3ds Max has an alpha mode called additive alpha that allows items with additive transparency information to be encoded into the targa, tif, or mov from the rendered output of 3ds max.

For example, if you have a particle system that simulates a fire; obviously in the material editor you would set the transparency type to additive AND make sure that use additive
transparency is selected in the 3ds max preference (3dsmax.ini).

Anyhow, if you render an animation in mov or targa or tif and overlay the additive transparency in video post inside 3ds max; the video post will overlay this alpha in an additive
manner so the color of the flames ADD to the background image.

if you take this same image or mov and bring it into FCP
making sure that the alpha is set to black on the right click menu
you find that this same transparency information is read as subtractive
and the color is removed from the background.

Same mov two different applications.

Does anyone know if there is a hidden preference somewhere in FCP that knows the
difference between subtractive transparency alpha and additive and will read this correctly?

p.s setting the image type from Normal to Add doesn't help as it totally wrecks the way the
image was intended in 3ds max.

Thanks

No, there is no option for this in FCP, AFAIK. Have you looked at Shake? I believe it has IADD mode.

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It's looking that way.....
I even searched through every filter in FCP
including Combo Math filter but it can't do it.

I was reading on CreativeCow that if I could do an
additive key (can't find one in FCP) I'd be off to the races...

Thanks



mark@avolution Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 3ds Max has an alpha mode called additive alpha
> that allows items with additive transparency
> information to be encoded into the targa, tif, or
> mov from the rendered output of 3ds max.
>
> For example, if you have a particle system that
> simulates a fire; obviously in the material editor
> you would set the transparency type to additive
> AND make sure that use additive
> transparency is selected in the 3ds max preference
> (3dsmax.ini).
>
> Anyhow, if you render an animation in mov or targa
> or tif and overlay the additive transparency in
> video post inside 3ds max; the video post will
> overlay this alpha in an additive
> manner so the color of the flames ADD to the
> background image.
>
> if you take this same image or mov and bring it
> into FCP
> making sure that the alpha is set to black on the
> right click menu
> you find that this same transparency information
> is read as subtractive
> and the color is removed from the background.
>
> Same mov two different applications.
>
> Does anyone know if there is a hidden preference
> somewhere in FCP that knows the
> difference between subtractive transparency alpha
> and additive and will read this correctly?
>
> p.s setting the image type from Normal to Add
> doesn't help as it totally wrecks the way the
> image was intended in 3ds max.
>
> Thanks