Can Compressor 4.1 export a image sequence with alpha? If so, how?

to assist may we have a quick clarification from you... Did you use compressor.app V4.1 to:

• import and image sequence from Maya then
• transcode a PRORES 4444 object?

w

If you give Compressor a Pro Res 4444 file with embedded alpha, you can export that as an image sequence and the alpha channel will be preserved. Also…if you import an image sequence with alpha, you can export it as Pro Res 4444 and the alpha will be preserved.

I don't work with Maya so it's hard for me to add much more than that.

Hope that helps.

Russ

Been testing it, no, it doesn't work in Compressor. Very odd. But, I can do it just fine in Motion.

Imported an image sequence with alpha from Blender. Did not export with an alpha channel from Compressor/ProRes 4444. Also Tried using the Animation codec from Compressor, same results. I made sure both codecs were set to Million + colors.

Interesting. Of course, I tested my two statements before posting so I'm quite puzzled. I'l dive deeper and post back.

Russ

I made sure that the image sequence had an alpha before trans-coding to ProRes 4444. I'll try importing the image sequence into QuickTime 7 Pro and see if it works from there (it should).

What I do is this, as it helps me be more acturate, too. I right-click my layer, apply an Image Mask from the menu. Then I select a drawing tool, then draw directly on my original layer (even though you're working in a different layer). Seems to keep things lined up that way when I drop my shape layer onto the Image Mask sub-layer.

After a number of attempts over several days, I'm throwing in the towel and concluding that I was incorrect – that Compressor will not retain the alpha channel when outputting a PR 4444 from an image sequence. Notice that I didn't use an adverb like "sheepishly". And that's because I not only still have the original test output file with alpha, I also still have the completed job details. Here is the screenshot I made this weekend. It does not include anywhere near a complete list of attempts that I made to duplicate that outcome.

I can also add that I went back to C3.5 and I was unable to produce either a PR 44444 or Animation with Alpha.

Anyhow, I give up and stand corrected.

Russ

Best this is to import the image sque. into something like Motion to get the alpha channel in a ProRes 4444.

Yup.

Hi Russ, Ben and Dave, good work on that indeed lads 🙂.! Having not ever used this workflow, I learned this too with some tests as well and I too was somewhat perplexed that alpha channel was not preserved from image sequence in Compressor.app

It just seems to be by design ? (hopefully not a flaw) that the ALPHA CHANNEL is NOT preserved by compressor.app (even V3.0 according to older posts too also COW etc) from a source image sequence.

To confirm: After reading the posts in this thread.. In compressor.app I also tried it with and had no success 😮 with using;

• ANIMATION and INTERMEDIATE codecs
• using OPENEXR 32, TIFF, PNGS 16 etc sequences (from 3D app)

and.. yes no alpha channel was preservered from the image sequence source.😢

Some Other Alternatives: Nuke (r+W), Older Quicktime PRO 7.app (open image sequence), PS.app and certainly Motion (Import Image Sequence) do a good job as an alternative. I'm sure there are many MORE (AE etc etc)

Footnote and slightly OT:

TIP: (for those that care), We use (our workflow) Compressor.app for  Apple Motion.app projects (.motn) to RENDER the .motn (pple motion) projects as we turn them around (3rds, banners etc etc), and to pass that PRORES4444 on FCPX etc. The Compressor.app (import File / motion_project.motn) works great😎 and renders "in the background" allowing use of the Motion.app UI for creative work.

sadly the Motion (.motn) project is confines (localised) to a Cluster on et same machine.

• A Qmaster distirbuted cluster will not work and ...
• now in Compressor.app V4.1, the UI will NOT allow the selection of the distributed Cluster to RENDER the .motn project

Warwick

Hong Kong

I wonder if Compressor will see an alpha channel from a tiff sequence?

Sorry... I didn't see that you tired a tiff file.