[Bartek Skorupa]

“I’m pretty sure you can’t make a mask directly on a text layer”

I’m pretty sure you can 🙂

Bartek Skorupa
Warszawa, Poland

[Bartek Skorupa]

I’d like to suggest yet another solution:

Let’s say you have some 3d layers, and some 2d layers with 3d effects applied to them.
The 3d effects applied to 2d layers use comp camera. Let’s say your camera in the main comp is called “camera 1”

You want to have all of your 3d layers together with 2d layers with 3d effects pre-composed. You also want your 3d layers and 3d effects on 2d layers being affected by “camera 1”.

You can do as follows:

1. Precompose the layers.
2. In the newly created composition – add camera (“camera 2”).
3. Using expressions tell “camera 2” to use transform data of “camera 1”
4. Collapse transformations of your pre-Comp.

Now whatever you do with “camera 1” will affect the “camera 2” in your pre-comp.
Collapsing transformation will tell all of your pre-composed 3d layers to ignore the “camera 2” data, but the 3d effects on 2d layers will be affected by “camera 2”
As “camera 2” is moving exactly like “camera 1” – you control everithing without having to go into your pre-comp.

Bartek Skorupa
Warszawa, Poland

[Bartek Skorupa]

Unfortunatelly you are right. I have the same results. No problem with 500×500, but with 150×150 – complete mess. There is not only alpha issue, but also the size has changed. Instead of source 150×150 – it’s 260×259.

???

The solution I found is to export AVI straight from AE. Make a composition of required size, and instead of adding it to render queue, just hit file – export, choose AVI, compression – none, millions of colors+ and go.
It works fine.
After Effects CS3.

Bartek Skorupa
Warszawa, Poland