Help Needed: Exporting Issues with Trapcode Particular and Glow Effects in After Effects

Report · Dec 21, 2024

For reference, I am trying to recreate this animation by following a youtube video (Which I have done successfully)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87RtuWIKZQ

Problem Overview

I am encountering a persistent issue in Adobe After Effects where the exported particles (created using Trapcode Particular) do not match the appearance in the preview. Specifically:

1.The particles lose their glow and vibrant colors during export.

2.When exporting with transparency (RGB + Alpha), the particles appear gray, dull, and lack the intended glow.

3.When exporting without transparency, the glow and color look correct, but the background remains black, which I need to remove later.

Despite trying multiple settings, codecs, and workflows, I cannot get the export to exactly match the After Effects preview.

•Trapcode Particular Settings:

•Particles set to Screen and tested with Add blending modes.

•Glow effect applied to an adjustment layer initially, then directly to the particle layer.

I've uploaded to GIFs, to show you what I am dealing with. The CORRECT output has only the RGB channel, not the Alpha. The Incorrect GIF includes the alpha channel. But this logo will not be against a black backdrop, which is why I need help.

The main problem is that exporting with transparency (RGB + Alpha) results in particles that lose their glow and color vibrancy, appearing gray and flat. Without transparency, the particles look correct but have a black background that I cannot remove cleanly.

Export Settings

For each trial, I used:

•Format: QuickTime.

•Codecs Tested:

•ProRes 4444

•Animation

•Channels: RGB + Alpha.

•Depth: Millions of Colors+ and Trillions of Colors+.

•Color:

•Straight (Unmatted).

•Premultiplied (Matted).

Trials and Outcomes

Trial 1:

•Codec: ProRes 4444.

•Color Setting: Premultiplied (Matted).

•Result: The particles retained their hue but lacked clarity and did not look as they did in the preview.

Trial 2:

•Codec: ProRes 4444.

•Color Setting: Straight (Unmatted).

•Result: The particles lost their color and glow entirely, appearing gray and dull.

Trial 3:

•Codec: Animation.

•Color Setting: Premultiplied (Matted).

•Result: Same as Trial 1 (particles retained hue but lacked clarity).

Trial 4:

•Codec: Animation.

•Color Setting: Straight (Unmatted).

•Result: Same as Trial 2 (particles lost color and glow).

Trial 5:

•Format: PNG Sequence.

•Result: Lost significant detail, and glow did not render well.

Trial 6:

•Applied the Glow effect directly to the particle layer (instead of using an adjustment layer).

•Precomposed the particle layer with “Leave All Attributes”.

•Exported with ProRes 4444 and tested both Straight and Premultiplied alpha channels.

•Result: Same issues as before; particles lost color and glow with Straight Alpha and lacked clarity with Premultiplied.

Additional Troubleshooting

•Blending Modes:

•Tried both Screen and Add for the particle layer. Neither changed the outcome of the export.

•Test with Black Background:

•Exported without alpha (RGB only) and added a black background. The particles looked correct but retained the black background.

Report · Dec 22, 2024

Unless you tweak the particle settings this is never going to work properly. Technically there is nothing wrong. It's just the differences in internal blending vs. blending modes vs. baking in the cumulative values. The order of operations simply produces different results. A quick "fix" might be to actually unmultiply/ generate the transparency from Luma rather than using the native transparency. A simple Shift Channels or Channel Combiner applied to the pre-composed result can do that. Still, even then you may need to tweak values and/ or do stuff like duplicating the layer and treating it with effects like Levels or Curves to get an acceptable result.

Mylenium

Report · Dec 22, 2024

I'm not looking for a quick fix, I am willing to make the changes to have this work correctly. Can you tell me what exaclty will work in order to have the particles respond correctly on a transparent background?

Report · Dec 22, 2024

To maintain the fine glow and vibrancy of the particles, you’ll need to finish the composite over the intended background in After Effects.

If it must be done separately, try rendering the particles by themselves over black and then import that rendered movie back into an application that supports Add as a blending mode or the unmult effect.