HELP--UNABLE to Superimpose--can someone tell me how?

The particulars:

I am using fCP 4.5, I have a mac G5, dual 2.5 ghz, saving everything to my external hard drive which has 100.00 gb left

THE PROBLEM:

Well, I thought I knew how to superimpose but I guess I am doing it wrong.
I was under the impression that moving an image from the (left) viewer and
into the Canvas and sliding it under the superimpose option would let me
superimpose but that does not seem the case

Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?

I would really be grateful to anyone who helps

Thank you

That works for titles and objects with an alpha channel. For two solid images, you'll have to use keying, composite modes, the opacity function, or a combination of the above.

Put one image on top of the other. Preferably the image you're trying to put on top has a large shadow area or light area. In which case, you can try the Luma Key. Or, reduce the opacity of the top layer until you see the bottom. It may help to use a Color Corrector filter on the top layer to either darken the shadow areas or brighten the highlights so you see more definition.

You can also try putting the clips side by side on the timeline instead of one on top of the other. Put one of the dissolve transitions between the clips, extend the transition for the duration of the superimposition, and then you can make the Start and End per centages of the transitions to something other than 0-100% (for example, Start and End both at 50% will give you the images superimposed, with both clips equally mixed). That's an alternate way to do a superimposition that I'd learned in Adobe Premiere. Doesn't work as well in Final Cut Pro, but it still works -- I created a chessboarding effect a few years ago by using this "half-transition" technique.


www.derekmok.com

Thank you derek, I will try the 50/50 dissolve thing

you're awesome, but you already knew that

Peace