Adobe 25510629 User Guide

Adobe 25510629 - After Effects CS3 Professional Manual

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  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 1
    ADOBE® ULTRA® CS3 USER GUIDE
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    in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Please note that the content in this guide is protected under copyright law even if it is not distributed with software that includes an end user license
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    LiveDocs Help 10 PDF documentation 10 Printed documentation 11 Adobe Video Workshop 11 Community of presenters 11 Tutorials and source files 11 Using Adobe Video Workshop 12 Extras 12 Adobe Design Center 12 Adobe Developer Center 12 Customer support 13 Downloads 13 Adobe Labs 13 User
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    Controls under the Input Preview Monitor 30 Tool buttons 30 Output Preview Monitor and previewing the output 31 Magnifying and repositioning the view in the monitors 33 Sliders 34 Grid controls 34 Timecode fields 34 Tabs 35 Keyer tab 35 Colors tab 38 Scene tab 40 Pan & Zoom tab 41 Input
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    a ses- sion 65 Matching input clips and virtual sets 65 Adding overlay layers 66 Using a still image as the input clip 66 Supported input formats 67 Creating elements for a set or individual layers 68 Backgrounds 69 Overlays 70 Finished, composited scene 71 Advanced compositing tasks 72
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    the finished video 119 Outputting still images (Frame Sequence 122 Outputting clips or stills with an alpha channel 122 Chapter 5: Troubleshooting and getting help 123 Updating software 123 Updating Ultra 123 Updating device drivers 123 Updating the Windows® operating system 124 Technical
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    Technical support web pages 124 Run the DirectX Diagnostic Tool 124 StatusLog.txt file 125 Symptoms and solutions 125 Index 127 7
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    8
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    overview of the many resources available to you. You have access to instructional videos, plug-ins, templates, user communities, seminars, tutorials, RSS feeds, and much more for various Adobe products. Installation Installing the software To review complete system requirements and recommendations
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    the software) Troubleshooting Customer support Legal notices Resources Adobe Help resources Documentation for your Adobe software is available in a variety of formats. In-product and LiveDocs Help In-product Help provides access to all documentation and instructional content available at
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    Adobe publishing partners in the Adobe Store. A printed workflow guide is included with all Adobe Creative Suite® 3 products, and some stand-alone Adobe products include a printed getting started guide. Adobe Video Workshop The Adobe come with an illustrated tutorial and source files, so you
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    on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/ultra. Click the Tutorials link to see the tutorials. The video files referred to in the tutorials are located in the folders in the Browse tab in Ultra. Adobe Design Center Adobe Design Center offers articles, inspiration, and instruction from industry
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    'll find RSS feeds, online seminars, SDKs, scripting guides, and other technical resources. Visit Adobe Developer Center at www.adobe.com/go/developer. Customer support Visit the Adobe Support website, at www.adobe.com/support, to find troubleshooting information for your product and to learn about
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    range of languages. To participate in forums or blogs, visit www.adobe.com/communities. Essential features Get superior keying results even from marginal sources video sources. Ultra also supports HD and HDV frame dimensions, including 1080i, 1080p, and 720p, with support for a variety of standard
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    for high-resolution stills up to 4096x4096 pixels, allowing digital images to be used as high-definition input sources and backgrounds. With image support for BMP, JPG, PNG, TIFF, TGA, and PPM files, users can export high-resolution keyed stills for further editing or output to print or the
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    Extensive input and output Video formats supported for input include AVI, QuickTime, MPEG, DV, and any format for which you have a compatible channel). Output files with alpha channels can be used directly by other programs, such as Adobe After Effects, for further compositing. 16 Getting started
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    2 NOTE Step-by-step workflow The following is an overview of the general workflow for creating a session, compositing, and exporting a movie with Adobe® Ultra® CS3. Steps 1, 4, and 10 are required. Step 3 is required for the source input layer; other layers are optional. Steps 5 through 9 may
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    opaque. The Hands Apart clip has a well-lit, even background that can be keyed out well with only this one adjustment. Some backgrounds require more manual fine-tuning to achieve a clean, convincing key. For more information, see "Fine-tuning the Keyer settings" on page 84. Quick-start session NOTE
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    (.avi) from the Format menu, and choose MJPEG Compressor. 10. Make sure that the Folder that you are exporting to is set to \My Documents\Adobe Ultra CS3\My Output Clips. 11. (Optional) Change the name of the file in the File Name field. 12. Click Save Output. Ultra renders the
