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Export a transparent GIF in FCPX

Hi! In Keynote, you can export animated slides as gifs with a transparent background. Can this be done in FCPX? I'm trying to export some titles/generators as gifs in this fashion, but can't. I know how to export as a .mov using the prores 4444 (alpha channel), but that's not what I'm looking for. Any advice? Thanks!

-G.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.0

Posted on Nov 10, 2021 10:08 PM

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11 replies

Nov 11, 2021 8:32 AM in response to imgaryshap

imgaryshap wrote:

Luis, thank you. i’m going to disagree with you on the lesson on how to reply to terse and arrogant responses. My question was never if I can simply export a gif from FCPX. if it was- the helpful answer should have been, “you need to own compressor to do that.”. What I asked was if I can export a transparent gif from FCPX and received an irrelevant and snotty answer from your bestie, Tom.


Read up your original question and tell me...

You asked how to export gif from FCP as in Keynote (no mention of other software, we don't know you had Compressor).



Tom has been helping people here for years, and is by far the most knowledgeable person in this community, as hundreds of people may attest.

I have learned so much from him, as have many.

His replies are always meant to help, and they do.


ow in regards to my actual question, your answer is the kind and helpful one. With that, is there a way to use the Apple 4444 setting AND make a gif? I cant seem to figure out how to both. Can you point me to a step-by-step tutorial somewhere because I’m having trouble finding it.


Press command-J to open the Project Inspector, then click Modify and make sure that ProRes 4444 is selected as the rendering codec. This is to ensure that transparency is preserved when your project is rendered. (The default ProRes 422 does not have transparency).




Then if you want you can export to ProRes 4444, or to GIF or to whatever you like.

Nov 10, 2021 11:00 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

i dont know what’s unclear about my question. 1. you absolutely can export gifs from FCPX. 2. you can export video from FCPX with a transparent background.


my question is- can you export gifs with a transparent background? it’s easy in keynote. wondering why or how it can be done in FCPX.


I appreciate your help, Tom, but I’m not sure you’ve got this one.

Nov 11, 2021 1:21 AM in response to imgaryshap

Your question was about FCP.

Tom's reply is, as usual, correct. We can't know if you have Compressor unless you tell us.

You can't export gif with FCP alone, you have to create a Compressor setting - and actuall have Compressor - to do it.


Most people who have FCP don't have Compressor, and so the answer to "how can I export gif from FCP?" is "you can't" since it is assumed that the question implies using just FCP.



Now, you could say: "I have FCP and Compressor. How can I export gif from FCP?"


The answer is "Create a Compressor setting the way you like it, add a destination in FCP using "Compressor Settings" and use it in FCP".

Make sure that the render format for your project is 4444, so it includes the transparency.

The result GIF file will honor that transparency.





Nov 11, 2021 8:15 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Luis, thank you. i’m going to disagree with you on the lesson on how to reply to terse and arrogant responses. My question was never if I can simply export a gif from FCPX. if it was- the helpful answer should have been, “you need to own compressor to do that.”. What I asked was if I can export a transparent gif from FCPX and received an irrelevant and snotty answer from your bestie, Tom.


Now in regards to my actual question, your answer is the kind and helpful one. With that, is there a way to use the Apple 4444 setting AND make a gif? I cant seem to figure out how to both. Can you point me to a step-by-step tutorial somewhere because I’m having trouble finding it.

Nov 11, 2021 8:54 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

gonna have to agree to disagree on Tom. I’m not trying to make history here as the first person he was unhelpful towards, but he was unhelpful nonetheless. I stand by my initial response. if he were helpful, his first answer could have been “you are going to need compressor in order to export a gif from FCPX. Once you have that, use apple 4444 to make a transparency….”. etc etc. and this thread wouldnt be as long as it is. instead, he gave me a terse response with nowhere to go. Maybe he was having a bad day… whatever. I’ll try what you suggest. thanks again.

Export a transparent GIF in FCPX

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