dissolving stills

I've created a targa file in photoshop annd imported the file into FCP. When I dissolve it with video (or fade up from black) it looks as if it "jumps" once the transition is complete. Anyone have a fix?

After you add the dissolve, you need to adjust the keyframes. You need to more them further down.

I have a tutorial (video) at www.proapptips.com/shane MOVEMENT ON STILLS

Shane,

I'm not having any luck accessing that web site - says the page doesn't exist. Any clues?

Scott

[I've created a targa file in photoshop annd imported the file into FCP. When I dissolve it with video (or fade up from black) it looks as if it "jumps" once the transition is complete. Anyone have a fix]

Should have a problem unless you're rendering your effects at low quality and your still is rendered differently. Do you get a jump when you create a keyframe ramp or when youapply a cross dissolve effect?

Why Targa? Why not TIFF or native PSD?

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Set a Level keyframe with Command-Option K !

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com

Sorry, the site is having server issues. Hopefully will be resolved soon. Keep checking.

Well that's another issue.

When I import a PSD into Final Cut it always looks aliased and rastty to me. What is the proper image size for a PSD (or a tiff)? Maybe that's the problem?

Odd, I d=never get that. You're viewing it at highest quality in the Timeline?

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Set a Level keyframe with Command-Option K !

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com

Safe RT

Playback High

Playback Frame Rate Full

When I import a PSD versus a Targa it always looks squished. What image size are you using?

Safe RT

Playback High

Playback Frame Rate Full

When I import a PSD versus a Targa it always looks squished. What image size are you using?

I prepare in Photoshop at 100% X 100% and for import to FCP ntsc, I squish the vertical to 90%.

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Set a Level keyframe with Command-Option K !

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com

Hey,
Anybody get this one beat? I think I'm having the same problem and would love to know how to correct.

When dissolving (tried cross, additive, non-additive etc) between stills (tried jpeg, psd & tiff) the images scale up slightly during the disslove. Which looks like a jump up at the beginning and a jump down at the end.

Cheers,
Andreas

Andreas,

Dissolving between stills when motion is applied to them can be very tricky. The point is that you have to take the handles into account when planning your motion. If you just set some stills into the timeline at the duration you want them, then put them in the Viewer to apply scale and position adjustments, after you put on a dissolve you will see jumps at the in and out because the still is not moving in the transition area, i.e., the handles.

I deal with this by checkerboarding my stills on V1 and V2, overlapping them to the extent that I want the transition to occur, make sure my motion keyframes cover the entire length of the clip, then use opacity keyframes on the timeline to accomplish the "dissolve".

I hope I'm not being too elementary for you, maybe this isn't what you are seeing. But it is a very common pitfall when working with stills in motion.

Scott

Andreas replied:

"Hi Scott,

Thanks for the info...this is my first post on the net and did not expect a
reply that fast.

I tried your checkerboard technique and it works well. Just very time
consuming compared to dropping a dissolve on top.

I had just dragged the clips to the TL and had not applied any motion (scale
& Center) to the clips prior to the dissolve so not sure what I'm doing
wrong. When you scub using the arrow keys frame by frame from the first
clip into the dissolve you see the image increase in size and when you come
to the end of the dissolve the image decreases slightly in size.

I'm very new to this so you can't be too elementary.

Thanks again,
Cheers,
A."

Andreas, best to reply to the forum, not directly to me or whoever responds to your question. Lets everybody in on whatever solution or further confusion we might come up with.

Sorry, I read too quickly and thought you were Andreas Kiel who is an old hand here. Welcome to the forum, no question is too elementary.

I had assumed you were applying motion keyframes to the stills, which is what my advice applied to. I assume that using the checkerboard/opacity technique I described you are not seeing this size shift?

If you're seeing size changes when you apply dissolves in otherwise static shots that sounds like something else. First thing I would do is trash Preferences (check the Tutorials on this site for full instructions). I've seen discussions of similar issues (brightness changes during dissolves as well) but I don't recall what the final resolution was, if any.

Scott

the issue here is that the canvas in FCP is s LO-RES PREVIEW.

when you add FX that play in RT, the quality CHANGES.

you have to RENDER.

and ideally, you should VIEW ON AN EXTERNAL MONITOR.


cheers,
nick

And watch my new tutorial on MOVEMENT IN STILLS...it covers what happens when you add a dissolve:

[forums.creativecow.net]

cool, Shane.

there's a part in there where you can really see a jump in RT quality,
where you've got the dissolve between the stills.

nick

Of course...that is dynamic RT. It lowers quality to allow RT playback when needed. Render that and it looks great.

Thanks got the dissolve thing working both ways...checkerboarding and dragging the effect....I wasn't rendering properly.

Great tutorial...learned lots.

I'm noticing that stills in the viewer look great but in the canvas they look jagged and low res, is this normal?

Cheers,
A.

> I'm noticing that stills in the viewer look great but in the canvas they look
> jagged and low res, is this normal?

Yes.

The only place you can judge effects properly is on an external monitor.