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    20 Quick-start session
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    any changes to the keyer quality settings. Ultra exceeds other tools in many ways. One of the most noteworthy and powerful ways is that Adobe offers a wide range of virtual sets that provide background and, in many cases, foreground elements for video clips. Virtual sets come in collections known
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    about virtual sets, see "Virtual sets" on page 24. Ultra comes with a few included virtual sets, including one of the Master Sets Libraries, MSL1. Adobe sells additional collections of virtual sets as Master Sets Libraries. You can also create your own custom virtual sets. 22 Product overview
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    use an inset (Source B) to fill the frame. For an example of this type of a session, see Ultra Tutorial #7 on the Ultra support web page, www.adobe.com/support/ultra. Input Clip or Live Preview This is the main video source shot against a greenscreen or bluescreen, which you key and composite with
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    Active layer To manipulate a layer by using any of the tabs, the layer must be the active layer. To make a layer the active layer, either click its thumbnail or select it from the list below the Input Preview Monitor. The active layer is displayed in the Input Preview Monitor, and the light next to
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    labeled 16x9, Ultra Master Sets use a 4:3 frame aspect ratio. For instructions on converting this aspect ratio for a widescreen session, see Tutorial #15 "Using 4:3 sets in a 16:9 project" on the Ultra support website, www.adobe.com/support/ultra. The name of a virtual set provided as a part of the
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    be framed from the waist up. C) Wide: Designed for the subject to be standing, visible from head to foot, and possibly scaled down. For instructions on assembling a set using your own graphics, see "Creating elements for a set or individual layers" on page 68. For more information, see the following
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    User interface This section provides an orientation to the controls and displays that you use in Adobe® Ultra®. A) Input area B) Output area C) Controls area The Ultra interface consists of the following main regions: The input area in the upper left consists of
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    The set of tabs along the bottom of the window serve many purposes. The six tabs on the left are for setting the key and making all of the necessary adjustments to the layers and sources. Near the center, the Output tab is for setting session properties and rendering the final composited movie. The
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    You can view the Input Monitor with its original, unkeyed background or with the checkerboard alpha background. To switch between these display modes, choose View > Input Clip Preview Background, and then choose either Original Source or Alpha Grid. A white rectangle in the Input Preview Monitor and
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    to a specific time in the clip. Transport controls: Standard controls for playing and navigating video clips. Preview slider: This is the slider for manually previewing (scrubbing) video clips. Active Layer list: Shows which layer is the active layer. To select a different layer to be the active
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    Key point (input clip only): Clicking with this tool in the Input Preview Monitor sets a key point for either the One Color Pickup or Color Spread keying method. For more information, see "Single Key Point Method (One Color Pickup)" on page 79 or "Multiple Key Points Method (Color Spread)" on page
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    A white rectangle in the Input Preview Monitor and Output Preview Monitor identifies the action-safe area. Content outside this area may not be visible if the output movie is viewed on a television. To show or hide the action-safe overlay, choose View > Safe Area Overlay or press Alt+S. The Output
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    to the full-frame view when you're finished examining part of the image with the Output Preview Monitor zoomed can help you avoid problems. These problems may result because you changed the size, position, and orientation of one or more layers, but forgot that the Output Preview Monitor was zoomed
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    the desired frame and clicking the Set button for the appropriate control, or by typing the value in the text box. If you enter a timecode manually, do not click the Set button, because that overwrites the value you typed with the current timecode for the active layer. 34 Product overview
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    Timecode in Ultra is relative to the beginning of the clip or the overall session. The timecode of the first frame of an untrimmed clip or scene is always 00:00:00.00. Tabs This section describes the tabs that appear below the Input Preview Monitor and Output Preview Monitor. Keyer tab The Keyer tab
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    Load: Loads saved settings, letting you transfer keyer settings from one session to another with clips using similar lighting. Save: Saves the current settings, but not the key points. This lets you save your work so that you can further experiment, or transfer keyer settings from one session to
