[Edward Wu]

For anyone else running into this issue, please e-mail me at ed@zaxwerks.com. The issue is resolved and we now have a fix for this scenario.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Lisa,

The demo version won’t allow you to export objects until the software is authorized. I didn’t run into any issues using your project file, but I sent you a reply with another way that you can try exporting your objects.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Lisa,

Which version of 3D Invigorator are you currently running? If you are not using 3D Invigorator PRO version 5.1.0, please download it from our page below:

https://zaxwerks.com/download/

If you are having issues with version 5.1.0, please send me the Illustrator file and I will take a look at what you are running into. My e-mail address is ed@zaxwerks.com

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Mike,

That’s right. The camera cannot be parented. Otherwise the reflections will not update correctly. Glad to hear that you were able to figure out what was causing the issue for you.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Mike,

After moving the After Effects camera around, have you clicked on the Update Reflector button? You can also open up the Reflector Updater script which will make updating the reflections easier. After creating a camera move, click the Update Comp button and it will re-calculate the reflections based on the Camera move.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Nelson,

You can view our video tutorials from the link below:

https://zaxwerks.com/training/

Keep in mind the newer tutorials are for ProAnimator version 5, so the interface and features will be different than what is included in version 4.

We also have more tutorials available from fellow users. You can find these tutorials from our blog page below:

https://zaxwerks.com/blog/category/tutorials/

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Nelson,

Sure, with ProAnimator, you can create a 3D Primitive, and change it to a cube. Once you change the shape to a cube, enter the 8.5 x 5.5 dimensions, and enter a depth value as well. Then you’ll have the shape of your book. You can apply texture maps to each side of the cube to get the look of your book.

With ProAnimator version 5, we also added the “Warp” feature. This lets you create effects such as bending or folding a piece of paper. If you’re interested, you can use the Warp effect to create a page turn animation for your book.

P.S. With version 4.3, you can upgrade to version 4.5.1 to get all the latest bug fixes, or upgrade to version 5 for new features such as an integrated drawing window, customizable workspaces, gradient & noise shaders, object deformations/warping, and much more. The upgrade to version 4.5.1 is a free upgrade while the upgrade to version 5 is a paid upgrade.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Phil,

The way to do this is to create a plane in ProAnimator. Then, apply the Shadow Catcher material to the plane. Then, create a light either in ProAnimator or in After Effects that casts Shadows. If you are using the After Effects Lights, be sure to enable the “Use Comp Lights” setting. With the Shadow Catcher material, the plane will “catch” the shadow of the text object.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Phil,

You can have the tracking data be applied to the Camera. Then, enable the “Use Comp Camera” command in ProAnimator. The camera will move along with the tracking data, and your ProAnimator objects will update in perspective with the camera changes. This will make it appear as if your ProAnimator text is in the room.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Phil,

To pull off this effect with ProAnimator, create a Camera in After Effects, and have it parent the Mocha tracking data. Then, for the ProAnimator layer, enable the setting “Use Comp Camera”. Then create the object in ProAnimator and line it up with your footage. As the Camera is moving, your 3D Object will change in perspective correctly.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward