Chroma Key

Chroma Key removes a target color from a cue's output, making those areas transparent. It is the standard way to drop a green-screen or blue-screen background so the foreground subject can be composited over other show content.

If you know alpha masking, think of chroma keying as a way to build a dynamic alpha mask from the cue's own colors. WATCHOUT performs the key in a wide-gamut color space, for accurate matching regardless of the source's color standard.

Configuring Chroma Key

Chroma Key is a per-cue property. In the cue's Chroma Key section you enable it, pick the target color (Green, Blue, or a custom color sampled with the eye-dropper), and tune Tolerance and Spill Removal. The Visualize Key toggle shows the generated mask while you adjust. For the full settings and defaults, see Adding Media Cues — Chroma Key.

Min Tolerance (Transparent) 20%
Max Tolerance (Opaque) 50%
Target Chroma (Hue) 120°
Target Color
Close Match (Transparent) No Match (Opaque)

The dot on the wheel marks the Target Color at high saturation.

Inner Circle (Min): Colors inside are fully keyed out (transparent).

Outer Ring (Max): Colors between the circles fade out gradually (soft edge).

Tips for Clean Keys

  • Even lighting — light the chroma backdrop uniformly, without hotspots or shadows. Uneven lighting makes consistent keying difficult.
  • Avoid shadows on the backdrop — shadows darken the key color and leave residual background visible.
  • Subject separation — keep the subject away from the backdrop to reduce spill.
  • Combine with an Opacity effect to fade keyed content in or out smoothly.
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