AutoDesk Smoke :: View Alpha Overlay On Top Of RGB
Mar 16, 2013
Is there any visual tool in smoke so i can view the alpha/matte and rgb at the same time (by overlaying alpha on top of the rgb) ? I can't find a way to do it. Did i miss something ? or does this tool exist ?
I am experimenting with Smoke 2013 pre-trial and I am having issues with importing images and video with alpha channels.
1. If I have a layered Photoshop file or png with an alpha channel (a still frame lower third), I see that I can import it as a multi layered clip, but what is the best way to have it in the sequence to show up properly?
2. If I have a QuickTime in animation format or Pro Res4444 format with an embedded alpha, how can I import that file to show and cut it on a top layer to animate above my video?
1st issue: I deal with alot of still images. Mostly .png files with embedded alphas. When I import them sometimes they come in able to be put on the timeline and trimmed to any length. Other times Smoke thinks the still image is a clip and it has a set number frames. If I need to extend beyond that set number I have to freeze it. When I import, set the clip options to frames. That works - sometimes. I've tried different formats tga and tiff with no luck. I've also tried the repeat tool but that doesn't repeat the alpha. If I were to use the repeat tool for this, how do repeat both the fill and alpha?
Second Issue: When I put an image on the timeline that is larger or basically any resolution different than the timeline, Smoke automatically puts a resize on it. If I bypass the resize then (depending on the clip resolution) the clip becomes distorted. Is there a way to keep the clip's resolution independent from the timeline?
Third issue: What is Smokes preferred still image format? Today I had a jepg that was 500x350 (or something like that) and after a lot of trial and error I found that it was this relatively small image that was choking my system. After I deleted that file and tried a different file everything seemed to run fine. Is there a certain bit depth or color model etc that I should be using?
I have a caption strap as a matte and a fill. Then a matte to wipe the caption on to it.
Now say if I need three of these on the screen at one time and to be able to reposition them individually.
In batch/action I was trying to combine the alpha of the caption and the caption matte, using a matte source node and a blending mode on the top image, but it didn't seem to work. I thought multiply should have done the trick...
I think the thing I'm stuck on is getting the intersection of 2 mattes. So you only see where they are both white.
I did do it with 2 source mattes, kind of in a cascade... but it's a messy solution for such a simple thing.
I ended up combining them out of action using blend and comp node. But then if I needed to resize the strap and 2 mattes independently of the caption itself I ran into problems.
The overlay of free guide and working area in the viewer don't work. I can't see any of these overlay indicator in the viewer. Is this a bug or do i miss something ?
I'm trying to create CFX clip with alpha so that i can place it over another clip in timeline. CFX clip is build from source and then i generated mask with gMask node and brought together with Blend&Comp node. I created CFX clip from Blend&Comp node. There is option in CFX clip settings Generate Alpha, but it is greyed out. Does some one know why is this so or how can i achieve same result with CXF output?
I haven't tested every single combination yet in the publish menus. To save me trying them all, is there any option that works to publish all the shots in a sequence together with alpha channel?
I have a sequence of CFXa clips with matte output connected in CFX, I duplicate the sequence and commit cfx... every clip has a matte container. So far, so good. Now I want to output the whole sequence as individual shots with alpha.
Tried the EDL option, changing file type to OpenEXR... no alpha. Tried EDL, changing output type to movie and then selecting ProRes 4444. Alpha was solid black.
Is it possible to get publish to create individual movie files for each shot at all? Everytime I try this it writes one continuous quicktime file even though I select a shot number token. Writing individual shots seems only to work with image sequences, is that the case?
I got single clip in desktop and it got an alpha embedded. If i drag that clip into the cfx , the clip will be interpreted correctly where alpha will be recognized. The problem in action is when i drag into action schematic, the alpha is ignored Smoke should know if there's alpha embedded then by default it should use it. ANother problem is when in media list , i add new media then click the clip twice (to grab F and M from the same clip), the result : i got blank alpha. Again it should load the alpha while there's alpha embedded . I think , this should become the dafault behaviour to deal with alpha. Although loading this clip in cfx schematic will solve the problem, i think the action still need to be fixed.
Also it should be cool feature if i can drag the clip from library and drop it in media list , and it will replace the media of the selected item in media list.
