[Mike Sevigny]

Make sure the item is checked in your render queue. If you start and cancel a render it will be added to your queue again but won’t be checked. Best thing would be to clear the items in your render queue (select and delete) and then add it to the render queue again.

Just in case.. to add it: Make sure you’re selecting the timeline window of the composition you want to render (there will be a yellow outline on the timeline panel). Go to Composition>Add to render queue.

Good Luck,

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://vimeo.com/channels/mikesevigny/
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

then you’ll want to retain the paths in a PSD and import with editable layers in AE, but as Dave said this will depend on your version.

Although, if you mess with the Auto-Trace settings you should be able to get some pretty good results on a black and white (no grey) image.

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://vimeo.com/channels/mikesevigny/
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

hey Steve,
I don’t use Element 3D much but you should be able to import/export luma mattes in and out of PS/AI/AE and most software. Just make the object to be traced black and the BG white, then use that as your ‘trace’ in After Effects.

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://vimeo.com/channels/mikesevigny/
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

hey Nick,
Two things that might help,

1. When you set the ‘cast shadows’ to ‘on’, click on the word ‘on’ one more time to set it to ‘only’. Now only the shadows will cast.

2. If you’re not using the raytrace engine with 3D layers then you can try to simply add a drop shadow layer style. Right click on your shape layer, go to ‘Layer Styles’ and select drop shadow. Your settings are in the timeline.

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://www.torusfx.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

Are you trying to stabilize and crop the character?
Or follow the edge of the character and cut him out in detail?

From the sounds of it you’re trying to do something relatively difficult for someone new to after effects. Those animation sequences usually have a high rate of change so the odds are you’ll have to cut the character out frame by frame using masks.

Please provide at least a single frame of the animation for further feedback.

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://www.torusfx.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

This might sound ridiculous with 400 shots but if you’re pressed for time I would put someone on the manual task while you look for an alternate solution. Might only take a few hours to queue them all up with corrected TC.

Meanwhile, the problem might be in the original DPXs. Try to import and export the DPXs in other programs and check the TC. If you can’t contact anyone about the original files, you’ve checked all your sequence import settings and nothing is working..

Try to find a pattern in the frame difference between the original and the exported DPXs sequences. Take into account the length of each clip. This might help find the source of the problem.

Wish I could help more.
Please share the solution

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://www.torusfx.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

I would go into the ‘best settings’ window in the render queue, click on ‘custom’ in the bottom right and correct the problem. You still want to find out what happened though.

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://www.torusfx.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

Hey Otto,
Can you provide a sample?
Are you talking about an animation or still image?

There are many ways to extract a foreground from the background but it really depends on the clip or image.
Try to provide as many details as possible as to what you’re trying to do.

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://www.torusfx.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

The clip you provided is pretty low res to see clearly.

For the one at 0:09-0:14: It looks like they tried to combine two moving shots. Also looks like they had some trouble with a smooth transition in the motion so you can see where the shots change over. The whole clip has a blur effect on it while the 3d papers blow in the foreground. The blur helps blend the effect.

The second one at 0:24 looks like they just tried to line up the shots and faded between them.

You need to match your shot, lens, wardrobe and pose of everything you want to look like it’s not changing while you fade over. However if you’re shooting green screen, like they did, it will make it easier to fade the background layer while your foreground remains a whole clip.

There are varying degrees of complexity that you can reach with this effect ranging from easy to very difficult. Like most things, plan each transition carefully and you’ll save considerable time in post.

Hope this is what you meant by your question,

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://www.torusfx.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495

[Mike Sevigny]

Hey Kavon,
Boujou’s tough to get support for because it’s so pricy. From what I understand it works like most other Matchmoving softwares.

Matchmoving is a process of giving the software hints as to where the camera/object(s) are in 3D Space. The more information you give the software the more accurate the track will be.

You should be able to setup your camera and lens before tracking in Boujou. It also means you’ll likely have to re-solve the shot after changing these settings but you’ll have a much easier time solving.

It can look very convincing in the matchmoving software with the wrong lens when you’re looking at just points. You’ll want to place test objects around the scene to make sure your track is solid. Also, look at the solved tracks, if they are progressively slipping as they get closer to the edge of the frame then your lens could be way off.

Setting the scale of your scene will help once you’re in After Effects. At least make sure it’s not ridiculously small/large.

Check your settings when exporting; make sure all aspect ratio settings (if any) are properly filled. You should have a scale setting here too.

Good luck,

Mike Sevigny
TorusFX Inc.
https://www.torusfx.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-sevigny/49/875/495