-
Motion with Illustrator, when to use square pixels and Avid exports?
Hello
After reading as much as I kind find on the issue of importing Illustrator files into Motion 4 I’m still confused. These are probably very beginner questions but after intermittently using Motion thru the years I still get bogged down by these basics!– I received an .ai file that I opened in Illustrator, only one layer though, seperated out what I needed on different layers and saved with that pdf checkbox checked. I still needed to go thru Photoshop to be able to create a file that would come in as different layers in Motion. Is this the only way or should Motion 4 be able to handle layered files directly from Illustrator?
– Am I right to assume that going via Photoshop then rasterizes my image and therefore looses its “vectorness”? Which is what I would like to keep. If so, how do I keep the vector functionality?– I’m working on a 16:9 SD PAL FCP project but separately working on logos in Motion (so not roundtripping from FCP). Should I use the widescreen setting in Motion (Animation codec exports from the widescreen setting seems to come in 4:3) or rather the square pixel setting? When should one use which one rather?
And lastly:
– I’ve installed the Avid Quicktime codecs and see they come up in Motion. Since I might have to deliver to an Avid editor which ones should be used for either a SD export or an HD export?Thanks
Corné Gildenhuys -
6 Replies
-
On Illustrator:
You want the layers from Illustrator? And vector based in Motion?
Sorry. Motion flattens everything from Illustrator.Taking it over the photoshop keeps the layers, but it is rasterizes.
So, if you want the vector based advantages, going to photoshop kills it. The only way I could think of this is to break illustrator layers out into individual files. Messy, but may work I did find this via a google search: breaking Illustrator layers into individual illustrator files:
https://forums.adobe.com/message/3108385For the widescreen setting:
Use the setting that closest matches your timeline. You can directly place the motion files into FCP – no need to render out as animation. If you do, you might need to throw the ‘anamorphic switch’ in FCP.For avid:
SD: use the Meridian Uncompressed codec. very important that you set it to millions of colors + if you want an alpha channel to get through.
HD: use either or DNxHD 220 and again, make sure the alpha channel switch is set. This will a compressed file, but significantly smaller (and with an uncompressed alpha channel.)Either SD or HD, you could use the animation codec (again millions of colors+) but the avid will compress it on import.
You can test the output by generating the QuickTime file and then bringing that back into motion to make sure the alpha channel was output.
Best,
Jeff G
Apple Master Trainer | Avid Cert. Instructor DS/MC
Come See me speak at NAB!
Compressor Essentials from Lynda.com
(older but still good) Marquee, Media Composer (3.5) and Basic/Advanced Color DVDs (1.0) from Vasst.com
Contact me through my Website -
Hello Jeff
Thank you for the reply, exactly the answers I was looking for – short and straight to the point. This will definitely help me a lot and the link to that AE script is genius. I’m going to try that right now!
Corné
-
[Jeff Greenberg] “On Illustrator:
You want the layers from Illustrator? And vector based in Motion?
Sorry. Motion flattens everything from Illustrator.”Correct me if I’m wrong but if you go to the media tab of your illustrator file (in Motion) and uncheck Fixed Resolution, doesn’t that keep it vector art?
I do this all the time when scaling up AI files and the edges stay crisp.
Andrew Wilson
WestView Digital Video & Design
http://www.westviewdigital.com -
Yes. Illustrator files are flattened in apple motion. It is bad and I hope apple gets this fixed by new version of motion. Workaround is to bring In separet illustrator files of what you need.
-
By flatten – I meant one layer; not multiple layers. It still connects to the vectors.
Best,
Jeff G
Apple Master Trainer | Avid Cert. Instructor DS/MC
Come See me speak at NAB!
Compressor Essentials from Lynda.com
(older but still good) Marquee, Media Composer (3.5) and Basic/Advanced Color DVDs (1.0) from Vasst.com
Contact me through my Website -
Indeed. Unchecking the Fixed Resolution checkbox does seem to keep it vector art. Didn’t know that. Thanks for the tip.
Corné
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up