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Importing paths
I’m having a problem that I don’t know why it’s happening and how to correct it. I’m importing a path from PS CS2 or AI 9 (it does this with both of them)to be used as an animation path.
I place the path over the imported image that the path came from and the path is wider than the image. I can see how this can happen from AI but I’m using D1/DV NTSC (0.9) pixel aspect ratio in PS and it still does it. Whats actually getting stretched and how can I stop it?Thanks in advance
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3 Replies
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if you imported a file from ps you can check the interpret footage window (select the image in the project window, then right-click, or file>interpret footage>main) and check if ae is interpreting the image correctly.
but i’m not sure that importing the file will allow you to use the vector data as an animation path…
if you are copying and pasting the path as a mask, i think it may get pasted as square pixel. to compensate you might try one of two things. you could work in a square pixel comp for that part of the animation, then place it into a .9 comp to composite with your other elements. or you may be able to create a solid in your .9 pixel aspect comp that is square pixel size (720×540 or maybe 648×486), paste your path, then scale the layer to fit your .9 comp.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
Thanks,
With your help I finally got it. You are correct about the paths coming in as square pixels. I basically combined your two ideas. I did my animation using the square pixel path then brought that comp into a .9 comp and scaled it on the x axis. I wonder if Adobe is goig to address this in CS3, I may have to submit that on the Adobe wish list.
Thanks again
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It’s been a little while since I’ve brought paths in from PS to AE, but I’m pretty sure that if you import your PSD as a Composition it maintains any vector masks as masks in AE (note that it has to be a vector mask on a layer, it doesn’t import paths that aren’t assigned to layers as masks). From there you can set a keyframe in the mask’s Mask Shape property, copy this keyframe and paste it into your position property to get position keyframes. I think this copy/paste technique defaults to 2 seconds of animation but you can select the keyframes and use opt-drag (alt-drag) to extend the animation out while maintaining the keyframes’ relative position.
You may not like this technique as much, but it avoids having to go between different pixel aspect ratios (which is the bane of my existence).
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