I have created 4 commercials with various captions, logos, etc on separate layers. The client has now asked for a clean and a GFX pass, clean is obvious but how can I export the timeline with an alpha as just a GFX pass. I’ve deleted the base layer and tried as a 4444 with alpha but with no luck. Any ideas?
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Have you disabled Export Between Marks in the export window?
Are your GFX elements coming out of Batch to timeline, or using TLFX?
Hey there Carl,
I’ve been there before and I’ve found it’s just a bit of trial and error of exporting, checking, and re-doing if something isn’t working. If your graphics in the timeline are simple enough to make it happen, it’s just an export with alpha into Prores 4444 like you’re doing works, but if you’re finding it isn’t working, then you just have to escalate things to BFX where you can explicitly control passing the Alpha channel through to get it over the line.
Important note to keep in mind is that if you’re using Action, “Use Back” doesn’t allow you to use an alpha channel. It seems to essentially flatten the image, so if you have a layered timeline like you’re describing and you’re using Action’s “Use Back” you might not be able to do it straight out of the timeline, and you’ll probably have to head into BFX or Batch. But let me know if you’re running into issues and I’m happy to help figure things out.
Contrary to @Jeff’s experience I’ve found sometimes alpha channel output from BFX doesn’t work for me. My rock solid albeit primitive way is to render front and matte seperately and then to use Tools->Utilities->Create Matte Container to prepare the clip.
When exporting, I turn on comp, but turn off matte. That leaves the front as is, so you don’t have to worry about premultiply.
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Thanks for all the advice guys. In the end I couldn’t get an alpha through an action on the timeline so ended up replacing them with BFX on the timeline and all was good.
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The old Avid Key & Fill method. A lot less finicky.
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