[Steve Bentley]

For changing separate attributes (like an effect setting) you have to multiple-select all the specific attributes of each layer you want to change. Normally this isn’t feasible because you have to twirl open every layer’s attribute to be able to shift-select it. But it can be done. Then change one of them and they will all change.
There are also a few scripts on aescripts.com that specialize in selecting layers or attributes. You have to make selection sets to set them up but after that you can control many with one.
You could also write a script or put some code on the layers you want to change. If its just a one-off this doesn’t make efficient sense, but if you are going to be doing this a lot then it would.

[Steve Bentley]

I couldn’t see your images but… Do you have separate files checked in your render settings? If not the multipass will be batched into one file (per frame) and you have to extract each channel inside AE (use Extractor in the 3D effects menu – select the channels of the effect and that will open a dialogue that lets you choose what that layer will represent. You need to make a copy of the layer for each of your channels.)

I don’t think you can multipass a PNG the above way because it can’t hold multiple layers like a pshop file can but a png will allow separate files though.
There could also be an alpha involved – try interpreting the footage in AE and turn off the alpha. See what you get then.

[Steve Bentley]

You can interpret the footage in your project list. If the non square pixel ratios in the list match one of yours you are away to the races. You can also make a composition with non square pixels and put the footage in that. But, the reason for doing this is usually because you are going to be broadcasting the resulting movie on a non square pixel screen. And I doubt that’s your goal.

If you simply want square pixels, pre comp the footage and scale the precomp until it matches the size you expected it to be (or until it looks right – I find many digital cameras have a left right stretch which is highly unflattering – and no its not just my hips). Its not a big a sin as you might think. Many of cheaper HD camera shoot 1080 high but only shoot around 1440 wide and then stretch the image out to 1920.

[Steve Bentley]

Actually that’s Touchstone’s logo. James Bond was just a wandering dot

[Steve Bentley]

Can you not put the keyframes on the slider instead and link the slider to an unkeyframed property value? Then you just whip down to the 3rd keyframe and move your slider.
You could also do this WITH keyframes on the property (so, 3 on the property and 3 on the slider)as well and use a check box with an expression that would ignore the slider, so you could have some base master values on the property remain in safekeeping.

[Steve Bentley]

Can you post a picture (or even a scribble) of what it should look like?
What about importing a 3D model? Element 3D can import models but so can a few other free AE plug ins.
I haven’t tried this but you might be able to bring a 3D model into Pshop because it handles these now, and then import that file into AE. I’m not sure if AE will support Pshops 3D aspects yet.

[Steve Bentley]

Is it possible its coming in at a scale that doesn’t let you see it, ie too small? Or could it be that with C4d’s Y coord being upside down from AE and the center being offset as well it’s just outside of your viewing window in Ae?

[Steve Bentley]

First I see you are using PLA animation. The issue with PLA is that you can’t do any kind of easing which looks very robotic. Instead of animating the points directly, link each point to be animated to a null through expresso, then animate the nulls – you can do any easing you want on the null animations AND every animated point can have keyframes now where ever on the timeline. They don’t have to be all keyframed on the same frame anymore. The points of the spline will follow the nulls you have linked to them. If you are using R19 you can ease PLA now.

For points or objects sticking to the plane of the cover, you can link their positions (in expresso) to either the spline that makes the cover deform or to the polygon that makes up the cover itself.

For the spline, you can use a spline node and choose how far along the spline that point sits, then you can offset that point’s x, y or z to get it higher or lower on the cover. When the cover moves the point will always move with it, just offset by the amount you choose.

For the cover polygon, you can get the position of that polygon in expresso (in world space) and pass it with an offset to your point,.
Or, maybe more simply, use that polygon as an emitter object for a mograph cloner; choose object and let it make one clone in the center. Even if the cloned object is not the one you want, you can then get the position of that clone and pass that to your point.

Because you are using an IK chain you can also child the object you want on the cover to one of the bones and that will position it where ever you set it to be and that object will follow along with the book deformation without actually being deformed itself. (we do eyeballs in heads like this, they are part of the iK chain and not part of the mesh or skin heirarchy)

[Steve Bentley]

You’ll need to provide permissions to get into your google drive. Or you can just drag and drop the project into the text area of the reply box and that will upload it to the Cow.

[Steve Bentley]

I guess this all depends on how you want the ribbons to animate if at all.
You can use a spline deformer, or use a cloth sim, or a sweep along a spline with a cloth tag to give it some thickness.
To animate you can use wind with the cloth sim, and a collider to force the ribbon to deform to the picture.
If its a still you could even sculpt it to get the exact kind of curls and shape you want.
Do you have a sketch of what it should look like?