Chapter 1

With that knowledge, the details on the Field Order import selections, which follow,
will be more useful:

‰‰ Ordered for current format: Use this for still images without fields, and for
importing still images and video files with fields that match the field order of
your video format. For example, the video file is NTSC and your project format
is NTSC, or your video file is HD and the project is HD.
‰‰ Odd (Upper Field First): Choose this option if there is a mismatch between
the graphic file's field order and the video format of your project. Specifically,
the file is a format with Odd field order and the project's video format has
Even field order.
‰‰ Even (Lower Field First): Choose this option if there is a mismatch between
the graphic file's field order and the video format of your project. Specifically,
the file is a format with Even field order and the project's video format has
Odd field order.
ff Alpha Channel: The Alpha Channel is grayscale and is used to define the opaque and
transparent areas.

‰‰ Invert on Import (white = opaque): This is the most common setting choice
you'll make and is used when you get a graphic from a designer who has
used After Effects, Photoshop, or similar applications to create it. This takes
the grayscale Alpha Channel information in the file and inverts it to conform
to how Avid Media Composer likes it (black is opaque).
‰‰ Do not invert (black = opaque): You'll rarely use this. However, if a designer's
application happens to create the graphic file with the Alpha Channel the
way that Media Composer likes it (black = opaque), then this is the choice
you'd make.
‰‰ Ignore: The Alpha Channel information is discarded during import, and the
file that is created will be opaque rather than a Real Time Matte Key.

Layered Photoshop files

When you import a Photoshop file with two or more layers, Media Composer will give you an
additional dialog window with the following options:

ff Sequence of Layers: Media Composer brings in each individual layer as a separate

Master Clip. It also assembles each Master Clip (layer) into a completed sequence
just as in the Photoshop file.

Media Composer will not recognize Layer Styles (for example, Drop
Shadow, Bevel, and so on). If you have applied Layer Styles, you'll want
to first duplicate your Photoshop file (as a backup version). Then, within
that duplicate, you will need to merge all the layer effects into the layers
themselves before importing into Media Composer.

47