Motion or After Effects

Folks,
I suspect that I'll get very pro-motion answers here, but I'd like to know people's opinions about which is better: Motion 3 or After Effects CS3. I know that there are always differences that make comparing any two programs like apples (pardon the pun) and oranges, but, overall, what do you all think?
I'm asking because I only have enough money to upgrade to either FCP Studio 2, or Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects CS3.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Lloyd

Tracking in Motion 3 works but... as with any program it depends on what you have to track with and what you want to do with that tracking info. Also of course how good you are at tracking. Shake can provide a wealth of options for your compositing, including tracking and chroma keying, but as you said it would be another interface to learn. If you know Motion and your not trying anything too hard with tracking elements Motion does work plus you get all the other benefits of updating the other programs in FCS.
If you have the time and inclination (well I guess also need an Apple store) go to the Apple store and sit down at a machine and try tracking in Motion. This might make you the "weird guy at the computer" but I don't think it would be a problem.
If you haven't already seen this site check it out. Look under what's new for some tracking demo's
http://www.motionsmarts.com/
o| TonyTony |o

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Apple motion vs after effects

http://youtu.be/f2E0FsQkW0g this is the result of a tutorial I followed about after effects, to realize it with apple motion realy fast and easy
the original link was this http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/particle_shadows/

I have noticed LOTS of people are thinking about, Motion vs After Effects. I personally think it is Apple's intention to eventually exceed AE's abilities. Right now however, I find that 'round trip' thang between FCP and Motion awfully nice, no need for a go-between piece of software like Automatic Duck.
Anyway, in sorting thru my own AE vs Motion quandry I stumbled upon the following overview, which proved insightful - While it's now a bit dated, I found it helpful - Do consider, Motion does some compositing now and I think we'll see it do a lot more in future releases.
Perhaps it may also give you some more to think about - Hope it's helpful either way.
http://www.dvcreators.net/discuss/showthread.php?t=5926

Is Motion or After Effects best for animation of High res. photographs

Hi everyone. I’m a novice when it comes to Motion, having worked more with FCP, and I am encountering some confusing differences!
I’m making an animation from a high res. Scanned ‘photograph’ of a flower, and I hope to maintain the great image quality, plus working with a short sound file (breathing) as a guide for the movement. (The final output is going to be large scale projection using a HD projector, which I understand is 1920 x 1080, with smaller versions for pre-view purposes.)
The move to Motion from FCP has phased me (co-decs, pre-sets etc.. so many options) I could re-size it to suit, DV, HD or most of the ‘sizes’ supported by Motion but I’m lost as to which settings would be best for my purposes.
I have done various tests with different pre-sets and have found that the longer and more complex the animation gets, the more jittery the playback is. I am wondering if there is a way I can work with Motion that resolves the the perforamnce thing, or if what I am doing ( length and size of animation) would be more suited to After Effects.
I love Motion, esp. the language used in the manual and would prefer to stay with it.
Thanking you all. I really want to understand this whole ‘video’ to ‘still-image’ move I’m making.

First of all, you could do your video in either program and would likely get similar results (depending on your relative skill in each program). There's certainly no reason not to stay in Motion if you're happy with the interface. After Effects has just as many confusing settings as Motion when it comes to output so you're probably not going to feel any better there.
Considering your output, I would start your project with the Broadcast HD preset. That will give you the 1920x1080 frame size which should look great on your projected screen. I would tend always to work in an HD framework when working with stills since typically they'll be of high quality.
Make sure your stills are prepped properly for video (which is different from how they would be scanned for print work). Scan them in at a good size resolution 2500 px along the longest side at 72 dpi (high dpi is not necessary for video work). Also, use uncompressed pic formats like TGA, TIF, or PSD.
You didn't mention how long the sequence was, and length does make a difference at times because Motion is run primarily through the graphics card as opposed to the processor. This is a primary difference between Motion and AE.
When you are talking about jittery playback, keep in mind that it's the gfx card that is providing the "real-time" playback to begin with. So the larger the project, the less likely that the card is going to be able to play back in real-time. If timing is an issue you can change the view to draft (default is normal), or you can do a RAM preview (CMD+R). AE has NO real-time playback without a RAM preview, so keep that in mind.
One more thing. There are several ways to do the same thing in Motion. Some of them put more pressure on the card than others. Keep your project as simplified as you can while working, and turn off things like thumbnails and previews to speed up performance.
Good luck,
Andy

Can we live just we motion without after effects ( effects with particle)

I am trying to make a really simple effects with particles in motion, i watched ANDY KRAMER'S "tutorial " ENERGY" related after effects and trying to do same thing with apple motion, I am new in motion graphic and approched it studying motion with mark spencer book and experiencing as many things as possibile.
MY personal question is ( I know that many people has done same question) it really worth studiyng after effects? can we live just with motion? (as 3d app i am studiyng cinema 4d).
Anyway right now Iam a bit frustrated because a simple twirl effects with particles coming from boundaries to go toward center point seem to me impossible, iit was so easely in after effects.

