[Don Sciore]

The drop shadow is recognized and there is a way to import the stroke. In Photoshop, place an empty new layer above the stroked layer. Link this to the stroked layer, then select both (holding shift), then with the option/alt key click the drop down menu and select merge layers. You’ll get a merged layer but still maintain your original layer. This can all then be opened in AE as a composition with layer styes present.

Good Luck.
Don

[Don Sciore]

Save frame with alpha refers in AE to going to Composition>drop down to Save Frame As…>File>in Video Output box for Output Module>click on the underlined word Photoshop…then the menu that opens will give you the option to save the frame as RGB+Alpha (or millions of colors+)(the plus is the alpha)

Good luck.
Don

[Don Sciore]

Thanks for your input.

It is very helpful.

Don

[Don Sciore]

Defintiely test if it is OpenGL causing the crashes. Just turn that off and run through some heavy timeline previewing.

I had the same experience until drivers for my graphics card were updated. I just had to turn it off.

Check for updates to your graphics card and test again. Other than that AE7 is great.

Good luck.

[Don Sciore]

Gavin,

You have a nice site and great work.
Thanks for sharing.

Don

[Don Sciore]

Click on Andrew Kramer’s headshot and scroll down to his blemish removal tutorial.

Don

[Don Sciore]

Hi Brian,

I’d be curious to know if the artifacts and crashes happen while you are using OpenGL. And are you running XP64? I am running into the same probelms with my GeForce 7800GTX.(with Dual-dual opteron 285’s) I have had to simply go to turning off OpenGL or jumping back into 6.5.

It is frustrating after having high hopes for new equipment. Seems like there is no way around this right now either.

Don

[Don Sciore]

Hi Jason,

If you haven’t figured this out yet, a good solution is this: duplicate the keyed layer, add Effect>Render (Generate in 7)>Fill; change default red color to black. Lighten opacity and soften as needed.

Then add effect>Distort>Transform and adjust the transform settings to accomodate the background.
You’ll want to look at the Skew Angle and amount as well as rotation inside of the Transform effect to get a perspective look.

This will take the render hit off of using 3d and lights.

Good luck-Don

[Don Sciore]

Check this out.

https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/page_wrapper.cgi?forumid=2&page=https://www.creativecow.net/articles/simpson_mark/growing_tree/index.html

Good Luck. Still works great.
Note: In AE 6.5 the lightning effect is “Advanced Lightning”.

[Don Sciore]

Sounds like you might be using a 0.9 pixel aspect ratio comp and your Photoshop image is created in square pixels. Change you Comp settings PAR to Square pixels.

Good Luck
Don