import transparent video in Captivate

Report · Oct 03, 2016

Hello everyone,

I know this question has often been asked, but is it possible to matter in a transparent video in Captivate? I found tutorials showing that, but it was on the old version of Captivate and especially with a .flv file, but now it is no longer possible to export this way on After Effect, therefore I am forced to use a "Quicktime" file.

There is any alternative ?

Thank you

Report · Oct 03, 2016

Hi there

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking here. Captivate certainly works with videos that have an alpha channel that provides the transparent background feature. So it will use such a video but it will do nothing to allow you to create such a video for use later.

To my knowledge there are only two video container formats that allow this. FLV and MOV. And as we have all likely heard, even our dear US government is advising that we need to remove QuickTime (needed to understand the MOV format).

Normally when you import a video to Captivate, if it doesn't sense the video as an FLV (and possibly one or two other formats) it will launch the Adobe Media Encoder (AME) to transcode the video into a desirable format. But this could also munge the alpha channel.

You might consider downloading and installing a transcoding application known as handbrake. https://handbrake.fr/

Hope something here was helpful... Rick

Report · Oct 03, 2016

Hello everyone,

In the first instance, thank you for the answers.

To be more clear, I filmed a video in green brackground, I cut from After Effects and I export that in ".mov" and I import this in Captivate and effectively, the software tells me that he can't stand it file type and opens Encoder to export in .flv, but in this time, the transparency disappearing. That is my problem.

I will try your suggestions.

Thanks again.

Virginie

Report · Oct 04, 2016

Hi Captiv8r,

"You might consider downloading and installing a transcoding application known as handbrake. https://handbrake.fr/"

Can you tell me more about it ?

Thank You.

V.D

Report · Oct 04, 2016

There are several hacks to use the alpha channel in html5 video. Some browser support it using WebM video format.

There are solutions using the canvas element.

You will not be able to do it natively in Captivate. May I ask why you need a transparent video? Even if you manage to use a transparent video it would be in an iFrame and may not give you the intended result anyway.

Report · Oct 04, 2016

Hello TLCMediaDesign,

I need transparency in my video, because I want to bring up on my video, a person who speaks throughout the training.

As this example below: http://mooc.gestiondeprojet.pm/?utm_source=unow.fr&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=catalogue

That is not possible ?

Thank you

Virginie

Report · Oct 04, 2016

If your training is done using Full Motion Video from beginning to end, you would likely do well to investigate using TechSmith's Camtaisa product. Built into Camtasia is a feature called "Remove a color". So you could layer in the video of the person and use the feature to remove the background surrounding the actor.

Cheers... Rick

Report · Oct 05, 2016

If your Captivate background is white you could put a white background in your video and export to mp4.

Then insert your video in an html page using the video tag with no controls, here is an example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

</body>
</html>

Put your video and the html page together and zip.

Insert as an html5 animation and drag the animation to the bottom of the stacking order..

Open the Captivate.ini in the root of the Captivate program files folder and set UseWidget7 = 1. This will allow you to put objects on top of the video.

Report · Oct 03, 2016

Alternative to FLV in Captivate is MP4 (H264) but I read contradictory information about that format supporting alpha channels. Do not use Quicktime, it is not directly supported by CP.

Report · Oct 03, 2016

Hi Virginied,

When you say:

1. Import a video with an Alpha Channel are you trying to import a video that has an object in it and everything else around it will be transparent or

2. Do you mean importing a video that has an alpha channel composited into the footage?

For example 1, that will not work but example 2 works fine. As the Alpha Channel is not exported on render.

Cheers,

Steve

Report · Oct 12, 2016

Hi Virginie,

Thank you for contacting Adobe.

I have sent you a PM, in order to troubleshoot the issue further. Looking forward for your response.

Regards

Ashish Kumar

Report · Oct 13, 2016

Myself and a colleague have the exact some dilemma/question....

I know a gif with transparency can be used. But that's no good if sound is needed.

Was there any solution to this Ashish.K

Report · Oct 18, 2016

Hi Arash,

You can try to import .mp4 videos with transparency. There should be no issues playing these videos in Captivate. Let me know if you face any issues.

Regards

Ashish Kumar

Report · Oct 22, 2016

If I import an mp4 that contains say a static image as the background, then a video element, like a moving shape, that has transparency. That works fine.

But if I create a video of a rotating shape for example, that has transparency and nothing behind it, and import it into Captivate then it will show the shape against a black background.

Is that correct? Ashish.K

Report · Oct 22, 2016

Hi Arashmaz,

There is no such thing as a "transparent" video. When rendered to any format it always takes on the background colour, or if there is not a background colour then it defaults to black. A video, at its core, is merely series of pictures (usually 30 frames a second) that are wrapped in "container" format (MP4, AVI, etc).

The only way to achieve what you want is to take your existing background and place it in the video. That will give the illusion that your object is on top of the background while the video plays in the course.

Cheers,

Steve

Report · Oct 22, 2016

Sorry Steve, I have to disagree with you on this.

Take a look at this brief video I created and you will see why.

Click here to view

Cheers... Rick

Report · Oct 22, 2016

Hey Rick,

Thanks for taking the time to create that. I certainly don't have an issue being wrong, but I have a couple of questions.

1. Can you actually publish the project, not just preview, and retain the alpha properties in the FLV?

2. Will your FLV video play on any Apple OS system once published?

If the answer to both those questions are yes then I stand corrected.

Cheers

Steve

Report · Oct 22, 2016

Hi Steve

Ahhhh, plot twist!

See, I didn't see anything in your comment about things that are Apple specific. And on that note, I'll happily concede that I'm out of my depth as I've never had any opportunity to try this out on Apple things. So you are likely spot on with that. Perhaps the video does behave exactly as you say in that world. My experience universe is primarily with the SWF output on desktops.

Cheers... Rick

Report · Oct 22, 2016

Hey Rick,

I suspect what you demonstrated is *exactly* what the OP is looking for. If they aren't concerned about, Apple systems, IPADS or IPhones. It might be a good workaround. Thanks for sharing it.

Cheers

Steve

Report · Oct 22, 2016

Steve, the problem is with MP4 which doesn't support transparency as does FLV.

HTML output doesn't use FLV, but MP4. Different codec, different functionality. And you know for certain that fruit devices do not support anything flashy...

Report · Oct 22, 2016

Hi Lilybiri,

You are correct! I use video a lot so I'm pretty familiar with these issues. Captivate Advanced Actions ... not so much!

Cheers,

Steve

Report · Oct 24, 2016

Thanks Rick...(I don't need a solution for 'fruit devices' just yet). Captiv8r

I'm aware FLV files can have a transparent background... the issue is actually publishing in Flash seems to be dying out.

It's no longer in After Effects and I can't find any options in Adobe Media Encoder.

I know there's Adobe Animate CC which is fine for Vector based animations (in fact I have used it before). But in the video you showed (if that's you?) how did you convert/publish actual video footage into an FLV file with transparency?

Report · Oct 24, 2016

Hello again

Aside from knowing this video was recorded against a green screen and later keyed to render the transparency, I have no clue what was done to it to create that FLV. This is a video that is provided along with training materials for Adobe Captivate classes. So I was only aware of its existence.

Wish I had more to offer. Unfortunately I don't.

Cheers... Rick

Report · Dec 11, 2016

Anyone found how to easily make a transparent background and then import into captivate?

Kind regards,

Riesa

Report · Dec 11, 2016

My animation is too long for a photoshop gif and needs audio.