Green Screen | User Manual

[norfolklad]

Having been using Videopad for a couple of weeks, I have just purchased it. During the purchase process, I opted to be able to download the user manual, rather than order the printed version. however, I am unable to locate the manual online. Can somebody please point me in the right direction. Apologies if this seems a silly question.

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

Not a silly question. The on-line pdf file (at least the one I can find) is relevant to version 2.xx...

http://pbdmultimedia...opad_manual.pdf

However there should be a version that came with the software. (Latest is 4.1)

Have you clicked on the question mark at the top right of the toolbar. or pressed F1?

This takes you to:

http://help.nchsoftw.../win/index.html

There is a small "next" link at the bottom of each screen as well as active links for each subject.

There are also some basic tutorials here: http://www.nchsoftwa...d/tutorial.html

But if you have any problems when using the software, why not post the details and questions here? Someone will reply.

Nat

[girlinlax]

girlinlax@yahoo.com  I do not have access to a green screen.  Video pad has a green screen effect, but I don't get how it works?  Can I put that on a timeline and use it as a green screen or what?

[borate]

You have posted to a very old thread.  Best to start a new one with a descriptive subject.

The green (or other color high-contrast image) is a clip.  Then Videopad can strip out a selected color, allowing the lower track background to replace that color.

The HELP index, click the ? at the top-right of the screen.  Press <ctrl-F> for a find box at the bottom-left of the screen.

Here's a link to green screen instructions on how to use the chromakey (green screen) effect.

http://help.nchsoftware.com/help/en/videopad/win/tasks_chromakey.html

          The original image                                      Chromakeyed background

[Nationalsolo]

Hi Girlinlax

The Green Screen effect is used to make parts of a video clip or image transparent.  OK to explain more fully.....

• Here is an image of countryside.. I want this image as a backdrop.
• 

• Here is another  image. I want to place the man against the countryside background.  In order to do this I have to make the background to the man transparent. This means having a uniform (or nearly uniform) background colour, Normally this is green or blue but in fact it can be any colour. but it needs to be relatively uniform. He could have been filmed against a white wall...but there are caveats to this, so this man is standing against something green.
• 
• Open VP and place the backdrop clip on Video Track 1
• Place the Man on Video Track 2 directly above the backdrop.
• 
• Now we need to make the background colour of the Man transparent
• Click the FX box for Video Track 2 and select the Green Screen effect.
• 
• We need now to select the colour in the image that we wish to make transparent which in this case is the green background to the Man. It's not however the same green shown in the colour square but we can change this.
• Click the square to open the colour picker screen...
• 
• Grab the pipette icon and drag it to the background to the man in the Clip Preview screen and select the colour by clicking again. The new colour will be shown in the big square above under the word NEW.
• Click OK at the bottom and you will have selected the the correct shade to be made transparent.
• The background to the man (or indeed anything of that particular shade in the image) will now have become transparent and will show  a chequered pattern
• 
• You may notice that the edge in this case is not perfect and still shows some green. This can be removed by adjusting the Fading control or Threshold control
• Looking now at the Sequence preview (on right) you will  see the man standing in the countryside backdrop.
• 

That's the basics of using the Green Screen effect. However you must remember that the subject must not have any colour that you don't want to become transparent. For example if the man had been wearing a green hat that would have been made transparent. Hence my caveat about using a white wall....most colour images of people  contain some white (the same applies to black) both these areas would become transparent leading to some odd effects. Most people don't have green or blue faces so those colours are most often used to film against..hence the name - Green Screen. Similarly they don't wear green or blue articles of clothing. Note my "Man" is largely dressed in red or brown clothing. You will need to experiment but that's the principle.

Hope this helps

Nat