How do I export as video?

Choose FILE > Export as video... to export your BluffTitler show as a video file.

The following 5 settings are important when creating a video file:

1 RESOLUTION

This is the size of the video in pixels. Use the menu item FILE > Set show resolution... to set the resolution.

2 FRAME RATE

This is the animation speed in number of frames per second. Use the menu item FILE > Export as video... to set the frame rate.

3 FILE FORMAT

Use the menu item FILE > Export as video... to set the format.

Use Uncompressed AVI when the video is a temporary file meant for further processing in your video editing app (NLE). This gives you the best possible quality. Do not worry about the huge file size because the file is only temporary.

MP4 (MPEG-4) is the best choice when your video is the final product. Learn more

For some formats you might have to install an external encoder. Learn more

4 TRANSPARENCY

Mark the Include alpha channel checkbox in the FILE > Export as video... dialog to create videos with transparency information. This is useful when you want to overlay your titles onto your videos in your NLE.

5 QUALITY

Choose SETTINGS > High quality to switch to high quality. Unless you have a very fast machine, edit in normal quality and export in high quality.

Choose FILE > Export as video... to set the video export format.

BluffTitler supports the following formats:

• Uncompressed AVI
• Compressed AVI
• MP4 Learn more
• WebM (requires an external encoder)
• WMV (requires an external encoder)
• QuickTime MOV (requires an external encoder)
• Animated GIF (requires an external encoder)
• Numbered frames
• Filmstrip

Include alpha channel

Mark the Include alpha channel checkbox to export with transparency info. If the selected format does not support transparency, this checkbox is disabled.

Include last frame

A 3 second 30 fps video has 3 x 30 = 90 frames. When you mark the Include last frame checkbox, an extra frame is added at exactly 3 seconds that is rendered when the time slider is moved all the way to the right. For looping shows, always unmark this checkbox.

Other formats

Use your video editor to convert to other formats.

BluffTitler uses the MP4 encoder that comes with Windows. The format is H.264/AAC and the technology Media Foundation (MF).

If this encoder refuses to work, you can:

• Select an external video encoder
• Export as AVI and use your video editor to convert to MP4

This page gives you tips for using BluffTitler in combination with the following apps:

• Adobe Premiere
• AVS Video Editor
• Cyberlink PowerDirector
• DaVinci Resolve
• Grass Valley EDIUS
• ivsEdits
• Magix VEGAS
• Magix Video Pro X
• Magix Video deLuxe
• Photodex Proshow
• Pinnacle Studio
• Pinnacle Liquid
• PureMotion EditStudio
• Serif MoviePlus (123 Video Montage)
• Shutter Encoder
• Ulead VideoStudio
• XMedia Recode

Choose FILE > Import to import a video file into Adobe Premiere.

Transparency

When proxies are toggled on, Premiere seems to ignore the alpha channels of the videos.

For more info visit adobe.com

There are no issues with AVS Video Editor.

For more info visit avs4you.com

Cyberlink PowerDirector has trouble importing transparant AVI files. A workaround for this issue can be found here.

Another option is to install an external encoder and export as QuickTime MOV.

For more info visit cyberlink.com

DaVinci Resolve has trouble importing transparant AVI files. As a workaround, install an external encoder and export as QuickTime MOV.

For more info visit blackmagicdesign.com

The latest version of Grass Valley's EDIUS can import video files in any resolution and frame rate.

For more info visit grassvalley.com

For the best result export your show with the Grass Valley HQX Codec

Importing a video

Right click in the Repository window, choose Add Files > From Project Folders and drag the thumbnail of the video from the repository to the timeline.

Transparency

ivsEdits has no problems importing transparent videos.

For more info visit ivs.it

Quality

For the best quality, export as MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4 with the maximum bit rate of 240.000.000

Transparency

Vegas does not automatically recognise the alpha (transparency) channel in the AVI files. You can instruct Vegas to use the alpha channel by right clicking on the video in the timeline, choosing Properties and setting the Alpha Channel dropdown in the Media tab to Straight (unmatted). Make sure to place the transparent video in the Video Overlay track, above the background video.

This video tutorial demonstrates how to import a transparent BluffTitler show in Vegas Pro 15.

