[Tim Kurkoski]

Use RAM preview (zero key on the keypad) or audio-only preview (period key on the keypad).

[Tim Kurkoski]

Thanks, duff. That aligns with my thinking, but stated far more eloquently than I could.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Can’t recommend anything free off the top of my head, not for AVI anyway.

For web work, you should be using WMV, Quicktime, or MPEG-4/H.264. All will do a good job of maintaining the audio quality. (Personally, I recommend not using DivX. I’ve seen too many machines with video playback problems because that d***** thing screwed up the DirectShow filters. It also requires users to go fetch the codec if they don’t have it, which is a no-no if you can help it.)

You can do QT out of Premiere, though it’s not so good with keeping the file size down. You can do WMV, though I think you may need to scrounge up a component specifically for 6.5 from the Microsoft site. MS also has a free encoder/converter you can download, or you can just use Windows Movie Maker, which comes with XP.

For QT and MP4/H.264, QuickTime Pro does a fine job, and it’s only $20 or $30. Actually iTunes can make you an iPod compatible H.264 for free- just import the file and use the “Convert to iPod” option.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Field order is dependent on the format and hardware you’re using, and if I recall, Media100 does favor upper field.

I’m not really sure how devices can switch field order, but I think it may be format dependent, and in situations where the order must be adjusted, they seem to have figured out how to do it gracefully.

Both NTSC and PAL can be either field order. I’ve seen PAL associated with upper field more commonly than NTSC, but that doesn’t really mean anything. I actually double-checked on field order for PAL DVD before I wrote the last post, and PAL DVD does appear to use lower field.

[Tim Kurkoski]

There are several video effects that will do this for you. It’s been a long time since I worked in 6.5, but there may be some in the Distort or Transform folder. There’s actually an effect called Transform in there somewhere, and if you use a -100% value on the horizontal scaling, it will mirror-flip the image.

[Tim Kurkoski]

In short, you don’t. You have to make the MP3 encoder show up as a DirectShow AVI audio codec, which I’ve not known to be common. (You can look hard on the Internet for one if you’re really jonesing for MP3 audio.) Your best bet otherwise is to use another application to convert the audio or the whole AVI file for you.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Use lower field first. You can use non-interlaced, but the footage will be interlaced on a TV anyway, and the motion will be slightly smoother.

Yes, AE will render the fields separately if you specify fields, so there will be a little bit of a render time impact.

[Tim Kurkoski]

You can manually edit the keyboard shortcuts file.

On Windows, find it here:
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\After Effects\7.0\Adobe After Effects 7.0 Shortcuts.txt

On Mac, find it here:
Hard Drive/Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/Adobe/After Effects/7.0/Adobe After Effects 7.0 Shortcuts

Similar locations (rewind to the Prefs folder on Mac) for 6.5 and earlier versions.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Errr… are you actually trying to import the plug-in file for the demo? If it’s a plug-in, you need to put it in AE’s plug-ins directory. Check the instructions that came with the plug-in to be sure of where you’re supposed to put it.

If that’s not the case, please be more specific about the steps you are taking that lead up to the error.

Also, After Effects 7.0 Pro has a more advanced time-warping engine in the program (which is actually based on ReVisionFX’s technology, if I remember correctly) which does what you describe. You may not need the plug-in at all.

[Tim Kurkoski]

Typically you need separate versions. I think there are a few, mostly keyframe assistant type things (like Profound Effects’ Useful Things) that aren’t platform specific, but it’s not common.