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    sometimes called spill. Desaturation compensates for spill by reducing the saturation of certain color ranges. This can simplify the correction of severe color problems in the input clip. The effect of this setting on the Color Curve graph corresponds to that of the Transparency setting on the Alpha
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    TIP Spill Suppression: Decreases the level of spill color on the subject by adding the color opposite the key color to certain color ranges. This setting is used with the Desaturation setting. Color Curve: Changes the dynamic of desaturation. You can use this control with spill suppression. The
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    NOTE Processing mode options: Pre-Processing: For the input clip, adjusts colors before the input clip is keyed. You should limit Pre-processing adjustments to the input clip to changes that enhance the color of the background and allow better keying. You should perform all other color correction
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    scene and lets you set the end time. These controls apply only to virtual sets from a Master Sets Library. All of the virtual sets that support this functionality have "with Pause" in their names. Pause Begins At: Specifies a point in time that is specific to the current virtual set. Virtual sets
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    for other layers, are predefined. In these cases, the Reset button returns the values to the predefined coordinates, not to 0.00. Pan & Zoom tab Instructions for using the controls on the Pan & Zoom tab are provided in "Panning and zooming" on page 99. Enable: Turns panning and zooming on or
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    Preview Monitor, to the In or Out Point. If you enter a value manually, do not click this button to apply the value, because the entered value If the image appears stretched or squeezed, you can correct it by manually selecting the aspect ratio from this list. For more information, see "Setting
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    composited scene, as if you had shot the video clip with a camera lens that had a narrow depth of field. Some older video cards do not support this function. In this case, this slider does nothing. This control does not improve the focus of a source that was out of focus to begin
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    on the floor. The controls in the Settings for Shadow Region change depending on which shadow or reflection is selected on the left. For instructions on enabling and setting up shadows, see "Adding shadows and reflections" on page 111. Shadows & Reflections area Reset: Returns all of the settings
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    Shadows & Reflections list: Select or deselect entries to enable or disable a shadow or reflection. To select a shadow or reflection so that the controls on the right are active, click anywhere on that row. The active shadow or reflection is highlighted in blue. You should not load the reflection
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    Source: These options are available if you set the format and codec to QuickTime and Apple None or one of the other file formats that supports an alpha channel. 24-bit: Creates an output file with no alpha channel. 32-bit Keyed Source: Creates an output file with an alpha channel
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    Ultra are installed. Be sure to check out the Animations subfolder for the collection of dynamic 3D backgrounds that are provided standard with Ultra. For instructions on setting one of these images as a source, see "Assigning content to layers" on page 63. User interface 47
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    folder on the system, this tab is specifically intended for this purpose. If you store raw input clips and background stills in one location, Adobe recommends that you set that folder as the home for the Browse tab. Assigning a folder as a library's home 1. Click the desired library tab. 2. Navigate
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    Open Session (Ctrl+O): Opens a previously saved Ultra session. For more information, see "Opening a session" on page 55. Save Session (Ctrl+S): Saves the current session. For more information, see "Saving a session" on page 56. Save Session As: Saves the current session under a different name. For
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    Tools menu One-Click Key/Apply Points (Ctrl+K): Applies either the Set Key or Apply Points method to the input clip in the Input Preview Monitor. For more information, see "Setting the key" on page 76. Clear All Key Points (Ctrl+E): Clears all of the points from the input clip in the Input Preview
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    Mode (F9): Plays from start to finish, continuously. Help menu Help (F1): Accesses the built-in Help document. Online Support: Starts a web browser and opens the Ultra support page on the Adobe website. FAQ: Starts a web browser and opens the Ultra FAQ web page. Find More Sets Online: Starts a web
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    Overlay thumbnail For more information, see "Adding overlay layers" on page 66. Add New Overlay: Adds a new entry so that you can load a new overlay graphic to the current session. Remove Current Overlay: Deletes the overlay from the current session. Output Preview Monitor Reset All: Resets all of
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    Delete: Deletes the file from storage (e.g., hard disk). Rename: Opens the name field for editing. Blank spot on one of the library tabs If an option is dimmed or not present, it is not available for the current item. Paste: Pastes the file from the clipboard. Create New Folder: Creates a child
