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Vector artwork creation tool similar to After Effects?
I love and am well familiar with the vector tools in After Effects. They are very intuitive to me. Unfortunately, there is no easy/good way to get vector files out of After Effects, and occasionally I need to deliver vector files to someone. I hate Adobe Illustrator with a passion. It is overly complex, and all of the tools work in a very counter-intuitive fashion to every other piece of software that I use. I don’t need to use it often and I always forget everything I have learned from my last encounter. Does anyone know of a good vector illustration tool that can output common formats (eps, ai) that functions more like After Effects? A script that would allow you to export vector artwork from AE would be great also, but I’ve looked for that.
Thanks,
-Matt
Need a quick break from motion graphics?
Try my game Constellation at:
https://www.paperdragongames.com -
3 Replies
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Matthew –
AE primarily works with bitmaps. Vector objects are mathematically defined, so there could not be any script or engine which could convert the AE images you create to vectors. The only thing you can do for people who request vector objects is to give them a very high-rez output, and maybe that will satisfy them (probably using them for print).
That said, there are a limited number of elements which can be output as vectors, but primarily they are elements which are already vectors. Here’s a rundown:
https://www.lynda.com/After-Effects-tutorials/Things-can-exported-vectors/288/22956-4.html
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
Hi Joe, I am aware of AE’s bitmap focus and effects, however AE has very good and powerful vector mask and shape and text tools as well. I am also aware of AE’s swf export, but in this case I am wanting to go to an illustrator or eps file for output. (I am designing a gobo pattern for a theatrical light).
In this case all I want to do is the equivalent of stacking a bunch of masks on a single black solid with different add/subtract/exclude modes. I am finding it very hard to do this in illustrator, and can’t find a good tutorial (possibly because all of my search terminology is AE based). Every time I need to use illustrator for anything more than file conversion, it ends up taking me several hours to figure how to accomplish a task I could have done in 5 minutes with masks in AE. I don’t need illustrator often enough to invest the time to become proficient in it, and every time I return to it (usually once every other year) I have forgotten how to do things.
I know AE is not the tool traditionally used for this, but I often find myself using AE instead of photoshop for raster still image creation. Since I know and love AE’s vector mask tools, I would love to be able to use it for vector image creation as well. Barring that, I was hoping someone in the AE community would know of an Illustrator alternative that is more intuitive than illustrator for someone proficient in AE.
-Matt
Need a quick break from motion graphics?
Try my game Constellation at:
https://www.paperdragongames.com -
If you want to animate and export vectors, use Flash Professional.
Do not use the After Effects SWF export. It is terrible, buggy, and not long for this world. We’re likely going to remove it from the next version of After Effects because it is much more trouble than it’s worth.
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Todd Kopriva, Adobe Systems Incorporated
After Effects quality engineering
After Effects team blog
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