Imported image masks at DVinfo.net

Igor Garber · February 20th, 2009, 09:47 AM

I have recently started to use Vegas (coming from Premiere Pro) and need some help

I have two video tracks. The one on top is 30% size and is floating on top of the main track. Now I would like to mask off portions of floating/top track to create a "thought bubble". I tried using the Cookie Cutter effect and it works OK, but it doesn't give me the shape flexibility. I used the "pen tool" and it's fine, but I don't want to re-draw the "bubble" for every event.

What I would like is to create a standard image in photoshop and use that as a mask, but I'm doing something wrong. Vegas doesn't seem to recognize Alpha channel (transparent Background) that I create in Photoshop. Do i need to use a specific image format to achieve the effect? I'm basically looking to float a video track in a bubble over another track.

Any help is appreciated.

Douglas Spotted Eagle · February 20th, 2009, 10:28 AM

Use TGA or PNG as the matte type, then once on the timeline in Vegas, right click, select Properties, and in the Media tab at the bottom, select "Straight/unmatted" as the alpha.
Then click the small "floppy disk" icon in that same tab. This will tell Vegas to recognize this file type in this manner when it sees the same file type in the future.

Igor Garber · February 20th, 2009, 12:39 PM

Thank you, I'll try it tonight. I see my first mistake was using JPG for a mask.

Edward Troxel · February 20th, 2009, 12:58 PM

JPG doesn't support alpha channels. PNG definitely works great for this.

Igor Garber · February 21st, 2009, 10:08 AM

I'm Still missing something. How should such a mask be made? A black bubble over transparent background or something else?

I Place Clip A on timeline. The I place clip B on top of it. Then Mask C on top of that. No matter how I create MAsk C, I can not make any part of clip B transparent... I'm sure I'm missing a step...

UPDATE: Found it. The composting mode on the mask needs to be set to cut. The mask I used was a black frame with an alfa channel oval in the middle.

I also had to fix all the pixel aspect ratios - the Video A, Photo B and Mask C all had different ones, resulting in the all tracks appearing to be different size (i.e 5the mask C was not fully covering the photo B and the photo was not fully covering the video A)

Is there a way to set pixel ratio to the whole project at once?

Douglas Spotted Eagle · February 21st, 2009, 10:44 AM

Set the par in your graphics software, in other words, make the image the same aspect as the media on your Vegas timeline.
Use one PAR for everything.

Igor Garber · February 21st, 2009, 11:57 AM

Thank you all for your help!

At this point, I can pretty much do everything in Vegas that I previously did in Premiere.

Very happy.

February 20th, 2009, 09:47 AM	#1
Igor Garber New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Morris Plains, NJ Posts: 21	Imported image masks I have recently started to use Vegas (coming from Premiere Pro) and need some help I have two video tracks. The one on top is 30% size and is floating on top of the main track. Now I would like to mask off portions of floating/top track to create a "thought bubble". I tried using the Cookie Cutter effect and it works OK, but it doesn't give me the shape flexibility. I used the "pen tool" and it's fine, but I don't want to re-draw the "bubble" for every event. What I would like is to create a standard image in photoshop and use that as a mask, but I'm doing something wrong. Vegas doesn't seem to recognize Alpha channel (transparent Background) that I create in Photoshop. Do i need to use a specific image format to achieve the effect? I'm basically looking to float a video track in a bubble over another track. Any help is appreciated.

February 20th, 2009, 10:28 AM	#2
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	Use TGA or PNG as the matte type, then once on the timeline in Vegas, right click, select Properties, and in the Media tab at the bottom, select "Straight/unmatted" as the alpha. Then click the small "floppy disk" icon in that same tab. This will tell Vegas to recognize this file type in this manner when it sees the same file type in the future. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

February 20th, 2009, 12:58 PM	#4
Edward Troxel Sponsor: JET DV Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 7,953	JPG doesn't support alpha channels. PNG definitely works great for this. __________________ Edward Troxel [SCVU] JETDV Scripts/Scripting Tutorials/Excalibur/Montage Magic/Newsletters

February 21st, 2009, 10:44 AM	#6
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	Set the par in your graphics software, in other words, make the image the same aspect as the media on your Vegas timeline. Use one PAR for everything. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

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February 20th, 2009, 12:39 PM	#3
Igor Garber New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Morris Plains, NJ Posts: 21	Thank you, I'll try it tonight. I see my first mistake was using JPG for a mask.

February 21st, 2009, 10:08 AM	#5
Igor Garber New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Morris Plains, NJ Posts: 21	I'm Still missing something. How should such a mask be made? A black bubble over transparent background or something else? I Place Clip A on timeline. The I place clip B on top of it. Then Mask C on top of that. No matter how I create MAsk C, I can not make any part of clip B transparent... I'm sure I'm missing a step... UPDATE: Found it. The composting mode on the mask needs to be set to cut. The mask I used was a black frame with an alfa channel oval in the middle. I also had to fix all the pixel aspect ratios - the Video A, Photo B and Mask C all had different ones, resulting in the all tracks appearing to be different size (i.e 5the mask C was not fully covering the photo B and the photo was not fully covering the video A) Is there a way to set pixel ratio to the whole project at once?

February 21st, 2009, 11:57 AM	#7
Igor Garber New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Morris Plains, NJ Posts: 21	Thank you all for your help! At this point, I can pretty much do everything in Vegas that I previously did in Premiere. Very happy.