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get out of groups and onto new layers (for each graphic)
I am a Flash and After Effects animator and I was provided an EPS with characters I am supposed to animate (rig them and animate them). Now in order to RIG THEM it would help a lot if EACH body part (arms, legs, head…) was on it’s own separate layer so I could easily import it into AE and AE would have the same body part layers as Illustrator. Now the problem is: The graphics of the character is just ONE group. Inside that group is ANOTHER group inside that group is a group for the head, a group for one arm…and so on.
Currently I am driving NUTS with the group and subgroup Inception BS. My solution: Create a lot of new empty layers inside Illustrator and drag each single body part on it’s own new layer so I can easily import it into AE. Is there another way / something easier? Maybe an option like: Give each group (subgroup exluded) its own layer or send selected group to a new layer? Something like that to make my life less miserable?
Thanks a million
Btw when I import an AI file into AE it doesn’t seem to recognize it as vector graphic. It seems like AE converts it into a bitmap. If I scale it up it will get pixelated. I thought AI files would remain vector graphics and remain scaleable inside AE. AE also seems to import it with what seems to be 72 dpi (just a guess). Isn’t there a way to import it way bigger or export it way bigger out of AI?
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3 Replies
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Two parts to your question, so two answers. 🙂
Also, I am new to the Illustrator to AE, and I have done this for the first time just a couple of days ago. 🙂
So, I did a search for importing Illustrator file into AE and Illustrator has an option to help.
In the layers palette, select everything and then choose “Release To Layers (Sequence)” from the layers options menu.
This is not a perfect solution, but the best one to have Illustrator help you. You will lose group names, but you have to manually name the layers now, anyway, right?
Just play with this until you get the layers set up the way you want.
Further, talk with your designer and ask if they can set up future projects to help you out. Here is an article you can point them to that better explains why I just said and more: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/quick-tip-prepping-vector-files-effects/
For the pixelated issue in AE that is very simple to fix:
In each layer’s switches area, there is a “sun” right next to the shy guy. check that for each vector layer.
How this works is turn on that switch tells AE to process and redraw the vector for every frame, including any/all effects/transforms/etc. If you do not activate this feature, then AE processes the effects, etc., on the original raster created from the vector.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Steve Crook, Jr.
http://www.stevecrookjr.meI am a simple creative professional that can get my Adobe suite and a few other creative tools to do what I want. Barely. 🙂
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Thanks a lot for this great detailed answer!
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I was rushed when I wrote it. 🙂 I can’t believe all the grammatical errors upon re-reading it. Sigh.
Thanks for your feedback.
Steve Crook, Jr.
http://www.stevecrookjr.meI am a simple creative professional that can get my Adobe suite and a few other creative tools to do what I want. Barely. 🙂
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