Creating shapes from Vector layers (.ai files)

I am trying to make extrusions to an image. I am new to Illustrator and have read that .ai files are the only ones that you can extrude in AE. However when I bring in an .ai file and select create shape from vector layer, a grey square covers the shape. I am assuming that it is a transparancy issue and it is just filling in the size of the .ai project. I could be wrong though. How can I fix this?

You need a plain shape in AI. If you're using gradients, masks, clipping paths or other stuff it won't work. Please give us more info and possibly a screenshot of your ai file.
Try this. Open up Illustrator. Take the pen tool and create a simple shape with a closed path. Import that single layer single path file into AE and see if it works. If it does, then show us a screenshot of your AI file and show all layers and expand out any groups. We'll try and help.

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How to remove 'Outlines' default text when creating shapes from vector layers?

Hello everyone!
You know the text it adds to the name layer when you create shapes from a vector layer that says Outlines? Well, anyone know if it's possible to change it or remove it?
It sucks to have to remove it manually, especially when it's a lot of layers and you've taken the time to do the prepping in illustrator.
Thankss,
Oliver

if I have an illustrator layer that is named icon and I convert it to outlines I get a layer that is named icon Outlines. Are you trying to remove the word Outlines or are you getting just a layer that says Outlines? Personally I would not remove the word Outlines from shape layer because this would differentiate it from the original and let me know at a glance what's going on with the layer and the project. This would be valuable information if I were to return to the project a year later for modifications.

How do I use "Trim Paths" after "Create Shapes from Vector Layer" on a strokes only layer?

Hello,
Adobe After Effects CC
2014.0.2
Version 13.0.2.3
I have imported an illustrator file that was created in Illustrator CC 18.0.0. The file contains the outline of a logo. It is the logo with the fill set to none and the stroke set to 1px.
I drag the logo_strokes.ai file onto the composition, right click, and click Create Shapes from Vector Layer.
A new layer is created and in the Contents "drop down", a Fill 1 layer is created.
When I select the Contents "drop down" and click Add / Trim Paths, a Trim Paths 1 layer is created.
When I animate Trim Paths 1, it appears to animate the Fill layer, not the stroke.
How do I get it to animate just the stroke, and not show a fill at all?
Thank you.

Thanks,
I am reading and watching tutorials. Still stuck on that one point.
Here are the images of the After Effects layers. The illustrator layer is the top layer.

Unlink shapes from vector mask in PS CS 6

Hi guys,
Do you know how I can unlink the shape from vector mask like in Photoshop cs 4?
cs6:
cs4:
This is especially interessting for if I want to move pattern overlay or something else. I hope you can help me.
thx
http://xd-artist.de

It is relatively easy to create Collage PSD Template for Photoshop. There are several ways to design them. One way is to create image place holder layer with layer mask that you insert images into when you populate a copy of a template. Photoshop support thousands of layers.
The way I do it is to user Alpha channels to map where images go. Photoshop only supports 53 Alpha channels so my collage templates are limited to 53 images. I populate my template using Photoshop scripts. The Alpha channels are use to resize placed image files to fit the alpha channel sizes. Also to position the resized image and to virtually crop the resize images by adding the alpha channels to the image smart object layers. I have scripts that batch populate templates, Populate one and remain open in Photoshop for further tweaking. And a interactive script the allows you to select image as the template is being populated and tweak their placement and sizing. The script also have options for adding text layer with filename over the images in one of 9 locations. Layer styles can also be optionally added to image and text layers. Animated Templates are even possible.
Photo Collage Toolkit: http://www.mouseprints.net/old/dpr/PhotoCollageToolkit.html
One I populated today click on image for a Video Demo:

Create animation from some layers..how ?

Hi,
Pshop CS2
I can see make frames from layers, but with a many layered psd file of which I only have 5 frames I want to see how they animate, how do I tell the animate palette to make frames from just the selected layers ?
Surely this has to be an option, there are always going to be layers during an artwork build that are options or earlier efforts etc that you may wish to revisit, to have the entire lot dumped into animate is a pain. Its not obviuos which they are when in there, layer names dont appear.
Envirographics

Hi,
I have just tried a test, created new file, 5 layers, labelled them 0, 1 2 3 4, turned off 0 2 and 4 and went to animation palette, create frames from layers and ended up with all 5 in there.
How do I get just specific layers into the animation and not all.
What you mean is, the 'create frames from layers option' from the triangle on white disc icon will dump all layers in each as a separate frame.
To get specific layers in, it has to be done one layer at a time, choose new frame then turn on just the layer you want for that frame, selectt new frame again and turn off all but the next layer you want in, and so on, then delete any frames not wanted like the first which picks up on whatever was turned on when animation palette was opened.
For a many layered file its time consuming but thats how it is. An option to make frames from visible layers would be useful !
Envirographics

