[Roland R. kahlenberg]

If there’s a Alpha Channel, then you don’t reall need it to be keyable. The Alpha Channel will do its job which is to describe areas of transparency and opacity for the image’s RGB channels.

To save a Targa with an Alpha Channel, ensure that no layer is sized to full screen. Select the layer you want to save as a single layer with Alpha Channel. Do a Save a Copy routine from the FIle Menu. When given the option, save as 32bit and if there is an option to check a box for Alpha Channel, then do so. I can’t recall the specifics of the dialog window. So be careful with what you select.

You should bring the image to AE to ensure that the Alpha Channel is working.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

The interface looks and works great. And Steve is pretty funny. Wished the demo ran much longer. I never got laid with AE but I did real well with Premiere 4.1.2 – go figure!
Cheers
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Sounds like you’ve got either a mask or an effect applied. Apply them in a precomp.
HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Hi Serge, I’ve lost your email. Can you drop me a line at rork_at_broadcastGEMs_dot_com.
Gracias.
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMscustomizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Other than the Advance d3D being an option you should look at into solving this issue, you may also have 2 or more 3D layers sharing the same 3D space. This will occur if you made a duplicate of the layer and simply made adjustment(s) to its scale or other properties without affecting its Z-position. In such cases AE will have a problem deciding which layer to render in front of the other.

For such cases, select a layer and offset it’s z-position by a pixel or less.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

See if Collapsing Transformations does the trick for you. Otherwise, you’ll have to break up the effect into two comps. In the first comp, perform the opacity routine. Then nest this into the final comp where you should apply the mask.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Use Curves instead. Needs more finesse but works just as well.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

OK. So it looks like you’ve got a pretty large precomp? Cos’ if it’s a final comp to be rendered, then I must tell you that Imaxaxaurus hasn’t been invented yet. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

There may be more than one way to solve this problemosaurus but without looking at the AEP, it’s still kinda hard.

I suggest that you use an Adjustment Layer in the final composition to apply the blur effect. Other considerations are to pre-render certain elements to lessen the load on the final composition.

If these still do not work for you then I suggest that you spell out the actual workflow, compositions and precomps and their sizes with details on the pertinent layers involved.

Pertinent Layers are defined as those that are much larger than the composition size and/or those that have effects applied to them. You should include layers or precomps that have the Continuously Rasterized switched to on.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

If I recall correctly, this sounds like a QT 7 error message. Perform a search here at the COW for “2166” and/or “Quicktime 7”.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

[Scott] “(collapsing is necessary for whatever reason, esp rendering time).”

Collapsing is only neccesary if it helps in speeding up rendering WITHOUT affecting your brain cells – obviously that would be difficult to put into any manual.

Collapsing Transformation results in a re-wiring of AE’s Render Pipeline. instead of the usual Mask, Effects, Transform sequence; AE goes into a Transform, Mask, Effects rendering order.

[Scott] “why does this happen? and how can i fix this problem so that i can apply a 2px or 5px blur or whatever, and still collapse my comp?”

The moral of the story is NOT to Collapse Transform to speed up rendering. Only use Collapse Transformation to enable a feature/function not otherwise available without Collapse Transformation. There are other bits of information missing from your post that will allow me to provide a snapshot, one click answer.

I suggest that you re-think the use of the Collapse Transformation switch. The way I have read your post, it looks like things will work out if you do not Collapse Transformation.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg
broadcastGEMs
customizable animated backdrops with Adobe After Effects project files