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    54 Product overview
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    Ultra, a session is the basic framework within which you work to create a composited movie. An Ultra session is very similar to a composition in Adobe After Effects. Each session contains multiple layers that are composited together, and each of these layers has a video, image, or virtual set file
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    the default session's path The default folder for saving sessions is \My Documents\Adobe Ultra CS3\My Sessions, which is also the default path for the Sessions to find them. If sources are in the default, \Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Ultra CS3\Content location, then Ultra can find them. If the session
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    You can then set the key as you normally would and check for problems such as hotspots, wrinkles, shadows, and color spill from the background onto intended only for evaluating the setup before recording clips. Ultra does not support real-time keying output of a live source. Switching to Live Preview
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    DV in real time requires a lot of processing power, Adobe recommends that you use a fast computer. On slower computers, or hue may change when on-camera subjects move across the frame. Adjusting the camera manually, try to match the intended virtual background as closely as possible by adjusting the
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    After you adjust the lighting and camera settings so that the input clip matches the virtual background as closely as possible, you can bring them closer still by performing color corrections in Ultra. You can color-correct each layer independently. Sometimes adjusting the color of the background to
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    results. There are several aspects to a good backdrop. Color and finish: Adobe recommends green as the best backdrop color for typical Ultra usage. In some it tight enough to remove the folds and prevent rippling from air currents. You can use the elastic straps with clips designed for holding bedsheets to
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    the background onto the subject can interfere with getting a convincing key. Although spill suppression features in Ultra can greatly reduce color spill problems, being careful while you're shooting is better yet. Keep the following points in mind: The larger the background, the more significant
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    adding a little sweat to the brow or some ocean breeze from an offcamera fan. Improving the quality of the source footage and facilitating recording Adobe® OnLocation CS3 can take a lot of the guesswork out of recording video that will key well. OnLocation provides tools that will help you improve
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    in a minute or less to confirm that all will go smoothly during postproduction. To learn more about OnLocation, go to the Adobe website (www.adobe.com), and download a free trial version. Assigning content to layers This section explains how to assign a source to a layer and addresses some of the
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    NOTE Changing sources for a layer The methods outlined previously work regardless of whether a source is already assigned to the layer. When you change the source assignment, the new source inherits most of the adjustments to the layer that were made on any of the tabs. The only exceptions are the
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    Inputting sources that use film alpha, such as Avid (Invert Alpha option) Video systems conventionally interpret an alpha channel value of 0 to indicate complete transparency. Film systems conventionally interpret an alpha channel value of 0 to indicate complete opacity. When importing a video
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    current overlay has no source assigned or if four of these layers already exist. Using a still image as the input clip You can assign any supported graphic format as the input clip, key it, and then output a composited still image or video clip. To output a still image, use the Frame Sequence
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    use, and then reduce it after you apply all of the camera moves. Supported input formats Ultra supports HD and HDV video, QuickTime video files, and an expanded list of .m2v, .m2t) QuickTime (.mov) Windows Media (.wmv) Adobe virtual set (.mfx) Creating and assigning sources and virtual sets 67
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    set. The principals are the same regardless of whether you're working in an image-editing application such as Photoshop or a 3D application such as Maya™ or 3DMax™. Keep the following general pointers in mind as you proceed: Supported file types: PNG, JPEG, BMP, PPM, TIFF and Targa (TGA). 68 How to
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    regions are simple to create. You can assign any image of a supported file type as a background. As a rule, you want the frame create an alpha (transparency) region in the image for each inset. In Photoshop and other image-editing applications, this can be accomplished in many ways, including
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    When you create the alpha region, it is often best to draw a frame around it, as well, such as the pink border drawn around the alpha region in this example. Overlays The foreground element can be any object or structure that you want to appear in front of the subject for at least part of a scene.
