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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects can’t focus on a layer

  • can’t focus on a layer

    Posted by Greg Digenti on January 24, 2009 at 7:59 am

    I originally wrote this as a reply to an older post, but that didn’t seem to bump it to the top so I’m making a new post.

    I can’t seem to figure out what’s going wrong here… usually when I’m trying to focus on a 3D layer, I simply view it from the Top and adjust the focal distance of the camera until it’s even with the item I’m trying to focus on. Not this time, though. For some reason in this particular project when I do this, the layer I want to be in focus is EXTREMELY blurry to the point I can’t even make it out.

    Any ideas on what I may be missing?

    Greg Digenti replied 17 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Jon Geddes

    January 24, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    An easy way to figure out the focal point is to increase the aperture extremely high (to around 2000) and then slide the ‘focus distance’ around (while holding down shift) until it comes into focus. Once in focus, you can decrease the aperture back down to its original amount.

    Jon Geddes
    Motion Graphics Designer
    http://www.precomposed.com

  • Greg Digenti

    January 26, 2009 at 12:22 am

    Thanks for your response, but I was hoping someone could tell me why my method isn’t working for this project. I’m using the preferred method that should very accurately give me the proper focal distance, since I’m actually visibly aligning the focal distance with the item to be in focus, yet it’s not coming into focus as it should. Any thoughts on this?

  • Jon Geddes

    January 26, 2009 at 6:12 pm

    Well using my method will give you the actual focal distance that causes it to be in focus. Once you have that actual number, you can then try and determine why its not what you think it should be. Also remember it has nothing to do with the ‘Point of Interest’ in the transform properties of the Camera.

    Jon Geddes
    Motion Graphics Designer
    http://www.precomposed.com

  • Greg Digenti

    January 28, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    Okay, your method seems to work very well. I’ll have to continue to look into why my method is not working. I think it may have something to do with how close the camera itself is to the layer, as well as how high the Blur Level is set to.

    Thanks for your help.

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