[Jeff Hinkle]

The graphics card on an iMac is part of the logic board and can’t be replaced. The only things you can upgrade on those babies is RAM and hard drive.

I haven’t been able to find the Adobe list of approved graphics card for 3D raytracing in AE6 yet (the link to that page on their site appears to be broken), but I’d think that on a machine less than a year old you should be okay. iMacs aren’t graphics powerhouses, but they usually get the job done.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Is your “drop” layer in the same comp as your particle emitter? If so, you’ll need to either precomp your “drop” layer or render it out and import the resulting file to use as your particle. After Effects won’t see the effects you have applied to that layer before using it as a particle. Hence, you’re just seeing the white square you started with.

Whichever method you use, be sure to size down the resulting “drop” comp. Particle systems don’t like huge particle layers.

[Jeff Hinkle]

My pleasure. Now don’t be sad anymore.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Your aspect ratios are different. Basically, you have two rectangles of different shapes that you’re trying to fit into the same shape, which you can’t do without stretching or cropping. 8×12 is an aspect ration of 2:3 (two units across by three units high) and 6×8 is an aspect ratio of 3:4 (three units across by four units high). For your image to scale down properly into a 6×8 without changing the proportions, your original file would need to be 9×12 (aspect ratio 3:4), not 8×12 (aspect ratio 2:3).

[Jeff Hinkle]

Skip the Crop tool and use the Rectangular Marquee. In the top toolbar set Style to “Fixed Size,” input your dimensions (1000×378, in your case) and click in the new image. It’ll create a selection to that exact size. Now just drag that selection to the part of your image you want to keep, select Image>Crop, and you’ve got your new image in the exact same size.

If you have a bunch to do, you could also set up a Batch Action with a Stop set up after the selection is made so you can position the selection where you want it before letting the Action continue with cropping and saving.

[Jeff Hinkle]

In your project window, right-click on your Illustrator file and choose “Interpret Footage.” At the bottom of the Interpret Footage dialog, click on “More Options” and set Antialiasing to “More Accurate.” Probably won’t completely eliminate the problem (Illustrator gradients are almost always bandy) but it should help.

[Jeff Hinkle]

If you don’t want them to be affected at all by any lights in the scene, twirl down Material Options and deselect Accepts Lights.

[Jeff Hinkle]

If I’m understanding your question correctly, in the FCP Browser scroll to the right and look for a column labeled Anamorphic. Click it (it’s a checkbox, even though it doesn’t look like one) for the footage you’re trying to return to 16:9 and it should then display in proper aspect.

[Jeff Hinkle]

No doubt someone else will suggest a more elegant solution, but try this:

Create a new comp-sized solid. Create a curved mask path in the shape you want your arrow to travel. Apply the Stroke effect and keyframe the End parameter to the speed you want the line to grow.

Add a new Shape Layer and draw your arrow head. Fill it with the same color as you used for the Stroke. Move the anchor point to the center of the arrow head.

Copy your mask path into the Position of the arrow head and set it to Orient Along Path. (You may have to adjust your Rotation to get it pointing in the right direction.)

Select all your Position keyframes on the arrow head , hold down Alt/Option and pull the last keyframe in to match the last keyframe on your Stroke effect. The arrow head should now move on and appear to leave a path trail behind it.

I’m sure there’s a much cooler way involving expressions and Slider controls, but this should at least get you going.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Yup. Zero on the numeric keypad. Shift-zero to get every-other-frame RAM previews, which doesn’t help a bit.