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    all around is to shoot it against a greenscreen and then delete that background in Photoshop. If you want to have two or more objects in the foreground, you finished, composited scene looks like. NOTE This example illustrates a common problem that ruins the illusion of the composited scene. The
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    the subject is entering the scene through that door. It's likely that the subject's right hand would be behind the overlay when gesturing. For instructions on getting around this type of situation, see "Advanced compositing tasks" on page 72. Advanced compositing tasks You may want or need to have
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    Trim times Overlay In Point: 0:10.01 Out Point: 0:20.00 In Point: 0:20.01 Out Point: 0:40.00 Composited shot Because saving clips in Ultra is fast, particularly if you use the GPU Boost feature, you may find it quicker to render the complete scene multiple times-once with each overlay-and then
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    folder in the Master Set folder for the selected virtual set. 1. Browse to where the virtual sets are stored. The default path is C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Ultra CS3\Content\Virtual Sets\[Master Set name]. 2. If you want to keep a version of the Master Set in its original form, copy its entire
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    you install a Master Sets Library, it is automatically stored in the same place that you installed Ultra. By default, the path is C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Ultra CS3\Content\Virtual Sets\. After the installation, you can move some or all of the virtual sets to an alternate drive. Moving a Master
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    . The method that you should use depends on several factors. The following procedure should help you determine the method to use and whether additional manual refinements are necessary. 1. If the color of the background is not well saturated, first enhance the color of the background. 2. If there is
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    80. If you have a video card that supports Pixel Shader 2.0, Ultra provides a feature that , enable GPU Boost on the Keyer tab. Adobe recommends the following models of graphics cards or to improve the quality. You may not recognize this problem until you've tried unsuccessfully to get a good
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    Key button with the subject in the frame. This method works only when the frame is free of anything in the foreground. To resolve this problem, either drag the preview slider to a show clear reference frame and click Set Key again, deselect Enable on the Keyer tab, or use one of
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    Setting Key Points (Apply Points Method) Ultra provides two methods for setting the key using key points that you select. In general, you should only need to use one of these methods if you do not have a reference frame that shows only the color screen background with nothing in the foreground. If
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    . For a background without pronounced discontinuities, three to five key points are normally sufficient, and their exact position is not critical. Backgrounds with problem areas, such as folds in the backdrop or corners where a wall meets the floor or another wall, will require more key points and
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    2. Look for pools of darker and brighter screen color (blue or green) in the background, and click once in each of these regions to set the key points. In a dark pool, the key point should be where it's darkest. If there's a hotspot, the point should be where it's brightest. In the following example
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    the view of the Input Preview Monitor. For more information, see "Input area and Input Preview Monitor" on page 28. For a part of a problem area that the subject never passes in front of, masking the area generally produces better results. For more information, see "Cropping and spot masking the
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    In some sessions, masking can introduce space that makes it look like the subject is appearing from thin air rather than entering the frame from behind a foreground element as intended. To remedy this problem, move the input clip, which eliminates the need to crop the side. For more information, see
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    Fine-tuning the Keyer settings If an input clip has a washed out or inconsistent background color, a tricky subject, or other keying challenges, you must manually change the input clip to get the results you expect. Even some high-quality input clips may require more than clicking the Set Key button
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    you see the key better are zooming in on a trouble spots and switching to a neutral background. For information options to see which one best reveals various problems. In general, black and white work the key are usually not visible. Therefore, Adobe recommends that you use the white and black test
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    Keep in mind that each step in the process moves you closer to the goal of a convincing key, so don't try to accomplish too much with any given adjustment. After performing these steps a few times, you'll learn how the later steps build on the earlier ones. This sense of the whole process will serve
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    4. Increase Desaturation so that all of the remaining green turns magenta, but not so far that the magenta bleeds onto the subject. If you're working with a bluescreen, the blue remnants turn yellow. A) Halo turned magenta. B) Desaturation went too far; magenta bleeding onto subject. 5. Decrease
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    change the Post-Processing settings, there may be a problem that you can resolve in future clips by improving the the keying tutorials available on the Ultra support website: www.adobe.com/support/ultra. If you are preserving the shadow instructions for panning and zooming within a session. 88 How to
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    shots. In these cases, correct the layer's position with the Input Offset controls. Because the offset is hardware-dependent, some video cards do not fully support this functionality. Positioning layers and performing virtual camera moves 89
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    Adjusting the framing The Position In Scene and Input Offset controls are only two methods for controlling the scale of images or the framing of what's displayed in the Output Preview Monitor. If what you see in the monitor is not what you expect, check the settings described in the following table.
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    TIP NOTE Setting the size, position, and orientation of a layer plane The Scene tab contains the controls for changing the size, position, or orientation of a layer. Changing the scale and position of the input clip and other layers is a basic step in the typical workflow for setting up a session.
