Alpha Error on Export?

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Feral McElreavy

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Alpha Error on Export?

PostThu Aug 23, 2018 8:10 pm

I've upgraded to Resolve 15, but I'm now having what I believe is a bug upon exporting keyed clips with an alpha background. In the edit, color, and even delivery timelines, the background is black. When I click to export it out of resolve on the delivery tab, but background turns green(I used a green screen). I click stop, the background remains green. I go to the edit tab, the background goes back to black. I click the delivery tab, the background remains black. I click export, the background turns green again.

I'm exporting the clips as prores 4444. Source footage is cinemaDNG.

Is this a bug, or am I missing something?

Thanks,
Feral
Last edited by Feral McElreavy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 3:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Uli Plank

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 2:34 am

Did you wire the node for alpha? Are you exporting as individual clips and did you set the alpha export?

If not, the system may just be warning you that you don't get alpha.
My disaster protection: export a .drp file to a physically separated storage regularly.
Please visit digitalproduction.com/author/uliplank/

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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 12:46 pm

The node used for the keyer is wired to the alpha output. Export alpha is checked on the delivery page. I am exporting individual clips.

Everything looks good until I click "Start Render". Then my background reappears.
2017 Macbook Pro 2.9 GHz i7 16GB - Radeon Pro 560 4096 MB
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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 12:54 pm

Update!

Thanks to Uli Plank's question, I tried exporting as a single clip as opposed to individual clips. This solved the issue. My timeline now exports correctly with the alpha channel. I'd prefer individual clips, but I will make this work. Is Resolve supposed to work this way, or is this a bug?

Thanks,
Feral
2017 Macbook Pro 2.9 GHz i7 16GB - Radeon Pro 560 4096 MB
Resolve 15 - Blackmagic Design Production 4K Camera
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Uli Plank

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 1:17 pm

Hmm, that sounds weird. Export alpha is not even offered if deliver is set to single clip.
My disaster protection: export a .drp file to a physically separated storage regularly.
Please visit digitalproduction.com/author/uliplank/

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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 1:21 pm

That's accurate. When I selected export as single clip the export alpha option disappeared, but it seems to be exporting the alpha channel. I'll know in 1.5 hours when the export is complete. If it doesn't work out I'll just have to re-key in another NLE. I will update this thread when the export is complete. I'm still interested in knowing if this is a bug or not.
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Uli Plank

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 1:27 pm

I can export alpha without any problems in ProRes 4444, DNxHR 444, DNxHR HQX or CineformRGB 16 bit.
Always in individual clips mode only.

But I can confirm there's a cosmetic bug: the key disappears in the viewer while exporting.

Don't worry, the alpha will be there!
My disaster protection: export a .drp file to a physically separated storage regularly.
Please visit digitalproduction.com/author/uliplank/

Studio 19.1.3
2017 iMac, MacOS 13.7.4, eGPU
MacBook M1 Pro and M4 Pro mini, MacOS 14.7.5
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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 1:45 pm

When I export individual clips the alpha channel is not there on the final exported videos. It was not just cosmetic, unfortunately. Exporting as a single clip seems to be working. I will report back. Thank you.
2017 Macbook Pro 2.9 GHz i7 16GB - Radeon Pro 560 4096 MB
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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 2:57 pm

Update:

Exporting my timeline as a single clip I was not able to export my clip with the alpha channel.
Last edited by Feral McElreavy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 3:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Uli Plank

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 3:07 pm

If you are working under Windows, we must state an inconsistency here.
Actually, I wouldn't mind to have the option of exporting alpha in single clip mode too. But our observations seem to differ massively. I hope other will chime in on the subject.

BTW, maybe you could change the headline to "Alpha Error on Export?"
My disaster protection: export a .drp file to a physically separated storage regularly.
Please visit digitalproduction.com/author/uliplank/

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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Key Error On Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 3:33 pm

I was mistaken. When exported as a single clip the background rendered out as black, but not transparent. No alpha channel. Currently I have no way of exporting clips with an alpha channel out of Resolve. Frustrating. My client has a deadline, so I will be switching to another NLE for this project.

I will update the thread title.
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Uli Plank

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Re: Alpha Error on Export?

PostFri Aug 24, 2018 4:35 pm

Did you:

– Generate any kind of key in a node?
– Add an alpha output in the Color tab?
– Connect the alpha output of your key or last node to that alpha output?
– Go for individual clips in Deliver?
– Define alpha and use one of the codecs mentioned?
My disaster protection: export a .drp file to a physically separated storage regularly.
Please visit digitalproduction.com/author/uliplank/

Studio 19.1.3
2017 iMac, MacOS 13.7.4, eGPU
MacBook M1 Pro and M4 Pro mini, MacOS 14.7.5
SE, USM G3
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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Alpha Error on Export?

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 3:36 pm

Uli Plank wrote:Did you:

– Generate any kind of key in a node?
– Add an alpha output in the Color tab?
– Connect the alpha output of your key or last node to that alpha output?
– Go for individual clips in Deliver?
– Define alpha and use one of the codecs mentioned?


Yes. I generated a key in a node. Added an alpha out in the color tab. Yes the alpha output is connected to the key node. Yes I used individual clips as my export option and had the export alpha box selected. I exported proress 4444.

Everything looks and is correct until I click the render button. Even when I add the render job to the queue, it looks fine. Once I click the render button, the background reappears as if there is no key at all.
2017 Macbook Pro 2.9 GHz i7 16GB - Radeon Pro 560 4096 MB
Resolve 15 - Blackmagic Design Production 4K Camera
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Uli Plank

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Re: Alpha Error on Export?

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 5:35 pm

That is a cosmetic bug, as I already wrote. The alpha channel should be in the rendered file nevertheless.
My disaster protection: export a .drp file to a physically separated storage regularly.
Please visit digitalproduction.com/author/uliplank/

Studio 19.1.3
2017 iMac, MacOS 13.7.4, eGPU
MacBook M1 Pro and M4 Pro mini, MacOS 14.7.5
SE, USM G3
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Feral McElreavy

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Re: Alpha Error on Export?

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 5:47 pm

Uli Plank wrote:That is a cosmetic bug, as I already wrote. The alpha channel should be in the rendered file nevertheless.


Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you mean by "cosmetic bug". What do you mean by cosmetic bug?

When I import the exported video files from Resolve 15 to another NLE, the green screen background is there- and it's green.

Below is a link of what I'm seeing:
you tube .com / watch?v=ffyzlAUkCHE&feature=youtu.be
2017 Macbook Pro 2.9 GHz i7 16GB - Radeon Pro 560 4096 MB
Resolve 15 - Blackmagic Design Production 4K Camera
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Uli Plank

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Re: Alpha Error on Export?

PostWed Aug 29, 2018 3:12 am

By 'cosmetic' bug I mean I see what you are seeing, but the alpha is there if I import the rendered file into another NLE or Resolve itself. So, I can't really offer a solution.
But one thought: what resolution are you exporting?
My disaster protection: export a .drp file to a physically separated storage regularly.
Please visit digitalproduction.com/author/uliplank/

Studio 19.1.3
2017 iMac, MacOS 13.7.4, eGPU
MacBook M1 Pro and M4 Pro mini, MacOS 14.7.5
SE, USM G3
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Macsak88

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Re: Alpha Error on Export?

PostWed Mar 31, 2021 11:22 am

I think I've worked this out. The timeline resolution and the export resolution need to be the same. Otherwise alpha doesn't work

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