[Edward Wu]

Hi Colin,

Keep the 3D Invigorator layer as a 2D Layer. If possible, reset the Invigorator object to the default position, and it will be easier to match the floor with the plane in After Effects. If you can’t reset the position of the 3D Invigorator PRO object, then go into the Object Controls panel in the Invigorator Set-Up window, then expand the “Info” section so you can see the position of the Invigorator object. Be sure the “Y-Position” value of the Invigorator Object is set so it is above the floor layer. You can go into After Effects and check the position of the floor.

Also, another important note is to disable the setting to “Hide 2D Layers” for 3D Reflector. If you have that setting enabled, then you won’t be able to see the reflection of the Invigorator objects.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Allen,

When I said to apply the Layer Map as a texture on a material and apply the material onto the circle shape, here’s what I mean. First, in After Effects, select the Invigorator PRO layer and go to the Effect Controls window. For the Layer Map 1 control, select your Pre-comp layer. Then, go into Invigorator Set-Up window, and in the Drawing Window, create a Circle Shape using the Shape tool. Next, go into the Material Editor panel, and under the Color section, click the “+” sign. This opens up additional controls. In the “None” drop down menu, select “Layer Map 1”. This applies the Layer Map to the material and you can now drag and drop the material onto the Circle Shape.

When you go back into After Effects, you will see the Pre-comp image/animation applied onto the Circle Shape. To apply the alpha information onto the material, you would create another Pre-comp, and apply the Pre-Comp as Layer Map 2, and load it into the Transparency section in the Material Editor.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Allen,

The effect inside the gear may just be an image/video mapped onto an circle shape. This can also be achieved by using the Layer Map feature in Invigorator PRO. With Layer Maps, you can use a Pre-Comp and set that as the Layer Map. Then, apply the Layer Map as a texture on a material and apply the material onto the circle shape.

In the Pre-Comp, switch the image from one to another. For the images that have a transparent background, load the alpha channel information into the Transparency section in the Material Editor. The black areas would be transparent while the white areas are opaque. You may need an additional Pre-comp to set up the transparency so that it matches the timing for the image changes. Set the new Pre-comp as Layer Map 2 and apply Layer Map 2 into the Transparency section.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jim,

You can try exporting the objects out and re-importing the objects back into a new instance of Invigorator. If you have animated the objects, you can copy and paste the keyframes.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Colin,

You actually apply 3D Reflector to After Effects 3D Layers. So, you would create a 3D Layer in After Effects that act as your floor layer, then apply 3D Reflector. Then, disable the setting to hide 2D Layers, and 3D Reflector will create a reflection for your 3D Invigorator PRO objects.

Hope this helps. If you have questions, please let me know.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Tom,

Try going into Illustrator and typing the symbols that you need. Then you can import the symbols using the “Open Illustrator File” command. I’ll bring this up to our team. We changed our text engine quite a bit with the new version, so we’ll have to see if this can be changed so that the Web Dings and Dingbats show up properly.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jeffrey,

Great. Glad to hear that it fixed the issue. Thanks for the update, and have a good weekend!

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jeffrey,

It’s the Control key on both Mac and Windows. When holding down the Control key, be sure to hold down the key until the window opens up. If this is still not working for you, try going into the 3D Invigorator Set-Up window, then going into the Preferences window. Click the Restore button to reset the program to the factory defaults and see if this helps.

If this is still not working, close out of After Effects. Then, go into the “User (your user name) > Library > Preferences” folder, and delete the “Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator PRO 5 Prefs” file. After deleting the Prefs file, launch After Effects and create a new project file. Then, apply 3D Invigorator PRO to a Color Solid. Open up the 3D Invigorator PRO Set-Up window and see if you are able to re-size the interface.

If you’re still having problems, please let me know.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jeffrey,

Try holding down the “Control” key while clicking either the little red ball or the Options button to go into the Invigorator Set-Up window. This will reset the Window size, and you should be able to resize the window by dragging the bottom right corner.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Dan,

From your description, it sounds like your computer is running into a conflict with our Tool Tips. To fix this, go into the ProAnimator/Invigorator PRO Set-Up window, and go into the Preferences window. Disable the option to Show Tool Tips, and it should speed up the time to go into the Set-Up window.

Best,
Edward