Carry the Alpha Channel from Fusion 8 to Resolve 14?

I am new to Fusion, I did many searches in the Fusion manual to figure out how to carry the Alpha Channel from Fusion 8 in to Resolve 14 Beta6, but I can't figure it out.

There are many parameters you can change for the alpha channel not only in Fusion Project Settings but the Codec selection to how you bring it in to Resolve, so I made a video so you can see the choices I tried, which did not work for me.



Any ideas?

ps. I am on a Windows machine with DNxHD codecs installed.

Hi Dave.

At first, when I played your video I wasn't watching who is writing, and when I heard your voice and was like: Oh, my God, it is Dave

I don't have windows myself, so I cannot tell you is it the problem with DNxHD or with something else, but
I was trying to do this on ProRes and it is working just fine with save Alpha to color option checked and pre-multiply in DaVinci Resolve checked.

I can see few other ways to do it, but it you will have to create second output with alpha only and apply it as a matte, and it is a different approach.

You will have any questions about Fusion, just let me know on: pawlowicz(dot)tomek(at)gmail(dot)com
I would love make same training materials for Fusion beginners and would gladly know what are your thoughts about it and about Fusion itself. Some crazy stuff can be done in it, and there is not much training materials for it.

In attachment, my latest roto/tracking/compositing attempt

If you are unsure when it comes to ProRes/DNxHD and how they handle alpha just make TIFF sequence with transparency and call it a day.

Dave,

Try this. In your fusion connect object on the saver node, set the saver to Quicktime movie. Then in the Format tab, set the compression field to Animation and check the Attempt to save Alpha checkbox at the bottom right.

Also, uncheck any of that save aphla to a color channel and don't try and force another codec.

Here is a quick video showing how to do it.
youtu.be/TBx83493noM

For some reason I am not allowed to post a URL. Copy the HTTPS address and past in your web viewer. Hope it helps

You don't have enough posts to post urls yet. This will come to pass when you become a more active member of the community.

You don't have enough posts to post urls yet. This will come to pass when you become a more active member of the community.

Thanks!

Hey that worked, thanks!

Hey that worked, thanks!

You're welcome. Glad I could help.

I'll take a look at those links later but did you mention DNxHD? Fusion can't write that can it?

I was able to accomplish this using a TIFF format and Fusion Connect round-tripping Resolve-to-Fusion-to-Resolve.

I was able to accomplish this using a TIFF format and Fusion Connect round-tripping Resolve-to-Fusion-to-Resolve.

Yes, if you want to use image sequences, TIFF, Targa,and PNG sequences all carry alpha. I haven't tried image sequences as media in Fusion Connect myself. It would be interesting to know what Resolve renders to when it generates the media for the Connect to Fusion. I assumed it was an QuickTime MOV, because the saver automatically generated is a QuickTime Movie, at least for my setup on Windows...

Until now, only ProRes 4444 or Uncompressed can carry an alpha channel in a QT wrapper from Fusion. I don't see Animation as a codec there, but it's a very inefficient codec anyway.

But it seems that BM is working on making alpha export available in DNxHR 444 from Resolve 14 too, so once that works it might become an option for round-tripping on the PC. Maybe even in an MXF wrapper?

That would free PC users completely from using Apple products.

(Sorry to dig up an old post, but I just noticed this while watching Dave's power window error video.)

I think a K.I.S.S. way to do this would have been to change the blend mode to Lighten. Since the bg in the timer DNxHD file is black, Lighten (or Lighter Color) should act as a luma key and key out the black.

Just an alternative suggestion, and of course it's better to actually understand how alphas in Fusion, QT and various codecs work.