avid, FCP and Premiere and no matter how clever CFX is no one will care.

 

Mike

All's well that ends. That's why its called finishing.
Message 7 of 17
sandeep
in reply to: mikeparsons

its being developed and marketed now as an edit solution. Ive been told directly by AD that all VFX focus is now on Flame and that Smoke wont be getting more VFX power as its focus is now firmly on editorial and product differentiation.

 

I'm surprised at this to be honest - in all the surveys etc that have been posted online by AD, people kept asking for things like 3D Tracking, Projectors, Particles etc, I don't remember seeing anyone ask for editorial features, editorial ehhancements yes, but not editorial features. I watched the Flame demos at IBC, and while I wasn't expecting most of that tech to make it through to Smoke, I was hopeful that we'd get a 3D Tracker, Projectors, a way to access Normals inside Action and Action on the Desktop. I hope some of the above makes it to 2014, if they roll out a new multi-cam feature or something of that sort, a lot of people are going to be very disappointed.

 

Has there been any official word on the 2014 release of Smoke? Things seem to be very quiet on the Smoke front. Or does it just seem that way in comparison with last years marketing blitz?

Best,
Sandeep

------------------
FCP Hotkeys.
Message 8 of 17
helgetjelta
in reply to: mikeparsons

Hm, starting to feel that this is my worst money spend. Why did I not choose Nuke, if the "FX" stuff was all I needed. I have FCPX and DaVinci and my graphic guy uses AE for animation, so I was going to be the "King of Pop" with Smoke...

 

Not so.... I've tried different stuff over the last six month, and had to much problems... Just a bunch of silly stuff that should be easy. And all the missing stuff inside Smoke.

 

The marked dep of AD has really done a great job, getting me to my a software that is not the "one stop shop" they are marketing it as.

 

Back to the original quest, I just wanted to output some simple files for my animation guy to work with, just simple placeholders waiting for the actors to do their job. So a simple, in, key and out process should be done. Why not do this easy in Smoke.

 

FCPX can, Motion can, AE can, Nuke can ......   why not smoke ?

 

/Helge

 

Message 9 of 17
brookstomlinson
in reply to: BKM

How to key in after effects.
1. Open clip in a New comp.
2. Add Keylight to clip.
3. Watch video copilot keying tutorial.
4. Once you have a key, hit cntr command m to make movie, and render.
5. Select desired codec and make sure you choose rgb plus alpha.
6. Click render.
7. Your render is done.
8. Grab a beer

That's how you key in after effects. For me personally I have been able to pull better keys quicker in smoke than after effects. The stock tools (included in smoke) is just by and large more robust for keying than after effects stock tools.

I currently just always end up in smoke, but that might change real soon. I have a shinny new bmcc mtf, and a speed booster. Premiere is promising me a raw cinema dng workflow with davinci round tripping. Or heck, finish in davinci. But currently it's all talk. So we will see.
Message 10 of 17
BKM
Advisor
in reply to: brookstomlinson

Ok.. now who can tell me how to make a Peanut butter and Jelly sandwhich?

 


Flame/Smoke Editor
Check out the Premiumbeat Smoke Blog
http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/category/smoke-2/
Message 11 of 17
A_Over_B
in reply to: BKM

First off,
Compost -you can't grow good berries for jam/jelly making without good compost.
Oh I forgot, location! Can't grow peanuts in the arctic.
Hmmmm.
Message 12 of 17
Robert.Adam
in reply to: BKM


@BKM wrote:

Ok.. now who can tell me how to make a Peanut butter and Jelly sandwhich?

 


I'll talk to Grant about posting a tutorial to the Learning Channel 🙂

 

Cheers,

Robert.



Robert Adam
Program Manager

Message 13 of 17
Grant.Kay
in reply to: Robert.Adam

hmmm...

 

That would be one of the trickiest tutorials I would ever have to make.

 

So many choices and varieties of bread... oh where do I start??   Brown, white or custom?

 

Would you like smooth peanut butter or chunky peanut butter?

 

What kind of Jam do you need?  does it need to be made from scratch or a preset in a jar?

 

And than there is the question of log or lin sandwich making...

 

I think we need to forward a feature request to the DEV team 🙂

 

Regards

Grant

 

The Sandwich Making Learning Channel....

(no doubt you'll find one on YouTube 🙂

 

 

 


Grant Kay
Principal Learning Content Developer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Official Autodesk Flame Learning Channel
http://www.youtube.com/flamehowtos

The Official Autodesk Smoke Learning Channel
http://www.youtube.com/smokehowtos

Also available as podcasts on iTunes

Follow me on twitter @discreetuk for the latest training updates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message 14 of 17
brookstomlinson
in reply to: Grant.Kay

naw grant it's easy.  Just buy the peanut butter and jelly that come in one jar.  drop some crouton's and your good.  done!

 

(got to love BRIAN REGAN!)

Message 15 of 17

Just checking, are you using the FCP shortcuts? There isnt a defined PB shortcut bnut you could define your own in the shortcut editor.

 

Note that Crunch PB is a Flame only option.

All's well that ends. That's why its called finishing.
Message 16 of 17
RaphaelGóes
in reply to: helgetjelta

Just to increase the menu

 

Do things in Smac 2013 is more like feijoada (Brazilian dish), a very delicious dish, but has about 30 ingredients, the preparation is a mess, have 3 side dishes and takes at least about 10 hours to cook.

 

For the curious here's the recipe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada

 

Caution: It is a very heavy dish, do not eat it late at night, can cause severe indigestion. Smiley Happy

regards,
____________________________________________________________________________

Raphael Góes
Art Director / Freelancer

http://www.facebook.com/raphael.goes.52
Message 17 of 17
Robert.Adam
in reply to: RaphaelGóes

Hi all.

 

I marked Brian's first reply as the "Accepted Solution" to prevent this thread from automatically turning into a support case.

 

 

Otherwise, I would have had a tough time trying to explain to my managers why there's a support ticket about making PB & J sandwiches in our queue 🙂

 

 

Cheers,

Robert.



Robert Adam
Program Manager

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