Adobe Ultra CS3 User Guide

Saving the finished video

Ultra provides several options for exporting the composited output of a session for use in nonlinear editors (NLEs) and other graphics and video applications. You can produce videos in HD and SD, you can output in 16:9 and 4:3 frame aspect ratios, and you can save out as a series of still images or video. In 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.

Although you often compress your video for distribution when it's finished, you should avoid uncompressing and recompressing clips as you work with them at different stages in the post-production process, because each cycle degrades the quality of the audio and video. If you are working with a movie output from Ultra in an NLE or another application, Adobe recommends that you save the output movies uncompressed. This yields the highest quality video, but also the largest files. However, you'll compress the finished product at a later time. To save uncompressed clips, set the format to DirectShow and set the codec to Uncompressed. Buttons for saving as a 24-bit or a 32-bit keyed source then appear below the codec field. Leave this set to 24-bit.

Lossless compression can and should be used for interchange between Ultra and non-linear editing systems.

 

You should generally save output movies in the same resolution that you will use in the editor. One situation that can cause problems is the difference between 720x480 and 720x486. If you use a clip that you export from Ultra at 720x480 in an editor that's set to 720x486, you may have problems because some NLEs incorrectly stretch a 480-line video to fill 486 lines, thereby causing problems with the field order. While that's clearly a 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 a wide variety of video codecs. By default, DirectShow supports several common media file formats, such as ASF, MPEG, AVI, MP3, and WAV sound files.

      QuickTime: Apple QuickTime is a file format for a container for audio, video, and still-image files. To output to a QuickTime file, you must have QuickTime installed on your computer.

      Frame Sequence: This option lets you export a separate still image for each frame in the session. For more information, see Outputting still images (Frame Sequence).

    2. Select a codec. The codec options that are available in this list depend on the format that you select and, in the case of DirectShow and QuickTime, on what codecs are installed on the computer.

    3. Depending on which codec option you selected, the Configure button may be enabled. If it is, then the codec has parameters that you can customize. See the codec's documentation for more information about the options in its Configuration dialog box.

    4. Depending on the codec option, there may be additional options from which you can choose. The following are some of these options:

      Uncompressed options: 24-bit (standard) or 32-bit Keyed Source (preserves alpha channel). For more information, see Outputting clips or stills with an alpha channel. If you select 32-bit, then you also have the option to invert the alpha channel for compatibility with applications that interpret alpha channels as film alpha (0 means opacity) instead of video alpha (0 means transparency).

      DV Video Encoder: Type 1 (file containing separate streams for audio and video content) or Type 2 (single stream for audio and video). The most common type is Type 2.

      With Type 1, the multiplexed Audio-Video is kept in its original multiplexing and saved together into the video section of the AVI file. This method has a relatively small file size, but Windows applications based on the 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 has a larger file size.

    5. Select a resolution. Some codecs lock this option.

    6. Select a frame rate. The frame rates that are available vary depending on whether you are working in NTSC mode or in PAL mode.

    7. Select a field order that's compatible with the editing application. If you're not sure which field should be first, see the NLE's documentation. Standard-definition video (such as NTSC DV) is typically lower-field first, whereas many high-definition formats (such as DVCProHD 1080i) are upper-field first.

    8. Enable the Flicker Filter if the composited scene contains high-contrast thin lines or other patterns that may produce an unpleasant strobing effect 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. If you want the output movie saved to a path other than the path shown in the Folder field, then click the Browse button, and set the desired path.

    11. Click the Save Output button to export the video. The status bar indicates what percentage of the job is finished, and the Time Remaining field estimates how much longer it will take.

    NOTE

     

    You may notice that one option on this control panel tab--aspect ratio--is not included in this sequence of steps. That's because you should have selected 4:3 or 16:9 when you created the session. Changing it at this point may require repositioning layers and reprogramming virtual camera moves.