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  • How I would use a Consinuously Rasterized pre-comp and 3D camera?

    Posted by Stephen Pickering on June 15, 2014 at 3:24 am

    Hi there,

    I have a pre-comp which has some Illustrator images in it. Within the pre-comp the layers are set to Continuously Rasterize. This pre-comp is then dropped into a new composition and is set to continuously rasterize again. This gives excellent quality for resizing and zooming in 2d, but proves to break when I switch to 3d, the CR pre-comp simply doesn’t respond to the 3d Camera.

    I’m probably making it more confusing than it needs to be, so here’s the project file if it helps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-moLtdk2C2wYU9CN0ZNNFByYmc/edit?usp=sharing

    One work around someone suggested (to a post by someone else) was to get rid of the pre-comp and simply use the Illustrator file within the main comp. That would work except that the Illustrator file (the united states map) has 2 layers. The top layer is the black outline with the lower layer being the solid white background of the united states. There is no water or ocean layer, this is transparent. I don’t want white united states but rather a parchment paper texture. The way I achieved this in AE was to place the black outline layer on the top with the “Darker Color” blending mod, followed by the white United States layer below it with the visibility set to hidden. The bottom layer then has the paper texture with the track matte set to alpha, which lets me see a paper texture for the map while still keeping the black outlines AND the transparent background.

    So, what are you suggestions? Obviously this is not the right workflow, but I’m not sure where to start making changes…

    Thank you so much!

    -Stephen

    Stephen Pickering replied 12 years, 2 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • Brian Charles

    June 15, 2014 at 5:53 am

    In the Map Layers Comp precompose the paper and US map layers, set the top layer blend mode to multiply. Turn on the 3D switch for the layers.

    Here is the revised project file:

    7622_maprevised.aep.zip

  • Stephen Pickering

    June 15, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    Works perfectly! Thanks so much! Just so I can maybe learn why it works, what was the reason it was works this way?

    Thanks again, I really appreciate the help.
    -Stephen

  • Brian Charles

    June 15, 2014 at 10:22 pm

    [Stephen Pickering] “Just so I can maybe learn why it works, what was the reason it was works this way?”

    The default render order for raster layers and Collapse Transformations necessitated the layers in the nested comp have their 3D switch enabled for the camera to ‘see’ them when the Transformations are Collapsed.

    See: https://helpx.adobe.com/en/after-effects/using/precomposing-nesting-pre-rendering.html#render_order_and_collapsing_transformations

  • Walter Soyka

    June 16, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    I’d like to emphasize a point that Brian has made.

    For vector layers, the switch is called “Continuously Rasterize.” For composition layers, the switch is called “Collapse Transformations.” Though both switches can help you keep layers sharp when scaling or repositioning in 3D, they’re not exactly the same.

    Continuously Rasterize tells Ae to rasterize (convert from vector to bitmap) at the transformed size, not at the document size.

    Collapse Transformations (sort of) tells Ae to treat the layers within the precomp layer as if they were in the main comp.

    Walter Soyka
    Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
    Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
    @keenlive   |   RenderBreak [blog]   |   Profile [LinkedIn]

  • Stephen Pickering

    June 22, 2014 at 12:35 am

    Thanks so much for your explanations.
    -Stephen

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