This is a short tutorial on how to use the new Sorenson Squeeze 4.2 beta to create VP6 FLV files with alpha channels.
Step 1) Mask out your source video using After Effects or other similar application. For this example I did a very rough mask job of a statue that I shot in Las Vegas.
Step 2) Add some feathering to your finished mask so you can sample the 8-bit alpha channel support in Flash 8.
Step 3) Export your video from After Effects and be sure to embed the alpha data. I chose to export as an AVI file.
Step 4) In Sorenson, create a new FLV preset and select the On2 VP6 codec.
Step 5) Check off the “Compress alpha channel” checkbox.
Step 6) I then placed this FLV file over some regular Flash content using the standard NetConnection/NetStream method. Then I published this SWF as a Flash 8 file. See the results below!
And just for fun, here is the same FLV with it’s blend mode set to difference!
I love Flash 8!
Lee
Dear friend
I think that it´s fine, but the idea is use ALpha channel with video and motion characters or actors, the mask that you are using is only for static objectcs, may be you can try with motion actors with blue background,
im waiting from macromedia the information abour it.
Best regards
Fredy
Yes this was just showing how to export and encode the new FLV files. The mask I did was quick and nasty.
yes it’s clearl from your articles you know nothing about masking movies and how a real movie is
thank’s for this short clear ‘just do-it’ info.
LaPaz
Actually, your demo might be a bit rough, but it really helped me alot. I didn’t know how to make an alpha in AE, after I clicked the toggle transparency and the render with the RGB+alpha option (thanks to your pics), I was on my way. Thanks you, Shawn
thank you for the help. I was looking for this information. To remove the blue background you need to read about “keying” color in AE. The render is the same process. Thank you again.
Yes! many thanks…ignore the critique above– many kudos for contributing your efforts!!
have a look at my very first test here:
http://www.wheway.com/alpha_channel_video/proof_of_concept/
more will come soon….
ARR
I don’t have all those options when I go file > export in AE 6.5. wtf. over.
Yes this is obviously a to-the-point lesson on exporting a transparency to an flv. And its a damn good one. How good your mask or alpha channel is in this lesson is irrelavent. Good Job Homie, and thanks.
Hello!
I have an FLV video and a player swf which plays it. I would like to smooth the flv’s perimeter to insert the video finely on the background of my site.
Could you help me about how can I resolve it, please?
Thank you!
Endre
ps: please send a copy to my e-mail address: endre.varga att boblbee.co.hu
does this type of thing work with adding transparent video to a website… example … spokesperson walking out ontop of the website with the website behind him/her?
Keith. Thats what it is mostly used for on the net… It seems like thats all we do lately…
Nice tutorial for complete newbies, who have no idea about how After Affects work. But people who have been involved in this computer related industry for some time.
Well, I like to know more about this. My goal is to have a spokesperson on my site, transparent and hides when done.
For that, I can shot a video myself with my partners. I guess it needs to be a green background and a black coat to get the chroma nicely done. Then we can import it as RGB + Alpha as an avi file.
What next? I have confusions about that codec.
And finally, how to put over to website? … I guess using css fixed layout but what script will be used to hide it when the movie is completed. And how to have a small close, volume and play button with the movie.
You can see an example of what I want here … http://www.ispeakvideo.com/index.php …
thank you. please reply to my email address.
Adnan,
did you ever get an answer? I would like to do the same for my website but do not know how to do it. If you have an answer, would you please share it?
thank you,
Jamak
jamakg@gmail.com
Thanks for explaining the alpha channel. I’ll try if I can do this in Apple Motion. I need a still background with video over it! Thanks so much for this!
Mark
Hi everyone I try to create a video spokesperson on my website with transparent background. I’m having some trouble can anyone email me a step by step tutorial. Thanks in advance!!
I don’t know if this helps anyone, but you don’t need anything but flash8 to create transparant video’s. (this is handy if you want to test the whole process within one program, like I just did!)
You can import pictures like PNG (which can contain an alpha channel) or regular pictures, and use the masking function to create transparancy. (For instance by using ctrl-b to break the bitmap and using the magic wand you can find under the lasso tool)
Anyway create any transparant movie in flash. Then export a Movie as Quictime MOV. Click “ignore stage color” or generate alpha channel to create a transparant mov.
You can embed this into your flash again by importing the exported mov video. (embed and play in timeline, (video options: on2 vp6, and CHECK encode alpha channel) and presto transparant video. It’s that easy.
I didn’t have any luck trying this with any other format than mov though so you might need to install this, if you don’t have it allready.
I used this to add a movieclip as animated background in flash to transparant png’s of a rollercoaster from a 3d_package. Leaving out the background in the 3D-anim and replacing it with a movieclip, I was able to compress the endresult to a MUCH smaller filesize, than when I also encoded a background.
It had the added benefit of making my video interactive..
common no one KNOWS THIS?? need the black background GONE in the flv within the flash stage!!!