[Edward Wu]

Hi David,

If the models look fine in ProAnimator using the Test button, but it looks pixelated and jagged in After Effects, then it probably means that you have set the AntiAliasing setting to “No AntiAliasing”. If you have no AntiAliasing, the edges will appear jagged. However, if you set the AntiAlias setting to 3×3 or above, your edges should appear smooth in After Effects as well.

Hope that helps!

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jen,

I’m assuming you’re using 3D Invigorator, please correct me if you are using ProAnimator.

In 3D Invigorator, you can move objects from one scene to another by using the “Export Objects” command in the Object Mode > Object Dropdown menu.

In any of your scenes, you can then use the “Import Objects” command to bring any object back in. This will allow you to match up all of your objects together, and move them to separate scenes if you need to.

By importing the objects from one scene to the next, you shouldn’t need to start your project from scratch.

Hope this helps with your animation.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Sorry, the link was not linked properly.

The correct Help Center link for the controller driver is listed below:

https://zaxwerks.com/helpcenter/?page_id=138

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Chris,

Some of the information I provided comes from the User Manual that comes with the program. Since you are using the demo version of the software, you can download the manual online from: https://zaxwerks.com/docs.shtml

The manual contains a lot of in-depth material on how the program works, and also has a lot of tips and techniques.

In regards to the controller drivers, it has been reported by some users that their system performance improved considerably when they updated the drivers, so it may be worth a shot. The controller driver being updated is the “Intel SATA RAID Disk Controller driver”, and if you are running the drivers listed below, it could cause some issues:

Intel 82801G (ICH7 Family) Ultra ATA storage controllers – 270F ( ver 8.2.0.1008 – 15/9/06)
Intel 82801HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller
Intel 82801GBM Sata AHCI controller – ver 6.2.1.1002 – 31/10/06

For more information on how to update your controller driver, please see the link I’ve provided below:

https://zaxwerks.com/helpcenter/?page_id=138

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Zeno,

If you are working with ProAnimator on Windows, one of the things that happens is when you are opening a texture map, it will ask for the file type that you want to open. Make sure to choose that you want to open a Photoshop file, and you should be able to select the Photoshop file. It’s possible that your last texture map selection was a “jpeg” so it is still looking for “jpeg” files to open.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Jennifer,

You didn’t mention which one of our programs you are using, but here’s how you can achieve an animation where it looks like you are traveling on the oval track. If you are in After Effects, and using ProAnimator or 3D Invigorator, you can use the command “Use Comp Camera” to use the After Effects camera. With the After Effects camera, you can have it track/parent a path that goes around your race track.

If you are using ProAnimator as a standalone, one way to achieve this look is to use an Object Animation instead of a Camera Animation. By having the track come into the camera, and turning as it goes, you can make it seem like a camera move while it is actually the track that is moving instead.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi James,

One of the first things to check for in this situation is if you are using Motion Blurring. If you applied a standard Motion Blur, it could the total render time by as much as 8 times. In addition, since you are rendering a 1920×1080 progressive comp, this will take as much as 6 times the render time of a standard size composition as well.

As for your rendering time getting bogged down, does your animation start with the object being small, while it gets bigger and bigger? If so, this will make the render start out fast while the render time increases quite a bit over time. This is because when your object becomes bigger the amount of pixels being rendered increases as well.

In terms of the 15 second/frame you were getting, if you are rendering the frame where the object is smaller, then it’s possible that you get 15 seconds/frame at this position of the animation, while another part takes much longer.

In any case, it’s most likely that if you have Motion Blurring, this is what is adding significantly to your render time.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Hi Chris,

Are you using ProAnimator version 4.5.1? If not, please download the latest version from our download page below:

https://zaxwerks.com/cgi-bin/download.cgi

The latest version of our software performs pretty well on all systems including Windows XP. The render not being able to complete is usually one of two issues. If you are using an older version of ProAnimator, you will run into a compatibility issue with the latest version of the QuickTime Player. However, if you are using the latest version of ProAnimator (v4.5.1), then you will need to change the QuickTime Player so that it is running in Safe Mode. You can do this by going into Edit > Preferences > Quicktime Preferences. Go to the “Advanced” tab, and check the setting for “Safe Mode”.

In terms of rendering quality, you may need to adjust the “Object Faceting” value (located in the Object Tab) for different objects. For most objects, you should leave the “Preview Object Faceting” at the value of “3” while either keeping the “Final Object Faceting” value at “0.5” or lower if you need even sharper edges. The lower the Object Faceting settings, the sharper the edges.

However, keep in mind that it’s very important to keep the Preview value at 3 or above so that your program does not need to perform at render quality while you are still setting up the scene. If you keep all objects with “0.1” Preview setting, your program may end up performing sluggishly (both in saving and loading as well).

If you need to preview your objects, hold down the ctrl key and the “Render Movie” button will turn into a “Test” button. By clicking “Test”, you can get a screen preview.

Also, some things to watch out for is to make sure you have the latest Controller drivers as well as the Graphic Card drivers. If you do not have the latest drivers, it could cause the program to perform slower or run into display issues.

If you need more information on if you need to upgrade your controller driver, please visit our Help Center link below:

https://zaxwerks.com/helpcenter/?page_id=121

In summary, you shouldn’t be running into all those issues. Hopefully this will resolve the issues for you. If you still have any questions, let me know.

Best,
Edward

[Edward Wu]

Haha, no problem!

I didn’t know about this “feature” prior to this either. I’m learning something new everyday 😀

[Edward Wu]

It almost feels like working with trap doors and hidden levers, but it’s possible to save the scene inside of 3D Invigorator! Sorry, it seems like I missed a little step, which is why you weren’t able to save your scene. To save the scene, go into the 3D Invigorator interface by clicking the little red ball. Next, click the interface once so that it becomes “active”, then press “Cmd + s” to save.

Once you are able to save your scene, you will be able to manipulate the draw distance of the 3D Invigorator camera.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Edward