[Edward Wu]

Hi Don,

Thanks for all the detailed information you’ve provided.

We’re looking into this issue, and figuring out the best approach to tackle this issue. Once we have a fix available, we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as possible.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Don,

I’m sorry we have not been able to find the solution for you thus far. We are still looking into this issue for you.

Unfortunately at the moment, this has been an isolated case, so it has been difficult to track what is causing the issue on your system. We are doing more research on this. As soon as we find the solution, we will let you know as fast as possible.  

In regards to the freezing issue, when are you experiencing this issue? Does this happen when you perform a specific command? If there is a repeatable series of steps to cause the program to lock up, please let us know so we can track down the issue and resolve it for you.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Brian,

I haven’t used Solidworks before, but perhaps you can try exporting the model out as the DXF 3D model type. Our program usually works best if you try importing a Maya .obj object, or a Lightwave .lwo object. However, the AutoCAD DXF format works as well.

If you are working with a flat logo design that you want to extrude, you can try exporting the logo out as an Illustrator format, and try importing the logo into our program. It will take the vector design of the logo, and extrude it. In terms of version 4 and version 5, they have the same compatibility for importing 3D models.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jim,

When using the Updater Script, be sure you are clicking on the “Update Comp” button. This will update all the frames in your animation.

If this is still not working for you, please send the project file to me so I can take a look at your setup.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Terry,

The Fade effect is located in the Animation Controls panel.

Look in the Actions section towards the right. There will be a visibility section with an icon of an “eyeball”. Click the button to reveal the visibility controls. You will be able to find the Fade controls there.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Tommy,

Sorry about the delay. Since then, we’ve found a couple issues that were worth fixing before the release. The plug-in is looking really good, but we want to give it that extra polish before shipping.

Thanks for your patience. We’re almost there!

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

No problem!

Glad to hear it worked out for you.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Philo,

You can actually apply different mapping techniques such as Cylindrical, Spherical, or different Planar techniques. By default, the mapping is set to UV, but you can change this by going into the Material Docks panel, and clicking the material applied. This will expand the controls in the Material Docks, and allow you to change the mapping technique.

As for creating different reflection maps, you can try using some of the new noise generators. They can allow you to create great reflectivity maps by just playing around with the settings.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Sebastian,

Thanks for the feedback. We’ll consider these when releasing the next version of 3D Flag.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jonabert,

Try working out the objects and the reflections first without the shadows. This will be easier to set up. First, create a layer for your Invigorator text. Then, create a 3D Layer (floor) in After Effects for Reflector. If you position the floor layer correctly, you should be able to see your text reflecting in the floor layer.

The tricky part is to create the shadows. To do this, you can duplicate the Invigorator text layer. This will be your shadow layer. Next, go into the Invigorator Set-Up window, and create a plane to act as the shadow catcher. Apply a shadow catcher material, and also apply a 100% transparent material onto the text. Your text will become transparent, but you will still be able to see your shadows. In the Reflector layer, set the shadow layer as a vampire layer.

After this setup, you should have your 3D Text, the shadow layer, and the reflection floor layer. Since the shadow layer has been set to vampire, the shadow layer will not appear as a reflection in the floor layer. This should get you the look you’re going for.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward