[Edward Wu]

Hi Sam,

If you send me the After Effects project, or ProAnimator scene, I can take a look at what logo you are trying to export and also look into why you are getting that error message. My e-mail address is ed@zaxwerks.com

In terms of the “Baking Transforms” option, the option is used to insure that the rotations and scaling will be exported out of the project as well. File formats such as DXF, OBJ and LWO don’t support object transformations, so if you moved or rotated your objects in ProAnimator/3D Invigorator, you will need to bake the transformations to have it look the same. For texture maps, you will have to apply texture maps onto your objects when you import them into Maya.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Ryan,

If you have switched to using the Hi-Quality OpenGL Renderer, then you may want to switch back to the Invigorator Renderer and see if that performs better for you. Some users have experienced slowdown using the Hi-Quality Open GL Renderer, so check to see if you are experiencing that as well.

Also, see if you have lowered the Object Faceting setting than compared to the past. For example, if you used to render the frame at a Final Object Faceting of “0.5”, and now render with settings of “0.01”, that could slow down the rendering time as well. In addition, if you are using “0.01” Preview Object Faceting, this could greatly reduce the speed of the program when working within the ProAnimator interface.

If haven’t done so already, you can also download the latest Video Card drivers, which could speed up the program as well.

Let me know if this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Lucia,

When creating 3D Text from the text generator, each character is created as an object, so the map will get applied onto each character. To get your material to map onto multiple objects at the same time, you will need to use the Illustrator grouping method that you have tried. So, the workaround is to use the “Create Outlines” command for all the words that you need to create in Illustrator, and then importing that into 3D Invigorator or ProAnimator. Then, you should be able to apply the Layer Map without any issues.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Lucia,

There shouldn’t be a difference importing files between Illustrator CS2 and CS4. From your description, it seems like you are working on two separate files, so here are some things to watch out for.

Even if you are saving the file without Compression, there are other factors that could cause you to receive an error message when you try to import the Illustrator file. Be sure to remove all pixel images from the file, even if they are invisible. If you are tracing your logo from a picture file, remove the picture after you are finished tracing. In addition, if you are using pixel effects such as drop shadows, you will need to remove them from your Illustrator file as well.

If you are still having any issues, please send the Illustrator file to me at: ed@zaxwerks.com

I’ll take a look at your Illustrator file and see what you’re running into.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Ryan,

Problem #1: The Words spin great until it reaches close to the end and then start to contract towards the middle. Then before the end of the timeline it goes back to the proper radius.

For this situation, you might have to play with your rotations a little bit and see how it is affecting your animation. If the rotation is going past the original position, the rotation might spin back a little bit. Tweak the rotation value, and see if you can get it to rotate correctly. If not, send me your project and I’ll take a look at the setup for you.

My e-mail address is ed@zaxwerks.com

Problem #2: Is there a way to slowdown the rate of spinning?

The rate of spinning is based on the degrees of rotation that you applied to the animation. The higher the value you input, the faster the spin will be. For example, if you applied a 1080 degree rotation in one transition, it will attempt to spin 3 times throughout the course of the transition. A 360 rotation would make the object spin just once.

In addition, you can adjust the length of the transition to make the rotation slower. The longer you stretch out the transition, the slower the rotation.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Lucia,

What I’m thinking is that it might be possible that you have both of the “2009” grouped together. If that’s the case then the same texture map would be applied onto both of the words, which means that one of the words could be dark while the other is light, depending on how the texture map looks.

If the two objects are not grouped, check to see if you applied a reflectivity map to texture map. If a reflectivity map has been applied, the objects could look quite different depending on what position they are in, due to the reflection.

If you are still having an issue with this, you can send your project to me at: ed@zaxwerks.com

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Lucia,

It seems like you have the front face of the object is reflected correctly, so that’s good. In regards to the side bevels looking differently, it’s based on the way the materials are wrapped. The material is wrapped starting from the bottom left corner, and wrapping itself around the sides of the objects/bevels. You are using a complex texture map, so it might be harder to have the material wrap look like it’s reflected perfectly. Both the object itself and the reflected object uses the same wrapping technique, the starting point for the textures will start at the bottom left.

You can try flipping the original texture map horizontally and apply that texture map on the sides, which will make the texture map look closer as a reflection, but to have it look perfect, you might have to do quite a bit of tweaking.

To have reflections set up easily, you can look into using our plug-in Reflector, which will allow you to choose a layer in After Effects, and have it act as a reflective surface. The reflection will give a perfect reflection of the object, and you can adjust the level of reflectivity for your surface.

In regards to your other post about the luminosity, if you rotated the 2009 so that it’s no longer upside down, then you will be looking at the back side of the object. This will cause your 2 objects to look different even if they are using the same texture map.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Diogo,

Right, your system specs is sufficient to run the software. What you have to look out for are the settings within the program. In Camera Mode, make sure you are using the Invigorator Renderer. In addition, select all your objects, and go to the Object tab, and change the Draft Object Faceting value to “3.0”. If you are using a low (sharp) Draft Object Faceting Value, this will cause slow down because you are constantly working with objects that are viewed in final render quality.

In After Effects, try viewing the Resolution at 50% or 25%. If needed, you can also change the 3D Invigorator layer into a draft layer. These settings should help speed up the program for you.

Once you are ready to render, you can adjust the settings back to best quality in After Effects.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Lucia,

You’re on the right track with the reflection. However, if you want the outline to be really visible, consider using an absolute color material on the bevel edges. The reason why the outlines look different is because the bevels react differently to the lighting since they are in different positions. If you apply absolute coloring, they will not be affected by the lighting, and will look consistent no matter their position.

To make the reflected numbers half transparent, go to the material applied, and adjust the Transparency setting to “50”. To disappear smoothly, go to the Animation window, and select the “Visibility” button on the right hand side of the screen. The button looks like an “eyeball”. Once you select the Visibility options, change the “Visible” option to “Fade Off”, and you will get a fade animation applied to your pose.

You don’t necessarily have to duplicate the layers if you are using the techniques above. However, if you are applying the Linear Wipe technique, then you will have to duplicate the layers.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

You’re welcome.

Thanks for the tip Serge. That was a quick tip!