[Chip Maynard]

Thanks Edward,

The shadow catcher layer is comp size (under 1000 in both dimensions)
Funny thing is that when I rendered out the comp, the shadow was fine.

It’s only in the comp view window that the shadow looks bad.
Quality is set to full, size is 100%, and all layers are in best (not draft) quality mode.

I give up! As long as the render is clean.

-Chip

[Chip Maynard]

Here’s a look at the shadow

[Chip Maynard]

Also, props to the Grayscale Gorilla for the video explanation
https://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-align-3d-layers-perfectly-in-after-effects/

[Chip Maynard]

That helped! Thanks Bruce.

Here’s before:

Here’s after Alpha Add. Now I’ve just got to fix the floor a bit:

What exactly does the Alpha add do?

[Chip Maynard]

I’ve got the same problem on a MacBook Pro running Leopard. 10.5.4.

Have no idea where to start troubleshooting this…

Any suggestions are apprecieated.

[Chip Maynard]

That’s the rub.

You can see all the settings, but they aren’t changeable. At least not on my install.

The only audio settings you can change are stereo/mono and the bit rate (from 8khz – to above 48) I had it set to 48khz. That’s it – no other options in audio settings.

[Chip Maynard]

When you select EXPORT, it automatically loads it with the Clip Notes settings in the Render Queue, so there really isn’t a non-render queue method. You can also select Clip Notes as a file type if you don’t use the export.

Either way, you end up with your comp in the queue.

I’ve been trying to post to Adobe’s forum, but it seems to be down today.

Clip Notes would be a really great feature if the audio wasn’t so bad.

-Chip

[Chip Maynard]

Any chance you have Open GL enabled? Check that little icon at the bottom of the composition window, and switch it to adaptive resolution.

Open GL does funny things like that.

[Chip Maynard]

What if you put your 3D stroke layer above the Photoshop layer, and set the PS layer’s TrkMat to Alpha?

That should allow the shape of the 3D stroke layer to reveal the Photoshop layer

[Chip Maynard]

Check out Aharon’s podcast on using the shatter tool. It has some limitations, but short of getting Zaxwerks Invigorator, it’s about that best you can do in AE.

https://cowcast.creativecow.net/after_effects/episodes/3D_Text_POD_iPod_Lo.mp4