Noob questiontastic

Marc Peters · #1 (**permalink**) 10-20-2004, 09:41 AM

Whenever I create an alpha channel, theres always a harsh line between images. Is there no option of anti-alias? It's been fine in the past as I've just used luminance and a graduated white to make a fuzzy join. But in particle illusion, I need to make an alpha channel to block the effect on portions of the image.

LJR · #2 (**permalink**) 10-20-2004, 10:12 AM

I don't know particle Illusion but I do know the particle engine in Combustion is by the same software vendors (hence it will read Particle Illusion IEL files).

Last evening I masked areas that I didn't want affected by using Combustion's selection tool and constraining the effect to the selected area. I also feathered the selection boundaries and anti-aliased.

Not sure if this will help you but thought I'd post it because the particle engines are apparently similar.

Marc Peters · #3 (**permalink**) 10-20-2004, 10:13 AM

Hmm, no anti-alias with my selection boundaries - just a really obvious mask. Another read of the help files me thinks.

Alan Mills · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2004, 11:43 AM

Marc, check out the the following sections in the PI online manual to see if they address you specific issue.

Tutorial 5 - sections Alpha Channel, Removing 'Dark' Halos and 'Create non-Intense'

but from what you've said you might be able to apply a 'blocker' in PI to mask off the area you don't want/need. See 'tutorial 4 - Blockers'. It may be what you need.

But I feel your pain though. I've only had a play with the trial version myself and the first thig I tried was to export from PI and then luma key the black background out in Premiere to overlay my 'effect' on my clip. Doesn't work at all by default does it? From the manual though, there is much that can be done to improve things. read the latter sections of tutorial #5.

Other than that then it's a case of moving from Premiere to After Effects for your compsiting where you have more control and different blend stlyles available. There's a substantial dollar value associated with this last option though

Marc Peters · #5 (**permalink**) 10-20-2004, 11:46 AM

I experimeted this morning and output a transparent logo through a series of tgas, imported this into premiere and everything was cool.

I've read up on the blockers...

Marc Peters · #6 (**permalink**) 10-20-2004, 12:39 PM

I think I'll forget the blockers. Create the fire in PI, import that with an into Premiere, then add a mask.