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    Changing the position and scale of a layer plane A) Y axis - Vertical position: Drag vertically. B) Z axis - Scale: Shift-drag vertically. C) X axis - Horizontal position: Drag horizontally. The Position In Scene control sets the position and the size of the layer. Before repositioning the input
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    working with the virtual sets that you create, you may find this slider preferable to the grid control because it works from the ground up. Adobe recommends that you position the bottom of the layer plane as desired with the grid control, and then change the scale by using the Size
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    frame, you typically scale and position each inset to its correct location as defined by the transparent regions in the custom background. Adobe recommends the following workflow: 1. Assign the desired basic set and background. If necessary, change the size, scale, and orientation of the background
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    7. If the basic set has another inset layer, then select it through the list above the inset's thumbnail and repeat steps 3 through 7 for that layer. Moving and scaling an input within the layer plane: Input Offset controls If you're not familiar with how moving a layer with the Input Offset
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    scale of the source and, if necessary, repositioning it for the desired framing. The Input Offset controls require hardware capabilities that not all video cards support. For those video cards, you may see artifacts around an image when it does not fill the layer plane. In some cases, cropping the
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    TIP If you're working with a keyed input clip and want to see the size, position, and orientation of the input clip within the frame, try either disabling the keyer or switching to a solid image. The easiest way to do this is to right-click the Input Clip thumbnail, and then choose Assign White,
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    lines. With the camera turned on its side, you can shoot footage that you can then zoom in on much more in Ultra without pixelation problems. Changing the scale of the input To shrink or enlarge the input, Shift-drag the Input Offset grid vertically, or enter a value in the Scale
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    To make the moves smoother and more natural, the rate accelerates at the beginning and decelerates at the end. Adobe uses a Hermite spline to calculate the rate curve. Ultra's support for high-resolution graphics and HD video and its pan and zoom capacity lets you create some truly stunning results
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    it's visible. If there's no content there, then all you see is solid black. To avoid breaking the context of the Pan & Zoom grid control, Adobe recommends that you do not increase the scale of a layer plane by using the Scene tab beyond the size of the visible frame unless there
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    A) Black box represents the borders of the publishing frame. Content beyond the box is cropped; area inside the box but beyond the grid may be blank. B) Y axis - Vertical position: Drag up and down. C) Z axis - Scale: Shift-drag vertically. D) X axis - Horizontal position: Drag sideways. To pan
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    of the input clip after programming virtual camera moves. Therefore, Adobe recommends that you get the session's timing settled before designing The position and zoom settings change dynamically as you move the grid control or manually change the values in the X, Y, and Z fields. However, the time
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    Programming a continuous virtual move with multiple points To produce a continuous move that zigs and zags, follows an arc, or changes zoom direction rather than going straight from point A to point B, add a sequence of pan and zoom points, one at each position where you want the pan or zoom
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    Achieving the correct timing for video clips This section describes the tasks involved in achieving the correct timing of video clips. Trimming the In and Out Points in a video clip If a video clip contains any content at the beginning or end that you don't want to include in the current session,
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    NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE To return the In Point setting to zero or the Out Point setting to the end of the clip, click the Reset button for the appropriate control. If you know the desired timecode, you can also type it directly into the field. In this case, do not click the Set button because it
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    These instructions refer specifically to setting the Offset Into Scene time for a VirtualTrak effect, but the steps are essentially the session using a clip that's built into Ultra, see the tutorial titled "Adjusting Timing on a VirtualTrak set shot" at www.adobe.com/support/ultra. 106 How to NOTE
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 107
    Setting a pause point for a VirtualTrak effect Some VirtualTrak sets let you pause the effect so that the virtual camera move allows time for a video clip to play, subject to talk, or credits to roll. For example, in the "Library Book to Talent with Pause" set in the Master Sets Library 1 (MSL1),
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 108
    Premiere Pro, using the same codec, or you can add noise using Adobe Premiere Pro. Matching the audio to the virtual environment: In some situations, change the audio in Ultra. You can use an application such as Adobe Audition or Soundbooth. Correcting colors Ultra lets you adjust the colors of
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 109
    NOTE For the other layers, Ultra does not perform processing like keying, so the pre-processing and post-processing distinction is irrelevant. You can change the colors of layers in a virtual set like any other source. For example, if you don't like the Digital Studio sets in blue, you can use the
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 110
    or blue channel, then the pixel is not affected at all. Adjusting Gamma is similar to using the midpoint slider of the Levels control in Adobe Photoshop. As you adjust a color slider, the results are reflected in the Input Preview Monitor and Output Preview Monitor and in the reference display to
