Transparent Video In Blender VSE

A picture of a transparent curtains to signify a transparent video created using Blender VSE

Blender Is A 3D Computer Graphics Software Tool

Blender is cross-platform for Mac OS including POSIX systems, Windows and Linux.

It is easy to customize using extensions which include add-ons and themes.

It is written in C++ and Python. For this tutorial, the focus will be on the Blender output panel options

Common Settings For Blender Output

Glossary:

Render

Generate image, or images or video as final output.

Output

Information generated by a computer or electronic device after processing data.

File Format

Standard way of encoding and organizing date in a file.

Container

File format allowing multiple data streams to be embedded into a single file.

Codec

Computer hardware or software component that encodes or decodes a data stream or signal.

Common Transparent Video Output Settings

OjamboServices.com Transparent Video Settings
Name Description Example
PNG File Format set to PNG Image and Color set to RGBA. Output PNG files
WebP File Format set to WebP Image and Color set to RGBA. Output WebP files
WebM File Format set to FFmpeg Video, Container set to WebM, Codec set to VP9 and Color set to RGBA. Output WebM file
MKV File Format set to FFmpeg Video, Container set to Matroska, Codec set to VP9 and Color set to RGBA. Output MKV file
Name Description Example

import bpy


# Render Settings For PNG
bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = "PNG"
bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.color_mode = "RGBA"
bpy.context.scene.render.film_transparent = True

# Render Settings For WEBM
bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = "FFMPEG"
bpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.format = "WebM"
bpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.codec = "WebM"
bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.color_mode = "RGBA"
bpy.context.scene.render.film_transparent = True

# Render Settings For MKV
bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = "FFMPEG"
bpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.format = "MKV"
bpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.codec = "WebM"
bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.color_mode = "RGBA"
bpy.context.scene.render.film_transparent = True

Blender PNG Transparent Output
OjamboServices.com Blender VSE PNG Transparent Video Settings

Blender WebM Transparent Output
OjamboServices.com Blender VSE WebM Transparent Video Settings


Blender MKV Transparent Output
OjamboServices.com Blender VSE Mastroska (MKV) Transparent Video Settings


Usage

Blender can be installed at the any time before or after installing Python. The initial screen displays a default cube, camera and light source. The scripting screen displays a Python Interactive console window and an editor window. It is possible to open a custom python file or paste code into the editor. Editor features such as line numbers, word wrap, syntax highlighting, and zoom are available.

PNG outputs transparent files that can be animated or imported into the Blender VSE to render as a video. WebM outputs a transparent video that can be viewed in a web browser, but as of 2025-03-06, Blender 4.3.2 does not show transparent of previously rendered transparent WebM video files. MKV outputs a transparent video that can be viewed in a web browser that supports the Mastroka container, and as of 2025-03-06, Blender 4.3.2 does show transparent of previously rendered transparent MKV video files.

Open Source

Blender is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later. This allows commercial use, modification, distribution, and allows making private derivatives. It is made in C++ and Python, making it easier to contribute and modify.

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Conclusion:

Install the Blender application by compiling from source or downloading binaries for your device. Use Python to create custom scripts or extensions for Blender

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