While in CFX, Action, Text edit, Axis etc, is there a way to see the output of the timeline? I know while in CFX you can set the CFX output as a context but what if I have multiple CFX composites stacked up and I want to see the final output of the timeline while editing or modifying something inside a CFX or Action node?
I cant view my exporting job list . I want to cancel all my current export and make it fresh. My sequence is exporting again and again in same location with same file name. I need a support number in india.
When you are viewing the desktop, the view is available in the library and you can see which folder you are viewing. But when you have the player open the view icon disappears.
I am looking for a way to easily view the separate rgb channels as grey values for key pulling on each channel. Also, I am looking for a way to change the viewer gamma value without changing the fx value.
When I am in cfx in action 1-up, I press shift 3 or shift 4 to view side and top view. Nothing happens. What is the correct hotkey (smoke) to show the view. The hotkey suggested does not work. And if you manually select it, it takes quite a while to decide it will change view for you.
Why not have a swipe option for the Record viewer on the right side in Thumbnail View and allow locking the source thumbnails to sync with each other - Flame style (just no Reel view). If this could be saved with the current folder view it would largely cover a toolset comment I made before plus another great way to edit quickly.
who said that for editing there should only be one source window ? Why not multiples ? In fact, isn't that a large part of editing in the first place ? Allow multiple selections in the thumbnail view and link the sources together, select a point in the timeline and go to town for checking your editorial options.
This is really about gaining a functionality that’s around in AVID and used extensively by editors I’m trying to get on board with considering smoke as a real alternative. The Reel Locking mechanism in Flame is a great tool that could be expanded upon massively and brought into smoke via synched/locked multiple selection in the thumbnail view.
And another - The ability to see an edit as thumbnail view that can be re-arranged so you can group shots per your own liking but still allows drag and drop FX. This would allow another view on an edit that is incredibly powerful for many functions but color correction an obvious one. If you could save these 'views' you could have a fantastic basis for management.
I was wondering if there was an easy way to view individual color channels (Red, Green, Blue) in the viewer, and if so what the shortcuts are. I know you can do this simply in flame but can't seem to find a way to do it in Smoke.
When you're in source-sequence mode and push "f15" key (that is "player view mode" shortcut) several times, you can switch between different view modes. One in particular kept my attention: you can output a video frame with 3840x1080 resolution (double full hd), composed by primary output (on the left) and secondary output (on the right).
The strange thing is that these two video streams (primary and secondary) are not in sync: in fact secondary one is always delayed by one frame.
What is the purpose of this view mode? Is it possible to sync primary and secondary output in this particular mode? It would be great, because this way we could finally output stereoscopic 3D in side-by-side mode!
Why doesn't Selecting clips in the "Timing" view in CFX reveal which clip it is the Schematic? I realize there is a very small corresponding number, but a nice yellow surround would be nice.
Smoke classic shortcut is not working for Schematic vuew in CF, tried on three machines. Also why there is short cat for all "delete" "add" but not just plain move anymore. space M is not working. What's the logic?
At the moment I am in action building a composite. We I am viewing the entire comp via the default camera, I can see all the effects applied to the comp, but when I switch to perspective view. All the effects are gone.
Is there a way to see the effects why in perspective view?
In Ken LaRue's demo (see attachment B), theres a lot more option for you to tinker with in CFX.mine (see attachment A) only stops at 'timing' option. what do i need to do to view the rest of it?
and because i cant view the rest of the option, i can't change CFX schematic view to Action schematic view.
In the camera view is there a way to hide everything outside the output region, I'm finding it really hard to judge the layout with all the overlapping layers in my scene..?
I'm working on an edit, which is in video mode. Now I have to include OpenEXR material, which is in linear mode. How can I combine the two and still have the correct color?
I can set it in view mode to linear, but then all my video shows as linear too, plus, as soon as I leave the view mode, it all goes back to video, and my EXR's are too dark then..... what can I do?
Smoke 2012 SAP2 SP4 and Smoke 2013 SP2 (Smoke Classic Keyboard Shortcuts) Mac Pro 4,1 OS X 10.6.7 12 GB RAM NVIDIA Quadro 4000 14 TB RAID (Areca)
I cant seem to find filter select or a list view for the record area. Both of these functions come in handy on feature films and episodic television especially vfx heavy shows.