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 111
    Adding shadows and reflections When done correctly, shadows and reflections provide a key finishing touch that helps sell the illusion, melding the subject into the scene. When absent or done poorly, they can destroy the compositing result. Ultra lets you generate up to three virtual shadows and a
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 112
    Changing the position of a floor shadow There are four controls involved in setting the position of a shadow. The following diagram shows the result of all of the controls. Although the process looks complex, when you take it step by step, the process is simple enough that you can probably learn how
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 113
    TIP To position shadows and reflections 1. Use the Baseline slider to align the bottom of the shadow or reflection with the bottom of the subject. Adjusting this slider moves the horizontal plane on which the shadow lies (the red arrow in the following diagram). A) Baseline slider bar - Top setting
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 114
    3. Adjust the Angle slider to set the direction that the shadow extends from the subject. This corresponds to the angle between the line from the camera to the subject (the black line in the following diagram) and the angle from the light stand to the subject (the green line in the following diagram
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 115
    TIP 5. Adjust the Spread slider to change the width of the shadow relative to the size of the source. This has the same result as moving the light closer or farther away along its current line (the yellow line in the following diagram), which in the real world involves moving the light stand closer
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 116
    to produce long shadows cast off behind the subject and off to the sides. Although you can move the shadows to exactly the same positions, Adobe recommends that you keep them in their native sectors if for no other reason than to know which shadow is which when you return to
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 117
    1. Opacity controls how transparent the shadow or reflection is across its entire extent. As opacity increases, the color of the shadow shifts toward black. A) Opacity slider bar - Transparent setting B) Opacity slider bar - Opaque setting 2. Falloff applies a gradient of transparency. The shadow or
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 118
    tab. A standard Windows Save As dialog box appears. 3. Change the path by using the Save In field, if desired. The default path is My Documents/ Adobe Ultra CS3/My Settings. 118 How to
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 119
    addition, you have several frame rates to choose from, with both progressive and interlaced options. Ultra is compatible with applications such as After Effects® and Adobe® Premiere® Pro, as well as other popular video editing software. Saving the finished video 119
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 120
    an NLE or another application, Adobe recommends that you save the output problem in the NLE, not Ultra, you can avoid problems by exporting a session to the proper resolution. To save the finished video 1. On the Output tab, select a format: DirectShow: DirectShow is a Windows component that supports
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 121
    VfW API do not support it. With Type 2, audio is saved as an additional audio stream into the file. This type is supported by VfW applications, and in an interlaced video. Clothing with a fine pattern is known to introduce this problem. 9. Enter a name for the output movie in the File Name field. 10
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 122
    of frame sequence than with video. This file format also makes the composited content available for use in standard imageediting applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Fireworks. To export a series of stills, select Frame Sequence in the Format field, and then select the image type in the Codec
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 123
    , choose Help > Updates. Follow the on-screen instructions to check for an update and to download it if one exists. Even if the update does not fix the problem immediately, it can improve the ability of Adobe technicians to isolate the problem and identify a solution. Updating device drivers The
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 124
    to update the Windows operating system. 1. Open Internet Explorer. 2. Select Tools > Windows Update. 3. Follow the on-screen instructions. Technical Support Adobe is happy to help you identify and solve any problems that you may have using Ultra software. You can save time and help us to isolate the
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 125
    into your message. StatusLog.txt file To troubleshoot some problems, you may also be asked to provide Technical Support with the contents of the StatusLog.txt file Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe Ultra CS3 Windows Vista: C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Adobe\Adobe Ultra CS3 Symptoms
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 126
    126 Troubleshooting and getting help
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 127
    action-safe zone 32 active layer about 24 Adobe Design Center 12 Adobe OnLocation 62 Adobe Video Workshop 11 alpha channel interpretation 65 Apply 84 customer support 124 D defocusing a source 119 Design Center 12 directing for virtual environments 62 DirectX Diagnostic Tool 124 downloads updates,
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 128
    17, 21 P PAL 9 Pan & Zoom tab 41 panning 33, 99 Pause Point Settings 40, 107 playing input clips 28 sessions 31 plug-ins 13 in Adobe Store 13 Plus-90 mode 98 Position In Scene controls 40 position of layers 91 Post-processing controls 38 Pre-processing controls 39 previewing output
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 129
    sliders 34 software downloads 13 sources assigning to layers 63 changing 64 supported formats 67 support 124 system requirements 9 T tabs 35 technical support 124 thumbnails, layer 28, 29 timecode fields 34 timing 104 Timing & Settings For Input Clip 42 tools 30 trimming clips 104 troubleshooting
  • Adobe 25510629 | User Guide - Page 130
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USER GUIDE
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