[Dave Fleming]

Hi Edward,

No error message whatsoever. The render screen just goes away at about 2/3 of the way through the render and the partially rendered movie is deposited in the destination location.

I dug through old posts and saw a guy had a similar problem a few months ago, but he was using Proanimator through AE. I’m simply trying to run it as a standalone; not running any other program. Anyway, I followed the advice that he got, which was to section the movie up into several pieces. I rendered off the first 5 seconds, no problem. I tried the last 5 seconds and only got 60 frames completed before it stopped again. Then, I rendered the last 3 seconds into a 3rd movie.

It’s extremely frustrating to have a simple 10 second logo animation in HD with an alpha that needs to be broken up into 3 pieces just to get something workable, but at least I’ve got something.

I will try your QT player suggestion…Is this a memory issue?

df

[Dave Fleming]

Hans and Bouke,

Thanks for your responses. I came across a snafu in my export workflow that was causing the problem. I have pasted the solution below…

Thanks Johnny, you may have helped me hit on something…Initially, I thought your reply was wrong, because a native file is a native file when you’re exporting QT Reference…i.e. you can’t (or shouldn’t) change the resolution.

But, then I re-examined my export workflow and discovered that I didn’t have the “Use Avid DV Codec” option checked on the reference file. When it was unchecked, AE was interpreting the file as 720 x 480, 1.2 aspect. When it is checked, the file is interpreted as 720 x 486, .9 aspect.

You should still be working in a WS composition. I don’t know why AE interpets QT’s that come from avid as .91, but right click on the footage, choose “interpret footage” and make it 1.21. Either drag it to the create new comp button, or when creating a new composition choose NTSC D1 Widescreen.

Another guy then pointed me to an interpretation rules text file that I could edit and change the way that AE sees a file exported with the Avid DV Codec. Hans, I will also try a few of your suggestions.

Dave

[Dave Fleming]

Thanks for the tip on the interpretation rules file, Walter. I will edit the rules for the Avid DV codec since I’ll be dealing with quite a lot of this footage.

Happy Holidays to one and all and thanks again for the help!

Dave

[Dave Fleming]

Thanks again Johnny–I had done this already but forgot to post a response. You’re absolutely right. It’s just annoying to have several extra steps in the AE process now…1) Interpreting the footage lower field first–which is just bizarre because when I wasn’t using the Avid DV codec it knew the footage was 720 x 480, 1.21, lower field first, but now exporting with the Avid DV codec it forgets to separate fields! and 2) Telling AE that the footage is D1 WS 1.21 and not .91…oh well…at least I’m off and running on this project. Thanks for your help!

[Dave Fleming]

OK, onto the next question: Assuming my video is now apples-to-apples, how in the world do I create graphics both inside AE and/or prepare them in Photoshop? When I was working in a widescreen 1.2 comp, the compensation was done for me, but now that I’m in a stretched .9 comp, graphics will distort on import.

[Dave Fleming]

Thanks Johnny, you may have helped me hit on something…Initially, I thought your reply was wrong, because a native file is a native file when you’re exporting QT Reference…i.e. you can’t (or shouldn’t) change the resolution.

But, then I re-examined my export workflow and discovered that I didn’t have the “Use Avid DV Codec” option checked on the reference file. When it was unchecked, AE was interpreting the file as 720 x 480, 1.2 aspect. When it is checked, the file is interpreted as 720 x 486, .9 aspect.

Could that have made all the difference?

[Dave Fleming]

Also, the Mojo is only a transcoder for material headed to or from videotape, which I rarely use anymore. The system definitely handles SD files at 720 x 486. Now, is it playing the DV files at 480 or tanscoding to 486? I have no idea what’s happening under the hood.

[Dave Fleming]

Ah yes–there is a contradiction, you’re right. But to explain it, now that’s another story.

Here’s the deal: The native files were captured on a Sony XDCam at SD Widescreen, which is 720 x 480 at 1.2 aspect. The Avid has no problem playing these files natively (that was the top image in my original post). But, whenever I feed the Avid anything coming from After Effects, it needs to be 720 x 486 or else I will get a slight jitter in the motion of the video. However, the 720 x 486 rendered file produced the bottom softer image.

I’m not sure why that is…I’m just trying to do the most basic of tests to see if I can get the same result out of AE as I have in the Avid. Thanks!

[Dave Fleming]

AE CS4, MC 3.01 Mojo.

I don’t understand your DV/D1 comment. I’ve done renders both ways from AE (480H and 486H). It only imports into the Avid one way.

[Dave Fleming]

That will work if I just wanted 2 different fonts, but I want it to cycle through many font styles…?