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Using multiple PS Live 3D files and nested comps
Hello all,
I would first like to say great site, I come here daily for tips and just to learn something new.
I am working on an After Effects project with multiple PS Live 3D files (by the way I am using CS4 MC for windows). By default when you import a PSD with Live 3D checked it comes in as its own comp (I know most of you already know this but others reading may not). 🙂
There are 2 (maybe 3) complications I am facing because I am using nested comps and applying effects.
I will try to describe my project verbally as best I can. I’m sure not all of this information is important to my question but I didn’t want to miss anything and am hoping to reduce the length of the thread. It sucks to delay a solid response because not enough information was given.
Here is the structure of my project for reference.
– Master comp [composition] which creates the entire scene (contains following layers: Camera, Light1, Light2, All Comps [composition layer], Floor comp [composition layer], Under Floor [3D Solid], BackWall [3D solid], Background [2D Solid])
– All Comps [composition] (contains 5 composition layers, all are duplicates of PS3D_ALL comp)
– PS3D_ALL comp [composition] (contains 9 composition layers (Comps 1-9), each of these compositions were created on the import of a PSD file with Live 3D checked. They each contain a PS Live 3D image. They are wireframe and are the same image @ different positions.)
– Comps 1-9 [compositions] (each contain the typical Live 3D comp layers: a camera, Live 3D controller layer, PSD File layer, and I added a Solid layer for a stroke effect)
Each live PS3D comp (9 total) is animated like so;
I have added a solid layer to the comp below the PSD layers and applied a stroke effect (on transparency, all masks on, stroke sequentially.) This layer outlines the PSD 3D image. I have added a stroke effect to the 3D PSD file layer (not the controller layer). The stroke is set to reveal original, all masks on, and I used the same path from the solid layer. So the entire animation for the comp starts with a stroke (which outlines the the psd file) then the 3D PSD stroke starts which reveals the 3D PSD image over the first stroke (solid layer). So the effect I get is the image being drawn and colored in. It animates and looks great in each comp. I don’t think this info is pertenant to my question but just in case I wanted you to have all the info.
I should mention at this point that the PS3D Live comps all imported nested into the PS3D_ALL comp because the PSD file I imported contained multiple (9) 3D layers.
I created a pre-comp (All Comps) of this PS3D_ALL Comp and then duplicated the PS3D_ALL Comp layer 4 times giving me a total of 5 layers in this pre-comp (subsequently I now have 5 versions of each of my 9 PS Live 3D comps). I then scale each layer to give the illusion of perspective and everything lines up the way I want. So these five layers are pre-comped and included in my ‘Master’ comp as ALL Comps where my ‘scene’ is created.
Everything works great and animates the way I want until I want to animate the camera (in the master comp) and view the scene from different angles (I should mention that changing the cameras position on the z axis is not a problem. I can zoom in and out of the seen and it looks fine). The PSD Live images seem to appear as 2D. The effects applied to the layers in the Live 3D comps are irrelevant at this point because they are no longer visible when I am changing the camera’s view angle (including the reveal original stroke on the PSD files. On the frame after the completion of this stroke I change the reveal original property to on transparent and change the opacity to 0%.)
If I can suggest the problem I suspect, is the camera in each PSD Live comp. Is it that this camera is restricting my view to only this view of the PSD file when nested?
I am guessing that 1 solution when using multiple Live 3D PSD files is to put them in the same comp and use only 1 camera to retain their 3D properties. I’m also guessing I must animate my strokes and such with the camera angle set and still as they will not adhere to the same perspective changes as the PSD files (except those that are applied to the PSD file itself?). I also assume that with multiple Live 3D layers in a comp I should link their controller layers.
As you can see I am hoping to avoid this solution (if it even is one) because I would end up having 45 Live 3D layers and would have to do at least 5 times the work as far as animation and effects.
Does anyone have experience with multiple Live 3D files? Nested?
Is it possible that I may need to, or even could, create my own controller layer in my ‘Master’ comp to control how my pre-comp, ALL Comps, is viewed like in the Live 3D comps?
TIA for any help,
Tim J
An additional note (I don’t think I have included enough in this post). I created a duplicate of my project and, as a test, I pr-rendered my 9 PSD Live 3D comps since I use them more than once and the animations are completed. I set the rendered files as proxies for their comp but the only thing that shows is the stroke animation applied to the solid layer. The revealing of the PSD does not occur and the Image is not visible at all. What would make a comp render differently than it appears in a RAM preview? Have any thoughts for this one?
Thank you again for any help. I’m learning as I go, thanks to folks like you!
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1 Reply
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Hi Tim,
I’ve used multiple Live 3D files, and although i did get a little lost reading, i do know the problem.
This video used Live 3D layers. For a long LONG time i tore out hair wondering why it would turn 2D in a precomp. The only solution i found was not to precomp them.
When you import a Live 3D file the PSD layer, controller, and camera are all linked. Playing with these in certain ways breaks the link. Also, nesting a live 3d comp is like nesting any other, the comp appears flat.
At the moment live 3d seems a little embryonic, and will doubtlessly improve, but for now the only way to handle Live 3D files seems to be to paste the rest of your master comp into the Live 3D comp.
I imported the 3D layer, them copied in the rest of my animation. Them just deleted the spare camera and animated away.
It’s probably to do with way the 3D engine is part of Photoshop, not After Effects, hence the lighting etc for Live 3D only being alterable in PS.
Does anybody have any other tips? Live 3D seems to be full of workarounds at the moment!
Jules
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