Feathering a Photo

hdrechsel18 wrote on 5/28/2022, 8:40 AM

I'm working with Movie Edit Pro 2022: I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to feather the edges of a photo I'm bringing into my video? I've been using - on occasion - the Cookie Cutter, but this is difficult to work with, and I can rarely get the results I want without compromising the photo's size, etc. I searched here on the forum, and found a chain related to a "Feather Tool"...but I can't find that within MEP. Just wondering if there's something I'm missing, and/or user suggestions. Thanks in advance. Harry Drechsel

Comments

CubeAce wrote on 5/28/2022, 2:48 PM

@hdrechsel18

Hi Harry.

I'm not sure what you are expecting.

By its nature, feathering has to have material to take away from and make transparent. No material, no feathering.

So whatever feathering you apply is going to encroach upon the image.

If you feel you need more control over the edge you could edit the image in Photoshop if you have it as MEP and VPX can use imported Photoshop PSD files but that is even harder to get right than using the cookie cutter as you would then have to use the Chroma key editor to get the blend of the alpha channel and know how to make transparent areas with an image within Photoshop to produce a feathered edge.

Ray.

johnebaker wrote on 5/28/2022, 3:50 PM

@hdrechsel18

Hi Harry

A quick method is to use the effects masks already available in the folder:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\MAGIX\Common\Videocontent\Movie Edit Pro Premium\VideoEffects\EffectAlphaMasks\HD

Drag the shape you require onto the timeline, add the Chromakey, Alpha effect adjust the size and position of both the mask and the image/video clip you want to vignette - this is the timeline of the arrangement for a vignetted image fading in.

Note the direction of the indicated white arrow of the Alpha effect - you may need to reverse it by clicking on it.

Which looks like this:

HTH

John EB