Can't create PDF from most MS Office files, or combine

After behaving nicely for months, Acrobat suddenly won't create PDFs, either from the Acrobat menu or (for most) from right-clicking in Explorer. If I try File> Create PDF> From File, the dialog says it's looking for 'all supported formats' but doesn't show any of the files in the folder (not even .TXTs). It'll create a PDF from the right-click menu in Explorer, for only a very a few file types (for example, .docx but not .doc), and it won't do a Combine Files, either from Explorer or from the program, for any filetypes (says 'cannot convert file' on all filetypes).
This worked fine up til today and I have the same setup at work (AA 9 Pro and Office 2010) where it works fine. Tried doing a 'Repair' but no change. Starting to panic here. What went south? Thanks for any clues!

I said to print as a check, not to forget PDF Maker. The print is a temporary work around while you resolve the issue, partiuclarly if you are under time pressure. With versions before AA9, PDF Maker was simply a front end for the printer and when the printer was checked things might fail. So you get some trouble shooting of where the problem is. If you do not want to troubleshoot to see if everything is broken, that is fine.
The updates and repairs are other steps to take. A reinstall is typically a last resort and should include deletion of the Acrobat folder and running a cleaner on the registry after the uninstall.
Generally, if the PDF Maker in WORD does not work, then none of the other options to right click and create a PDF or creating a PDF directly in WORD will not work either. The whole point is to trace down to what is the major problem. Often folks have problems because the PDF Maker is not being recognized in WORD and has to be activated, but you have the icon and that suggests things should work.
Your next step is to check the job settings file. Be sure you have access to the job settings file. You will usually get an error message if this access is denied for some reason and posting the error is helpful.

Creating Buttons from Photoshop Layers

Hi, I am actually a designer trying to supply someone with a DVD menu template. They are using DVD Studio Pro.
I've sent the files as layered Photoshop .PSD files with the proper aspect ratio & size. The text that needs to be made into menu buttons I had converted to rasterized layers (as the type was originally layed out in a sepearate program, not Photoshop).
- So you cannot convert type that has rasterized on it's own layer to a button?
- Can 'Vector Smart Object' layers from Photosop CS2 be imported and used as buttons?
- Can Shape Layers be used to make buttons?
- If I absolutely have to redo all the type in Photoshop, anyone know how to properly handle the aspect ratio issue? The document is using DV (.9) aspect ratio, and the type does not appear correct when laying out in Photoshop. I have to apply a 90% horizontal scaling to make the type look the same as the rasterized type I brought in.
Thanks. I'm not too familiar with DVD authoring and even the whole pixel aspect ratio. Just trying to get the best files to people.

If they're using DVDSP 4 or above, YOU do not need to used the 0.9 aspect ratio when you make the file. Just use regular square pixels, but make sure that you're file is 640 x 480 NOT 720 x 480 (for 4:3 menus) or 720 x 404 (for 16:9 menus).
Any layer with filters should be flattened. All text and shapes should be rasterized as well.
- So you cannot convert type that has rasterized on it's own layer to a button?
It can very easily be it's own button, and outline for a button just needs to be "drawn" around it. It sounds like your DVD person doesn't quite know what they're doing.
- Can 'Vector Smart Object' layers from Photoshop CS2 be imported and used as buttons?
Yes, but make sure all vectors/shapes/test are rasterized and/or flattened to there own layer.
- Can Shape Layers be used to make buttons?
Yes. (See above.)
Hope this helps.
-Sid

Creating .pdf from a certain word file results in "2-layer" scrunched/superimposed text in places

Whether I export this certain .docx file from within Word 2007 or I import the file from within Adobe Acrobat Pro X, the same thing happens. It only happens on a few pages, but it's enough that people are losing their minds. Thoughts? This is what it looks like:

How are you creating the PDF from Word (PDFMaker macro or Adobe PDF printer)? Does it display like this or print like this? Both?

How to re-create playlists from Windows iTune library file?

After importing my itunes library from a Windows 7 sledded HDD, I have all my music etc but no playlists.
The kb article that explains the importing of the library files (itl and .xml) give some warnings about doing this import.
I can see both the xml file and a number of recent itl files on the sledded drive.
Am I going to mess anything up by importing these? It's possible that some of the songs the playlists pointed to are no longer in iTunes (I deleted some beore the import). Is this going to cause a problem.
Will this even work?

