I have managed to to overlay chronological segments of a video so that when overlaid these become the foreground. Area parts of these overlaid segments are already transparent so that the overlaid segments don't block more of the otherwise unbroken video underneath.

What I would like to add now is the fade in/out of these overlaid segments but from/to nothing instead of from/to black. Many tutorials seem to point to composite keyframing 'dialogues' that aren't there (anymore?). I could try to keyframe opacity intervals also (don't really know how yet) but would that not affect the transparent parts of the overlays instead of what has been left non-transparent?

Thanks

Im not sure if I correctly understand what you are describing, so please tell me if I'm off. I suspect you want to fade in and out an overlay, such as another clip?

You can do this easily using a affine or composite transition. Add the transition to the overlaid clip, select it. The transition parameters also contain a keyframe timeline. Make sure to select the first keyframe at 0. Slide opacity to 0%. Your overlay will disappear, that's fine. Move to where you want the overlay fully appear, add a keyframe. Now set opacity to 100%. Near the end, add the third keyframe that will mark the fade out. Move to the end, add the final keyframe. Here, set opacity to 0%. You'll now have a fade in, then constant, finally fade out.

Thanks,

BTW
Version 0.9.10
Using KDE Development Platform 4.14.9

I spent 15 minutes just getting the transition dialogue to become visible. Then I set the first keyframe to 0 and that worked too, but as soon as I leave the 0 keyframe by whatever method (slider, counter, or end markers) the oppacity and size boxes and sliders immediately become ghosted.

I have figured out a workaround but it's rather involved in that I use pieces of the original background clip to in essence dissolve back and forth.

This keyframing looks like it would let me fade the overlay in/out at will as often as I want, if I can get it to work.

TheDiveO wrote:Im not sure if I correctly understand what you are describing, so please tell me if I'm off. I suspect you want to fade in and out an overlay, such as another clip?

You can do this easily using a affine or composite transition. Add the transition to the overlaid clip, select it. The transition parameters also contain a keyframe timeline. Make sure to select the first keyframe at 0. Slide opacity to 0%. Your overlay will disappear, that's fine. Move to where you want the overlay fully appear, add a keyframe. Now set opacity to 100%. Near the end, add the third keyframe that will mark the fade out. Move to the end, add the final keyframe. Here, set opacity to 0%. You'll now have a fade in, then constant, finally fade out.

got it, finally. The little "+" sign to add a keyframe

There's a reason I told you to set parameters only after you added the corresponding keyframe: parmeters can only be set exactly on a keyframe in 0.9.x. I can recommend the Kdenlive documentation and some youtube vids that show this and some other things good to know in order to get along with Kdenlive.