Making Solid layer into 3D forces it to be transparent?

[Brian Charles]

I assume it’s the camera position relative to the layer. The camera is pointing away from the layer. Try resetting the camera position, orientation, rotation and point of interest to the defaults.

Since the camera is parented to a null you could reset the null’s position as well. Or just delete the camera and null and replace with a new camera.

[James Hernandez]

Thanks for your response Brian.

I simply created the camera, the null and then the solid. I never moved the camera.

I suppose I can try and move the camera around, but I’m pretty sure I’ve done this before and didn’t have to correct the camera.

[Walter Soyka]

[Brian Charles] “I assume its the camera position relative to the layer. The camera is pointing away from the layer. Try resetting the camera position, orientation, rotation and point of interest to the defaults. Since the camera is parented to a null you could reset the null’s position as well. Or just delete the camera and null and replace with a new camera.”

I agree with Mr. Charles’s diagnosis.

I’ll offer another possible solution: my free keen_3dLayersTool script [link].

I just added a new feature last week that promotes 2D layers to 3D and translates their apparent 2D positioning to the camera’s 3D space. Feedback is welcome.

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

[James Hernandez]

Thanks for the help. I downloaded the script and placed it in my Script UI Panels folder.

When I hit “Run Script” it opened up the folder, but I don’t see a script.

[James Hernandez]

How would making the Solid object 3D move the camera? In the pictures it shows how the camera is looking directly at the Solid object before I turned it 3D. All I do is click the 3D option and it goes transparent.

[James Hernandez]

It’s in the folder, but AE isn’t recognizing it.

[Walter Soyka]

Don’t use Run Script — look in the Window menu. After you install into the ScriptUI folder and restart Ae, keen_3dLayerTools will be added to the menu system.

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

[Brian Charles]

[James Hernandez] “I simply created the camera, the null and then the solid. I never moved the camera.”

What is the focal length of the camera? What is the Zoom level? Is DOF on or off? What is its position relative to the layer?

[James Hernandez]

The thing is that I’m not moving the camera when I hit the 3D button. I can see the layer just fine when the camera is on it and it’s not a 3D Solid. But if I make the Solid into a 3D layer, it goes transparent.

[Brian Charles]

[James Hernandez] “The thing is that I’m not moving the camera when I hit the 3D button. I can see the layer just fine when the camera is on it and it’s not a 3D Solid. But if I make the Solid into a 3D layer, it goes transparent.”

Focal length of the camera, zoom settings and dof, any of those can affect what the camera view displays.

Is the camera visible in the default custom views? If so is the camera facing the 3D layer? If it is check the settings for DOF and Zoom.

Here is a video demonstrating the issue if these settings are inadvertently changed:

DOF and Zoom Issue