Frame Sequential workflow in AE

[Walter Soyka]

[John Evans] “‘ve done some searches here but haven’t found anything. I have a project upcoming to produce some frame-sequential, 3D TV content. I am hoping to use AE for this. Part of me wonders if setting the basic project up is a matter of creating a 60fps comp and setting each frame to output for 2 frames (one left and one right). Then it becomes a matter of working on the 3D content.”

For motion graphics or animation, check out Chris Keller’s awesome stereoscopic scripts for After Effects. I’ve used them a few times. The workflow is still a bit clunky because of AE’s limitations, but these scripts are an incredibly well thought-out workaround for this, and they will save you hours and hours of work. The scrips are built to help you manage a stereoscopic camera rig in AE and preview your work inside After Effects with anaglyph glasses.

For working with stereoscopic footage, you might try Dashwood Stereo3D Toolbox. This is a Mac-only solution, and it works in FCP, too.

To actually output a frame-sequential sequence, I’d think you could just lay the 30fps right eye and left eye comps into a 60fps master comp, add two hold keyframes to the opacity property of the top layer on the first two frames (100% and 0%), then add a loopOut expression to the second keyframe.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
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[David Johnson]

[John Evans] (isn’t EVERYthing possible in AE :)?

Absolutely … in fact, I’ve heard AE CS6 will even have a brush to tailor an expensive suit to fit the editor … no mention of how to digitize the fabric though … obviously, I’m just kidding … everyone knows editors spontaneously combust if we have to wear a suit. Sorry … couldn’t help myself.