Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1218)

To choose an alpha channel display option
Do one of the following:
µ
Choose View > Channels, then choose an option from the submenu.
µ
Choose an alpha channel display option from the View pop-up menu in the Viewer.
Alpha channel
display options
Background
display options
Choosing a Background
When working with clips that have an alpha channel, you can choose different
backgrounds that make it easier to see which areas of your picture are transparent.
Translucent clips or generated text clips may be easier to see if you choose a background
that emphasizes them, such as Checkerboard 1 or 2. If you’re compositing colored images,
a contrasting color would work better.
Translucent clips or
generated text may
be more visible if you
choose Checkerboard
1 or 2.
When a clip is rendered for export to tape, the background is always set to black. If it is
rendered for export as a QuickTime movie, the background will still appear to be black,
even if the alpha channel is exported along with the clip.
There are several backgrounds to choose from.
• Black
• White
• Checkerboard 1
• Checkerboard 2
1218 Chapter 71 Compositing and Layering