MOV

MOV videos encoded with Prores 4444 are incorrectly read in VEGAS 15 (transparency is lost) and VEGAS 17 (dirty result).

Peculiarities

Vegas 5 refuses to import files from a path containing the word "TITLE" - all uppercase. If ANY or ALL of the letters are lowercase, there is no problem reading or finding the file. Change the folder name, or move the file in question and you should not have any problems opening it.

Links

For more info visit vegascreativesoftware.com

Visit the English Vegas forum here.

Visit the Dutch Vegas forum here.

Peculiarities

Unlike most other video editors, the transparent overlay must be placed in the track below the background video.

Importing a video

Drag and drop the video file from the file browser onto the timeline.

AVI limitations

MAGIX Video deLuxe version 2007 and later support transparency. Older versions do not support AVIs with transparency info. Apart from that all resolutions and frame rates are accepted: MAGIX scales them to the required resolution.

Transparency

MAGIX Video deLuxe version 2007 and later support transparency. To import a transparent video perform the following steps:

• click the right mouse button
• open Video Effect
• click on Black Box in Mix FX

For more info visit magix.com

Importing videos into Photodex Proshow

Drag the video file from the folders list to the timeline.

Transparency

Proshow does not support transparent AVIs, but it can use another video as a mask. You can create this mask video by applying the System/ViewAlphaChannel effect to the camera layer. Let both the FX Invert and the FX Checkerboard properties to 0 (video must be white on a black background) and export your video as AVI with Transparency (Compressed or Uncompressed, as you want).

This trick requires the Producer version.

Importing videos into Pinnacle Studio

Select the Edit tab and use the dropdown and the two buttons to the right of the dropdown to select the BluffTitler created video file. Selected video files can be dragged onto the timeline.

Transparency

Transparent AVIs can be dropped on the overlay track of the timeline. This way they are rendered transparently on top of the video track.

Studio 10 can handle transparancy, but older versions seem to have problems handling transparent AVIs. If Studio complains about not being able to read your AVI file you will have to export your shows without transparency.

Stuttering DVDs

If your Studio 10 created DVDs stutter you have to switch from Best Quality to Automatic Quality.

Links

For more info visit pinnaclesys.com

BluffTitler exports which are not to be overlaid over video

Use Uncompressed AVI or Numbered Frames for maximum quality.

BluffTitler exports which are to be overlaid over video

Use the Uncompressed AVI with Transparency option. If file output size is an issue and you still wish to overlay an animation, you can use Liquid's Chroma Key option. Choose FILE > Set background colour... in BluffTitler to set the background colour. Once imported into Liquid you can use the Keying Editor located under Classic Clip FX/Editors with little or no adjustments.

When the BluffTitler exports are imported into Liquid Edition 5.5 they will need to be rendered as DV Quality before they can be used within the NLE. This usually starts automatically because of the "Background Render" feature of Liquid Edition 5.5.

Importing AVIs into Liquid Edition

Select the desired Rack and right click in the content window and choose Import, Media Clip.

Bitmap problem

Bitmaps (.BMP files) exported from Liquid Edition are dispayed as a white screen in BluffTitler. Loading the bitmap into Paint and saving the image again corrects the problem.

Links

For more info visit pinnaclesys.com

EditStudio has no problems importing BluffTitler generated videos.

Transparency

ES does not yet suppport AVI with transparency, so use the chroma key - and that is easy to use in ES.

Links

For more info visit mediachance.com

There are no issues importing BluffTitler generated video files into Serif MoviePlus 4 and Serif MoviePlus 5.

For more info visit serif.com

Shutter Encoder can be used to convert transparent AVI files into transparent MOV files.

Importing a video

Drag and drop the video file from the file browser(library) onto the timeline.

Transparency

VideoStudio can handle AVI files with transparency. In the timeline mode (not the default storyboard mode) you can see two video tracks. Drag the background video to the first track and the transparent AVI to the second. For some reason you have to switch between tracks a couple of times before the two video tracks are mixed correctly.

Peculiarities

VideoStudio does not scale video files to fullscreen, so make sure the resolution of the title animation matches the resolution of the background video.

Links

For more info visit ulead.com

XMedia Recode can be used to convert video files.