Collapse Transformations

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

It’s best to stay away from it unless you really need to use it as in the earth/cosmic zoom effect. It’s best to start with an image that is sufficiently large so that you don’t need Collapse Transformation. Also, it doesn’t really speed up rendering.

On the rare occasion when you have a vector file for which you are not able to re-create it at a larger size, then Continuously Rasterize is your best friend.

Others may have preferred workflows – this is just mine.

Cheers
RoRK

broadcastGEMs – AEPro Volume 02 (Professional Adobe After Effects Project Files – Now Available).

Adobe After Effects Training in South East Asia.

[Mike Moon]

I’m kinda confused. So you use it when you have an image that you need to zoom into without losing quality? Can you give an example?

[Bartek Skorupa]

One use of collapse transformations could be as follows:

You have a comp containing several 3d layers. Nest this comp into main comp, and add a camera in the main comp.

Collapse transformations of the nested comp containing 3d layers.

Animate the camera. Watch the beauty of your creation 🙂

Voila.

Bartek Skorupa
Warszawa, Poland

[Nico Jones]

Yep, do what Bartek says.

Basically, do whatever you need to to get to grips with it, as once your compositions start to get more complex you’ll come to rely on it to keep things manageable.

Nico J BB

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

[Mike Moon] “So you use it when you have an image that you need to zoom into without losing quality? Can you give an example?”

The Collapse Transformation switch has another use for vector graphics – Continuously Rasterize. It’s a must use switch should you want to either zoom into (3D) or scale (2D) a vector layer beyond its default 100%.

Also, Bartek mentioned something I forgot – collapsing transformation or 3D layers nested into a ‘final comp’ with a 3D camera. This allows for 3D layers within the nested comp to interact with 3D layers and 3D properties within the ‘final comp’.

You should check out the Meyers’ “Creating Motion Graphics with Adobe AFter Effects” book (4th edition) for lots of the good stuff.

HTH
RoRK

broadcastGEMs – AEPro Volume 02 (Professional Adobe After Effects Project Files – Now Available).

Adobe After Effects Training in South East Asia.

[Mike Moon]

Thanks for all your responses. I understand now. Thank You

[Adolfo Rozenfeld]

Just to clarify a bit more: the Collapse transformations switch is not strictly related to keeping resolution or preserving 3D transformations, although of course it does both.

You can think of it as connecting with cables each property in the Pre-Comp with the same properties for all layers nested inside the Pre-Comp.

A non-collapsed Comp appears to the parent Composition as a baked thing, as if it was rendered video. When collapsed, there’s kind of a live link between the external properties and the internal ones.

Because of this, for example, blend modes in a collapsed comp interact with layers below the Pre-Comp in the parent Compostion. Also, the content of the Pre-Comp is not clipped to the boundatries of the Pre-Comp’s frame.

The reason why resolution is preserved is, again, that the transformations are combined. For example, if you have inside the Pre-Comp a layer scaled down to 25 per cent, and then in the Pre-Comp you scale it up 200 per cent, both transformations are connected to produce the same result as scaling down 50 per cent. In other words, the Pre-Comp is aware of the scale value for the layers nested inside. Same for other properties. And that’s why a Collapsed 3D Pre-Comp also keeps the “3Dness” of it all.

Adolfo Rozenfeld · Adobe

[Mike Moon]

man that really changes the playing field a lot. I’ll have to think of ways to put them into my workflow. Thanks for your explanation

[Aza Allen]

I just found this thread – very, very informative!

I was wondering, are there any other instances or tricks where Collapse Transformations comes in extremely handy?

I mean, I know there would be many, but just curious if there are some “special” instances where it saved you, or did something unexpected that would help out other noobs who wander across this post? I am trying to better understand this feature, so any little tidbit helps.

Thanks guys!

Make sure to check out our website http://www.makeyourfriendsuncomfortable.com and my personal website http://www.ruesterprod.com

[Aza Allen]

ooohhh, I just found your Collapse Transformations tutorial Bartek!

It’s awesome! https://ae.tutsplus.com/tutorials/workflow/the-naked-truth-about-collapse-transformations/

Make sure to check out our website http://www.makeyourfriendsuncomfortable.com and my personal website http://www.ruesterprod.com