RE: Other ways of doing things - LOGOS

["Tony Quinsee-Jover" <tony(at)hdheaven.co.uk>]

Title: RE: Other ways of doing things - LOGOS

Hi Jason,

See below….

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM] On Behalf Of Jason Morris
Sent: 20 November 2005 16:17
To: DS(at)Softimage.COM
Subject: Other ways of doing things - LOGOS

     Here are a few basic questions.  They are about tasks that I accomplish (one way or another) on the Nitris often, but I want to know other approaches to possibly speed up completing these tasks.  Let me thank you in advance for your responses.  I appreciate your help and I know that your responses help other users who browse these e-mails (as I often do).

1.  Often a client will give me their logo on disk as a graphic file (jpeg for example).  These logos are many times not TV ready (no alpha channel to do a quick key, not centered, often over a very cropped background -- meaning the edges of the logo are near or at the edge of the background, many times the logo is not white or black and the background color is not solid, perhaps it is gradient).  The first thing I would like to know is how you guys go about working with these logos to separate them and use them as a layer in your edits.

TJ>> A tree which starts with (usually) a Linear Luma Keyer.  If a Chroma (or HSL) Keyer would be a better starting point then use that.  Clean up the key with garbage mattes either from within the keyer or with the Matte Effect, or with a Graphics node.  While you're in the tree you can add a drop shadow, clean up colours with overlays etc etc.

2.  On occasion clients will want me to turn their logo into a 3D element.
Do you have to re-draw the logo in the 3d dve to recreate it as a 3D element or is there an easier way?

TJ>> If the logo is an EPS then you can import that straight into the 3D DVE (bear in mind it will be white - no colours come across from an EPS in that module).  If it's just flat artwork such as a JPG then you simply have to re-draw it.

Also, I am very new to the 3D world and when I draw several 3D shapes to create a graphic, the Nitris puts each shape in a different 3D space, so that when i animate the 3D logo that I have drawn, it does not appear as one solid shape.  What am I doing wrong?

TJ>> You are not grouping the objects. And/Or you are not putting them all on the same plane in Z-Space (take a look from above or the side - are they all lined up?)

3.  When in the graphics mode (2D), I have never been able to properly use the magic wand tool.  Does it work like Photoshop (meaning can I select an area, then press delete to cut out the unwanted selection) or does it work differently?

TJ>> It works differently. The DS Magic Wand will select an area.  You can tweak the settings to optimise its selection.  What you then do with the selection is up to you.  For instance if you've just selected a logo then you could do an Inverse Fill of a Reveal, painting on the Alpha.  This would give you a cut-out logo that you can use within a tree to do further "stuff" to.  Or you could fill the area with a Color Corrector and change it that way.  It's simply another tool for selecting an area.

Regards,
Tone :)