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Basics of Motion: Output your project with Alpha Oct, 2005     MOTION 2: OUTPUT YOUR PROJECT WITH ALPHA   by Robert Moore (HDFCP.com) Ok, I just upgraded from FCP4.5 to Final Cut Studio, and started using Motion2 for the first time. I've been using Avid's since '94 and Final Cut Pro since '99 (FCP1.0), and I know LiveType, After Effects, PhotoShop and many other app's, so I know about graphics with alpha. The first thing I wanted to do with Motion2 was export a simple title with alpha so I could use it in my Final Cut Pro 5 project. But, for some reason, everything I tried didn't work? I asked a few other Producer/Editor's I work with and they had the same problem. No way to export our projects with alpha? What a bummer! Guess what, there is a way. It's just a matter of setting up your project correctly, and exporting with the correct settings! It's actually pretty simple and I'm going to show you how. There are basically two settings that you need to change for alpha export. The first is the project settings, and the second is when you actually export your project. 1) PROJECT PROPERTIES SETTINGS You can set up your project at any time, even while in the middle of your project, though, typically you set up your project at the start. At the "Edit" drop down menu, select "Project Properties" (see Figure 1), the "Project Properties" window will open (see Figure 2). FIGURE 1 ­ Edit/Project Properties Drop Down Menu FIGURE 2 ­ 8 Bit Motion Project Properties Window The "Bit Depth" drop down menu does not affect alpha output. You can select "8 bit", "16 bit (Float)", or "32 bit (Float)". What does affect the alpha output is the "Background Color" fader. If the "Background Color" is set to 100%, 100% of the color you have select will fill the screen, and be opaque, with your title on top, for your final output, and there will be no alpha. To produce a 100% clean alpha output (no background color), the "Background Color" fader needs to set to "0%" (zero percent). If the "Background Color" fader is set to any value, that amount of color (with transparency) will fill the background. If the "Background Color" fader is set to 100%, the background of your project output will be solid/opaque, with the color you have set. I'm working on a DV project, so I've left the "Pixel Aspect Ratio" setting to "NTSC D1/DV". All formats are affected in the same way. Now, click "OK", your project now has the correct settings. 2) PROJECT EXPORT. Go ahead and design a simple title (I just typed in with the text tool and put a simple outline around my title). Your title should have the transparent "Checkerboard" background if your "Project Properties" settings are correct (see Figure 3). FIGURE 3 ­ Transparent "Checkerboard" Background, with 0% BG Color Now, select the "File" drop down menu and select "Export" (see Figure 4), or type "Command+E" (the keyboard shortcut). This will open the Export Window with a number of options (see Figure 5). FIGURE 4 ­ Export Drop Down Window FIGURE 5 - "Export Preset" The setting we're most interested in that affects outputting an Alpha project, is the "Export Preset" (see Figure 5). The Motion2 default is set up for a "DV NTSC Movie", "Export Preset". We want to change that to "Lossless+Alpha Movie" (see Figure 6), which defaults to an Animation codec with alpha. In Final Cut Pro, I will have to render that within my FCP project, but alpha will be embedded and the image quality will be excellent! FIGURE 6 ­ Select "Lossless+Alpha Movie" There is also the "Use play range" setting (see Figure 7), when selected will cause Motion2 to only export your project from your IN/OUT settings in the timeline, otherwise, the entire timeline will be export. You can also select for Video/Audio, Video Only and Audio Only export, so make sure you have the "Include" option select the way you want. FIGURE 7 ­ Final Export Settings FIGURE 8 ­ Project Being Rendered/Output Click on "Export", and your project should export with alpha (see Figure 8). Also, Motion2 will remember these settings next time you boot up and use Motion2, and until you change those settings. That's it, I hoped this helped! Sure beats reading the User Manual! Later! Robert Moore Producer/Writer/Director/Editor/Consultant HDFCP.com bobmoore@hdfcp.com ©2005 BY ROBERT MOORE, ALL IDEAS, ARTWORK, CONCEPTS, THIS ARTICLE AND DOCUMENT ARE OWNED EXCLUSIVELY BY ROBERT MOORE, bobmoore@hdfcp.com, (310) 454-8893. Robert Moore ­ is a Producer, Writer, Director, Editor for Film and TV (Long Form to On-Air Promo), and offers Tech Consulting using Final Cut Pro, Avid, Protools and associated audio/video equipment. He specializes in HD Production and Post using Final Cut Studio, and is also a DVD producer using DVD Studio Pro. He is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (Local 700 ­ LA/NY), with many published articles in MPEG Magazine, including reviews of FCP1, 2 and 3. He has built many FCP & Avid post facilities of all sizes, around the world. Visit his website at (www.hdfcp.com), or email him at bobmoore@hdfcp.com, to find out more.