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Remove background

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Remove background is a Utility effect.

Reads the shot with a trained model and files how much of each pixel is the subject, one matte a frame. Another layer reads that matte through its Matte row, a Set matte or a track matte.

Robust Video Matting reads the shot in order, carrying what it made of one frame into the next. BiRefNet reads each frame on its own, is slower by a long way, and is not trained on people alone.

The model is an addon, installed from Settings ▸ Addons. Without it the effect wears a badge and leaves the picture alone. The badge names the pack the Model row asks for.

ParameterControlRangeDefaultUnit
AnalyseButton---
CancelButton---
ModelDropdownRobust Video Matting · BiRefNetRobust Video Matting-
ViewDropdownComposite · MatteComposite-
InvertCheckboxOn or offOff-
DetailDropdownPortrait · Full bodyPortrait-

In the Effect Controls panel:

  • Detail is editable while Model is set to Robust Video Matting.
  • Analyse: read the shot and file its matte. Only one analysis runs at a time.
  • Cancel: stop a run and keep the frames already read. A later Analyse carries on from them on BiRefNet, and reads the shot from the top on Robust Video Matting.
  • Model: which trained model reads the frames.
  • View: the layer with its background cut away, or the matte itself as a grey picture.
  • Invert: keeps the background and cuts the subject away.
  • Detail: how much of the frame Robust Video Matting works at. Portrait is head and shoulders; Full body is a whole person at a distance.

Frames the analysis has not reached render untouched.