Importing Illustrator file into Pro Animator

[Jon Okerstrom]

Any text in your Illustrator file needs to be converted to outlines. At that point, the text is just like any other part of the artwork. Invigorator likes filled solids best – and avoid effects like drop shadow, gradients and bit-mapped elements.

jon

[Jon Okerstrom]

Thanks for sending the file.

I’ve emailed back several recommendations for making it work:

1. remove blended surfaces. You only need the basic shapes.

2. Remove some of the complexity that’s not needed. Some of the filled text outlines have the same outlines with strokes behind them. You’ll do better simplifying everything and using material editing and edge editing to make everything 3D

3. Organize the logo parts into layers. It’ll help you with object tracks and controlling the motion of the elements.

Jon

[Head_ed]

Hi guys,

I have just come across a demo version of Invigorator Classic that came with A.E. 5.5 that I bought many moons ago.

The dems works great on v6.5 that I am running now however I have exactly the same problem as described above when I try to import my own text.

I am using the CS version of Illustrator (v.11.0.0), and it doesn’t give me the option of saving as an earlier version of Illustrator – only as an .eps or an .ai file.

Is my problem that my version of AI is too new for the version of Zaxwerks? I am bummed if it is, cos I wanted to try it out for a while before jumping in to the 3D world. 🙁

[Horizon]

Hi Guys,
I am having the same trouble importing Illustrator files into Invigorator. I’ve read the “fixes” listed above, but have had no luck getting the star I made in Illustrator to open in Invigorator (no useable vector paths found). The star is a closed path filled with yellow. When I “save as” in Illustrator, I don’t get any file extension options other than: .ai, AI, Bitmap, and Jpeg. In the “export file” command, I find no file format mentioning an .ai version 8. I am sure this is straight forward and I’m missing something, but if someone could walk me through the process I’d sure appreciate it. I’ve been using AE for awhile now, but I’m a newbie with both Illustrator and Invigorator, so be gentle with me (ha)!
Horizon

[Jon Okerstrom]

Horizon,

Instead of Save As, Look for File>Export>Illustrator legacy. That will allow you to save Illustrator CS files in case you need to do that. I do a fair amount of work with screen printing companies and they like it that way.

If you’re working with ProAnimator 4, you don’t need to do that. Simply Save the file, and unclick the use compression box.

If you want, send me the file: jokerstrom1 (at) mac.com and I’ll take a look at it.

Jon

[Hahaiah]

I’m still having problems with this also. Most of us are having problems with ILLUSTRATOR. Most of the help seems to assume everyone is famiiliar with Illustrator, which we’re not.

A friend who had a minute quickly transformed a file I needed into the “vectors” nec. to use with Proanimator. It involved TRACING and some other stuff, no more than 3 or 4 commands got exactly what I was looking for.

The file now imports but adds a LONG STRAIGHT LINE to any almost any imported file I work with, making it look strange and unusable of course. Using CS2 suite.

A simple walk through from start to finish would go A LONG way with this … maybe a CAMTASIA screen cap ? I’ve done that for people who needed help with stuff I knew about and it worked great without taking much time …

[Jon Okerstrom]

Hi hahaiah,

I can give you some basic concepts.

Invigorator and ProAnmator need vector-based Illustrator art. Simple, filled solids created with shape tools, the pen tool or other tools work best. Any text you use in Illustrator must be converted to outlines for it to work.

If you have an open path (one where there is an open or unattached end), PA and Invig will try to close the path, often causing weird lines. If you have a stroked open path, you can use the path>outline function to make it into what Invig and PA like best… a closed, filled path.

If you have used gradient fills or any bit-mapped effects like drop shadows and gradients, those will not be useful to PA or Invigorator.

You CAN apply complex bit-mapped Illustrator art to the faces and edges of your objects, either by using the layer mapping technique or by converting the entire artwork to a bit-mapped file like a targa and applying it as part of a material you create.

There is a section in the documentation dealing with preparing Illustrator files. You might want to take a look at that.

Hope this helps.

Jon

[Hahaiah]

Thanks for the help Jon …
I emailed you a scrn cap of my results and the AI file to the address in your profile, maybe if you have time you could take a look

I’ve gotten to the point where I HAVE to get this accomplished by next week.

I’m pretty sure it’s something I’m doing wrong within AI with the tracing and closing paths etc .. just don’t understand it at this point.

When I do get this figured out, I’ll post a step by step for anyone else who might need it …

[Jon Okerstrom]

Thanks for the file.

Part of the problem with your illustrator art is that the piano guy has a large rectangular clipping path the same size as your document. You can’t have a clipping path and a compound path in the same object.

I removed that path, which will get rid of the extra shapes beyond the art. I also noticed you have a very sharp corner in this art, which may cause a long spike to grow out of the bottom of the art when you import it into ProAnimator. To fix that, simply use the spikebuster slider in ProAnimator.

You mentioned trying to convert artwork in the gif format, using Illustrator. Converting bit-mapped art like that into vector art is a pretty common task. You can use the auto trace function of Illustrator, but will often have to clean up the art. When you’re done with using the gif as a template, remove it from the file.

That way, ProAnimator has only the vector art to try to interpret.

Jon

[Jon Okerstrom]

One last thing.

The screen capture movie showed the long spike coming out of the bottom of the piano guy. This is caused, as I mentioned, by a very sharp corner in the art, where that spike comes from. You can fix it in Illustrator, or use the spikebuster slider in ProAnimator to fix it. Moving it up to 1 or 2 gets rid of the spike for me.

Jon