Assuming your relocated library is now at *Z:\iTunes Media*, for example, copy the library files that you restored onto drive C: (iTunes Library.itl, iTunes Library Extras.itdb, iTunes Library Genius.itdb, sentinel & Album Artwork folder - ignore the .xml) into the parent of this folder, i.e. Z:\, then click the icon to launch iTunes and *immediately press and hold the SHIFT key* until presented with an option to choose or create a library. Choose the library at Z:\ - all should be well. If I guessed wrong just use your actual media folder & parent of that media folder as approptiate.
tt2

Create pdf from any type of file file format

Hi there;
I have to create a pdf file from a special file format (which is not in the supported file list of livecycle pdf generator).Is there any chance to accompish that transform?I know Java.Thanks in advance..

no sense?

Request Advice for creating DVDs from 7.5 gig file sizes

Hi,
[using dvdstudio 3]
I’m looking for advice for home DVD project i'm working on. I want to create a DVD from video that has been captured to my computer using iMovieHD, and have completed my wanted edits for two clips. They are about an hour-plus each. When exporting the two clips separately (Sharing, in iMovie terms), the file sizes are about 7.5 Gig each at full quality,and I understand I’m going to have to cut some corners in the process to get both on one DVD and I’m even willing to have two DVDs, but still need to know the best way to decrease the file size for each one. The audio should remain as 16 bit 44.1 Khz, Stereo.
I’m wondering what the best method to achieve an optimum quality DVD is. Again, I realize I’ll have to compress the video at the loss of quality (i.e., “cut corners”) to make the DVDs.
In my previous experiences, I’ve retained the larger file size all the way up through the authoring process in DVD Studio letting it build a 7.5 gig dvd format (VIDEO_TS). Then, I used DVDx2One to compress it down to 4.5. The end result was pretty good and I never had any troubles per say. However, this project is important to me and I want to make the best quality I can. What would you do differently?
Here are my software tools that I use interchangeably for previous projects; copying, authoring, editing, etc:
-> iMovieHD 4x – used to capture the video.
-> DVD Studio 3 - to author and build my dvd session
-> ffmpegx - as a video conversion and compression tool
-> DVDX2one to recompress DVD formatted (VIDEO_TS).
Thanks very much for your tips!
JeffTronics

Hi Jeff - is the iMovie file in QT format?
If so, you need to compress it to MPEG2 - you don't need to suffer too much of a quality loss by doing so - how long (in minutes) is the video?
You should also encode the audio to AC3 - this will save loads of space as AC3 is about a tenth the size of a .aiff.
ffmpeg will create the MPEG for you, but so will DVDSP (as indeed will Quicktime). In your applications folder you should find 'A.Pack' which will handle the audio conversion as well.
The exact encoding parameters you use will depend on the nature of the footage that you have got - it's more than just squeezing it to fit - you need to account for fades, pans, zooms and fast action as well. Some parts can have a lower bitrate applied than others, and this is where a tool such as Compressor comes in handy. DVDSP will encode the footage as you work, or when you build if you want it to - this is also a reasonable option if you have nothing else available, or if you are new to the whole thing.
The best workflow is to go from iMovie to a compression tool to create your MPEG2 file. Take the associated .aiff file and encode to to Dolby Digital (AC3). Import both the MPEG2 and the AC3 file into DVDSP and you should be able to get the entire project to less than 4.37GB (the maximum capacity of a DVD-R).

Applescript create folder from filename and move file stopped working

Hi,
For a while I've used this script but after upgrade and a new machine it stopped working.
I have Mac OS 10.8.5.
This is what I have.
Images (folder)
111111_00.jpg
111111_01.png
222222_01.jpg
222222_02.png
222222_03.gif
I'd like to be able to create a new folder for each "group of files" (new folder 111111, new folder 222222) and move the appropriate files into each of them.
The filenames are always built by 6 digits underscore and 2 digits. Can be whatever filetype. (123456_01.jpg)
I have a script that used to work just fine but now it just creates one folder and then freezes.
This is the script that doesn't work.
set chosen_folder to (choose folder)
tell (a reference to my text item delimiters) to set {old_delim, contents} to {contents, "_"}
tell application "Finder"
    try
        set file_list to files of chosen_folder
    on error
        set file_list to {}
    end try
    repeat with this_file in file_list
        set folder_name to name of this_file
        if folder_name contains "." then set folder_name to ((text items 1 thru -2 of folder_name) as string)
        set new_folder to ((chosen_folder as string) & folder_name & ":")
        try
            get new_folder as alias
        on error
            make new folder at chosen_folder with properties {name:folder_name}
        end try
        move this_file to folder new_folder without replacing
    end repeat
end tell
set my text item delimiters to old_delim
I know that there are many who can do this easy as pie, but if you can find it in your hearts to help me it would be much appreciated.
K

