[Les Nemeth]

Here are two ways to do it.

Method 1 (the sloppiest, longest, tedious way to do – aka beginners’ way):
Use the knife or scissors tool to cut the lines where they intersect the panel(s). If you turn on Smart Guides (View > Smart Guides), the cutting tool will snap to the intersections and the cursor will indicate “intersect” at the right spot.

Method 2
Step 1. If you have multiple panels AND they overlap, then first select all panels and copy them (Edit > Copy). Then use the Pathfinder to UNITE (aka Add) them together and expand the result (if necessary) so only 1 shape remains after the operation.

If you have multiple panels but they DO NOT overlap, select all panels and make a compound path out of them. If you have only 1 panel to deal with, then don’t do anything and just proceed to Step 2.

Step 2. Move the panel (now there’s only one since you either ADD them or created a compound path out of them in step 1; or you simple had only a single panel to deal with) to the very top in the Layers palette, so they are on top of all other shapes. (or Ctrl+SHIFT+])

Step 3. Select all objects in question (the panel and the lines) and create a clipping mask (Right click > Make Clipping Mask). Now the lines are clipped by the shape of the panel. In the Layers palette you will see a new Group, and the first item in the group will be the clipping mask, in a form of a .

Step 4. If in Step 1, you had multiple panels that were overlapping and you used the Pathfinder to ADD them and after that you made a copy of them, now paste them back in front (Edit > Paste in Front). Now just color the pasted back panel lines as you wish.

If in Step 1, you had multiple panels that were NOT overlapped and therefore you made a compound path out of them, just select the clipping mask in the Layers panel and assign stroke/fill color to it as needed.

If in Step 1, you had only one panel to deal with, then just do as before, select the clipping mask in the Layers palette and just assign a stroke/fill color to it.

[Les Nemeth]

I did not say to double click the object name. I said double click the layer.

[Les Nemeth]

That color is the layer color. Double click on the layer to open its properties and change the outline color there.

[Les Nemeth]

Of course it works.

On the first screenshot, you can see the artboard. It has a moon-like shape, which has a transparency mask assigned (top to bottom b&w gradient). This shape is on the top layer, which overlaps a red rectangle, which is on the bottom layer.

On this next screenshot, you can see the layers palette’s layout. Simple.

When you save the AI document, check the checkbox in the File Save dialog which says “Create PDF Compatible file”. But you probably knew that already.

Then you can import the AI file into AE as “Composition – Cropped Layers” (or don’t crop the layers, whichever way you want it).

Then you’ll see that you will get a composition and 2 AI layers in AE. Your top layer is the moon-shaped-like layer (in my case), and the bottom layer is the red rectangle layer. The moon shaped object keeps it’s transparency mask and can be animated in AE just fine.

Here’s the screenshot from AE CS3. You can see the imported 2 AI layers, and on the stage you can see the moon-like shape selected (keeping its transparency), which is hovering over the bottom red layer. Just as it was in AI.

[Les Nemeth]

The only occasions I can think of when the shadow would not be visible is if

• all parameters are set to 0
• you assign the shadow to a fill but there is no fill
• you assign the shadow to a stroke but there is no stroke
• the shadow color is the same as the background color and so it’s not visible

These are the ones come to mind right now. Also check the Appearance palette that the shadow is located in the correct location/order.

[Les Nemeth]

How about Adobe Illustrator?

[Les Nemeth]

I don’t remember if I ever checked that setting, but I will try to remember it next time. So thanks for reminding me.

At the moment, however, that’s not my main concern, because the H264 footage is straight from my camera. If I play it back using QT it’s washed out. If I play it with any other player it looks great.

I know I posted a few threads and also read quite a few about this playback issue in QT. So the footage has nothing to do with AE. Just in general.

I think I will look into getting a different mount so I can mount the camera normal side up and don’t have to tinker with inverting the footage.

[Les Nemeth]

First of all, thanks for the replies guys.

I’ve been using QT Pro for a few years and yes, I was aware of the basic editing functionality built into it, such as flipping. However, the problem with that is that if you flip the movie and resave it, it will only be visible in QT. That is, if you use any other player, the flipped “result” will have no effect. So that function probably just puts a flag of some sort in the file which can be interpreted by QT only.

I use other players beside QT, such as DivX player (hate it), and VLC player. So far VLC player was my choice for playback, since QT has some gamma issues with H264. Playgin an H264 footage back in VLC player does not resemble any faded or gamma issues that QT does.

I’ve read in the past times a few suggestion about this gamma thing that there are quirks in QT to change the dithering mode and blending and this that and the other. However, I found VLC player just fine without any quirks.

I will try mpeg streamclip. Heard of it but never installed it.

[Les Nemeth]

Select the arched logo, then Object > Expand Appearance.

[Les Nemeth]

If you closely look at the image on that link, you’ll find it is correct. On the tools panel, from label “H”, you’ll see a long line going up to the eraser tool.

Also, in the description text, it is correctly showing under “H – Slicing and cutting tools”. There you’ll see the the scissors and knife is listed under the eraser.