[Tom Duncan]

Hey Jon, thanks for the response. We literally JUST figured it out over at Adobe forum.

The path Serge created reverses direction and parallels itself and ends right back where it started. You cannot tell this unless you drill in real close.

If I create a path in one direction, Zax attempt to “close” the path by tracing back from the end to the beginning. This gives the same appearance that AI fill would when it fills in the segment interiors.

I found the best way to create these paths is to draw the path, offset by 1 pixel, then delete the original in the middle and viola, a thin parallel path. Doesn’t seem to matter to Zax if there is a fill color or not.

thanks,
Td

[Tom Duncan]

Hmmm. Such a simple question, not worth responding to?

[Tom Duncan]

Let me throw in a few other factors to the mix.

I tried only selecting the sequence. Original files are left untouched. (what is weird is that it REPORTS there will be XXX amount of space saved. Liar!)

I tried selecting all the files and seq in the bin. Still nothing.

These were p2 files. None of them have in/out points set. Is that the missing criteria? I usually just dump them on the timeline and trim from there. Is it necessary to create subclips?

thanks in advance,
t

[Tom Duncan]

Correction, I believe he did manually pen the mask because it is not as perfect as I described. Also the same letters have different masks.

That solves it. Thanks,
td

[Tom Duncan]

The real reason I want to know is because it’s making me crazy searching for it. 😉

But yes, it could be a path that a write-on effect would take, though it could be used for many other things too I guess. A Photoshop or AI path in AE is called a mask, no?

thanks,
td

[Tom Duncan]

By sloppy I mean it is a “handwritten” grunge-like TT font. For example, the stroke-path for a handwritten “T” returns to the top-center and changes direction after a small loop. If he created the mask manually with a pen, he sure put a lot of effort into it. And the stroke is perfectly down the center. I just thought there MUST be a simple automated way to get this mask. No?

thanks,
td

[Tom Duncan]

I thought that but hoped something might have changed as I see a few other new features. I found this tutorial on doing a “write-on” effect.

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/okerstrom_jon/layercycle.php

But I seem to remember there being a tutorial on the trickery of orbiting a 3d object around a Zax object. Also Zax objects don’t cast a shadow in AE world?

thanks,
td

[Tom Duncan]

OK, I found the problem. My Mac has an ATI Radeon and it was set to NTSC = 800×600 out. Changed that to 720×480 and the edges are gone.

Thanks so much for your effort.
td

[Tom Duncan]

Correction, it is not a tad worse, about the same as DV.

td

[Tom Duncan]

Thanks for the response. Two things you said..

1. Interpret the footage… but the footage is originating in AE so no interpretation is possible. From what I understand, the solid settings is the interpretation.

2. Render our uncompressed. It must now be rendered on my DV sequence, which is a major pain to edit.

The footage actually looks a tad worse doing this and my timeline wont like it. Am I reading this wrong?

Tom