(Hopefully) Easy Question Regarding 3D Editing in AE

[Anthony]

i doubt there's a person who can answer this here, but as i wait for this question to be answered in a couple video editing forums i figured to give it a shot here:

i'm playing around with the 3d options/camera in AE CS3 trying to scrub the layers to and fro, but instead of being able to scrub in real time (that is, move the camera angles and the layers automatically move as i move the mouse), i get the following:



so basically as i move the camera, i first see that white outline of where the images will be, then as i release the mouse button the images snap into their new position. i don't think that's the way it's supposed to be. do i have some button clicked incorrectly? i'm not seeing this in any tutorial, you're supposed to be able to "fly around" with the camera and view it at virtually any angle instantaneously as you move around.

thanks, hopefully it's an easy (and obvious) solution.

[Antmeister]

I can't really see your layout, but it is possibly because the layer that says enter a new dimension, which I am assuming is a 2D layer, is at the top of all the other 3D layers. Move it below your 3D layers and see if that works.

[Antmeister]

By the way, did you also set any keyframes in this.

[Anthony]

there are 2 layers in that pic. one layer is "Enter a new" and the other layer is "dimension". in after effects all need to do to turn a 2D layer into a 3D layer is click an icon. you can see the icon in the shot above - right next to the circle that is half white/half black is a box, you check that icon on any layer you want to enable 3D properties to.

my question/problem is those white outlines the arrows are pointing to. as soon i release the mouse the two layers (enter a new & dimension) will be in that position. it's supposed to happen seamless - as you toggle your mouse orbiting around the images are supposed to basically "follow" your camera movement at the same time. think of it this way - when you open a door you hold the knob and pull it towards you. the door (for lack of a better word) follows the knob. what's happening in my case is i'm opening the door, but only the knob is moving. as i let go of the knob the rest of the door magically appears where it's supposed to go.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Antmeister

By the way, did you also set any keyframes in this.

i'm not even at that stage yet. right now i'm trying to get the layers to act as they should. it makes it very hard to do keyframe stuff cuz the camera in the game (literally it's a virtual camera, as you move it around your perpective changes so you can basically view any layer at any angle, thus operating in a 3D environment) is doing that white outline thing and i'm getting frustraed cuz in all the tutorials i'm following along with i'm not seeing it happen the same way it's happening on my desktop.

[Anthony]

it looks like its one basic 2D layer, but if you look at those white outline boxes that's basically showing you that one layer is actually/literally in front of the other (which you can't do in basically Adobe Premiere). 2D is 2 axis, Y and X (up/down and left/right), but After Effects allows you to operate in a 3rd axis - Z axis (front/back).

[Antmeister]

Ahh...okay. So the text itself is not moving in 3D space when you scrub. So what is the top layer in the screen? It looks as if there are 3 layers there.

[Antmeister]

Okay looks like you answered that before I asked it.

[Antmeister]

By the way that 2D layer will be in front of the 3D layers since you have it at the top

[Anthony]

the two dark red layers are the "enter a new" and the "dimension" layers. the top pink layer is the "camera" layer, the property that allows you to fly around the images/content from any angle. even without using a camera, as you scrub the "position" properties the layer is supposed to follow suit. in no scenario should the above be happening.

i get this even if i'm manipulating a regular 2D layer. i just can't seem to move the actual layer, it seems as soon as i click on a layer that outline appears and i'm moving that white outline and then the image/content will be in that position.

[Antmeister]

Unless it is an adjustment layer or null object.

[Antmeister]

Ok try this. You see where it says Active Camera. Click that and select the Camera you put on the top layer.

[Anthony]

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials.html?id=63

here is the video tutorial i'm talking about (if you wanted to pick up a pointer or two). watch as the instructor moves the layers around. he just clicks on the layers and they move. bam. when i do it, like i said, those white outlines appear. you'll then see him enable the camera, and move all around the layers. frusrating!

[Antmeister]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials.html?id=63

here is the video tutorial i'm talking about (if you wanted to pick up a pointer or two). watch as the instructor moves the layers around. he just clicks on the layers and they move. bam. when i do it, like i said, those white outlines appear. you'll then see him enable the camera, and move all around the layers. frusrating!

Thanks. Video Copilot is kick ass. I have his site on my Master Link directory. I haven't seen that tutorial however and the reason why I am just throwing shit out there to see what sticks is because I don't know if there is a current option in the newer version of After Effects that is causing that. I am currently on After Effects 6.5 so most of the interface looks similar but there are a few options I am not familiar with. Especially since it interfaces well with Photoshop.

However, I hope I solved the problem now. Messing around with my own, I remembered coming across this but couldn't remember what was causing it. I think I may have found it and hopefully it is the same on your. On the upper right hand corner of the timeline is an arrow pointing right. Click on that and see if Live Update is selected. When I turned this off I was getting the same issue as you had.

[Anthony]

you may be on to something. still looking for the Live Preview option, but in the meantime here is another example:



you can see basically what i'm talking about. see how all the layers have that white outline. it's obviously something i have selected/enabled. that's the way the layers start out, then when i click on them they turn into the box that has the x inside of it like you can see in the original pic. but i think you may be close. if you've had the problem before then i'm obviously not talking crazy here.

[Anthony]

gonna hit the sack, but your input was greatly appreciated. thanks again. it's obviously doesn't appear to be a serious problem. more a matter of preference.

[Antmeister]

[Anthony]

link broken. please repost.

[Antmeister]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

link broken. please repost.

done

[Antmeister]

Huh....it looks like the Live Update option is actually available on top of your timeline. Check out the Adobe docs.

http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/Afte...C2B7D3614.html

[Antmeister]

[Anthony]

holy potatoes - i think that might be it. i can't wait to get home and test that out - i think that's exactly what it is. by the sound of it (i want the layers to update in realtime, or "live") and that icon looks extremely similar to what i'm currently getting.

if that happens to be correct, i greatly appreciate it. i can't for some reason see how someone would want to edit using the way i currently have it set. i don't see the feature or benefit of not being able to have the layers/images move in realtime as i scrub the parameters or rotate the camera. in any event, i think you found the solution. muchos gracias.

EDIT: ok, clicking on that help link suggests to improve playback speed you can deselect live update. still, i don't like it.

[Antmeister]

Well I hope this is it. The screenshots I am showing are actually from After Effects CS3. I am using a screenshot from the video footage at the Video Copilot website. So you should have that button. In fact I see the button on one of the screenshots you posted above.

[Anthony]

that was it. thanks a ton!