function createFolder(file) {
var parentFolder = file.parent;
var saveFolder = new Folder( parentFolder + '/' + file.name.substring( 0, 8 ) );
if( !saveFolder.exists ) saveFolder.create();
var saveFile = new File( saveFolder + '/' + file.name);
if( file.copy( saveFile ) ) file.remove();
function main() {
   var folder = new Folder("~/Desktop/images");
   var files = folder.getFiles();
   for (var i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
     var f = files[i];
     if (f instanceof File) {
      createFolder(f);
main();
Something like that should work.

How to create PDF from Publisher A3 landscape file

I have a poster in an A3 landscape Publisher file, two pages. When I created a PDF it came out as portrait, and only the left half of each page. What can I do? I need to take it to be printed, as I don't have an A3 printer, and the office shop wants it as a PDF.
Sue Slater

Not sure where that leaves the bUseConv parameter...
bUseConv
(optional, Acrobat 7.0) A Boolean value that is used when cPath references a non-PDF file. If true, the method tries to convert the non-PDF file to a PDF document. The default is false.
Do you mean that, despite being documented, it isn't supported?

Error ploting contour graphic and create matrix from vectors

Hi.
I'm working with a few (64 exactly) AutoSpectrum channels where all have the same channel length, 1048576 measures. I have too a Frecuency channel that have the same length as AutoSpecrum.
I want to plot a contour graphic, so in Display i choose Matrix option. In "X-channel" I choose the Frecuency channel. In "Y-channel" i choose a numeric channel that I create (From 1 to 64, with 64 values) that represent the number of AutoSpectrum I have. FInally in "Z-matrix" I choose all AutoSpectrum channels. But when I click on OK to plot the contour graphic, DIAdem crashes.
First i think it could be because i choose too many channels with a high number of measurements, but if I choose only 2 channels to show (And in "Y-channel" I put obviously a numeric channel with only 2 values) i continues crashing. Only when i plot one AutoSpectrum channel it works.
What I'm doing wrong ?
How can I create a matrix where each row contains values of each AutoSpectrum ?
Thank you for your pattience. Bye.

Hi Haritzodri,
It sounds like you have too much data to plot. if every data point across all 64 channels was drawn as a pixel on your screen, you would need more than 67 million pixels. Most screen resolutions have no more than a couple of million pixels. Consider as well that each of those data values is stored as an 8 byte double in DIAdem, and you're asking to plot half a GB of data on a 3D graph.
I recommend that you apply data reduction to your 64x1048576 matrix to get it down to something more like 64x1024. That would mean averaging 1000 contiguous values into a single Z value. You can use the "Linear Mapping" ANALYSIS function in the Channel Functions palette to apply that data reduction.
Brad Turpin
DIAdem Product Support Engineer
National Instruments

Brilliant way to create titles from text files

It was just pointed out to me by a fellow named Greg Hester that there is a way to create titles from a Microsoft Word file using Adobe InDesign. You can create as many titles as you need, and even change text positions around from title to title. Then you export as a PNG.
If you need to go back and change a color or a font type or size or whatever, you can do that to all of them at once and then just export again. They will automatically update in Premiere Pro.
I have never even opened InDesign before, and I was able to follow the instructions in this tutorial without a strain.
The tutorial doesn't show that you can import a frame capture from the video to help position the text, but you can.
This is very cool. If you subscribe to the Creative Cloud, then you have access to InDesign.

Best would be to have this template/style functionality in the title tool itself though
Agreed.
Remember, all this InDesign thing does is create images that can be used as titles. My Macro created actual titles.
What really needs to happen is to have a plugin that creates titles from simple text files like the ones created from Notepad, so no Microsoft program is required. The file could have the text, the font style, and many other parameters, and then it could have the time to place the title on the sequence.
But in the meantime, this InDesign thing seems to be the best we can do for now. If, however, you want to use a fancy font style and it will all be in English, you can use my macro.

Creating shapes from Vector layers (.ai files)

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