Well if you haven't already realized it your never going to be completely happy with Motion. But I was never any happier with After Effects. Personally if you can get your hands on Cinema 4D DO. It's an awesome program. Combine that with Motion and you can do just about anything you want. Oh yea and I guess you've already noticed that when it comes to stability Motion is screwed. My dream is that someday (Like in the next release) They would combine C4D and Motion into almost 1 application. Kinda like FCP and Motion. You could do most of your modeling in C4D and then pull it into Motion to add all you video layers etc. But chances of that happening are pretty slim. But if the next release of FCS has as many updates as the last release it might be time to switch to Adobe lol

After Effects Plugins in Motion

Where do I install AfterEffects Plugins into Motion? I can't find a plugins folder for Motion 2.

I purchased magic bullet software three weeks ago and i read somewhere on this or creative cow that motion read After effects plugins. I know FCP does not read them as of the studio 1 version.

Apple Motion vs Adobe After Effects vs Macromedia Director

Greetings,
1. Is Motion like Adobe After Effects and/or Macromedia Director?
2. What are the similarities and differences between Motion and Adobe After Effects?
3. What are the similarities and differences between Motion and Macromedia Director?
Thanks for the comments!
G5 1.8 GHz Dual Mac OS X (10.3.9)

I have noticed LOTS of people are thinking about, Motion vs After Effects. I personally think it is Apple's intention to eventually exceed AE's abilities. Right now however, I find that 'round trip' thang between FCP and Motion awfully nice, no need for a go-between piece of software like Automatic Duck.
Anyway, in sorting thru my own AE vs Motion quandry I stumbled upon the following overview, which proved insightful - While it's now a bit dated, I found it helpful - Do consider, Motion does some compositing now and I think we'll see it do a lot more in future releases.
Perhaps it may also give you some more to think about - Hope it's helpful either way.
http://www.dvcreators.net/discuss/showthread.php?t=5926

How does Motion 2 compare to After Effects?

I have used After Effects in school but now that I am using FCP instead of AVID I was thinking that it'd probably be a good idea to switch over.
I mainly want to use Motion 2 for adding filter effects and transistions to my videos. Is the connectivity between FCP and Motion such a boon that I should learn how to use it?
From messing around in Motion I've found that it seems much more complicated than After Effects and a bit more unwieldy (but I've barely scratched the surface).
When I looked at what has been added in Motion 3 I was a bit upset that I bought FCS1 a couple months before 2 came out. Motion 3 seems to be much improved, but alas, it's too late.

I agree. I too am in the job market and find that there are more jobs that ask for After FX experience than Motion. Having learned both, I made the decision of just working with Motion and developing my skills to a higher level.
Motion is way more enjoyable to work with. I produce faster with it and it does just about everything that After FX can do. If it doesn't...I go to Shake 4.1. Shake has a much better keyer than After FX. You can combine Primate and Keylight together and get much better results than After FX. I even like the work flow better in Shake than I do in After FX.
I find that, for some reason, I am more creative in Motion than After Effects. It just flows nicer for me I quess. As far as intergration with Flash, there honestly isn't that much difference. While After FX imports and exports .swf and .flv files....Motion or should I say Quicktime exports to .flv. Both produce large file sizes...I think Motion was a few kb smaller than After FX....I usually end up exporting small image sequences with a alpha channel into Flash. Both Motion and After Effects export image sequences.
Once Motion 3 is out and stable, I think the gap will be alot closer to After FX. I am going to the Final Cut Studio 2 on tour in NYC on Tues, I'll be sure to ask about cast shadows! How can you leave that out?
As far as getting jobs, I want to find a company that uses Macs and Final Cut in their workflow. Companies that use PC have no choice but to use After FX....Who wants to work on a PC!
Best Regards,
Ed
Powerbook 15" 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.9) Maxed out!

A few questions about After Effects and CGI (Computer-generated Imagery)

Hi,
I'm very new to After Effects and this forum. But I have a few questions.
Now, I have recently started a movie project with my friend at a workshop. It's an action/sci-fi film and I'm probably going to be the editor and if needed in charge of visual and/or special effects. This sounds like a pretty big job for a noob, but we don't have a time limit with the project so there's time to learn.
But to my questions. I've thought of introducing CGI to myself (very simple of course). I've studied the use of blender, and I think I'll use it for the modelling and animation. But should Ae be used in any stage of producing the CGI or should everything be done in blender? If I do, how? Am I going in the wrong direction (wrong kind of software, etc.)?
Also, I'm not talking of fully producing the scene with the computer, but adding things like characters or items, maybe special effects.
I'm hoping for an answer to all my questions, but if you have just one or two answers I'm happy to hear them too. You're also welcome to correct me if I've misunderstood something. Please ask for further specifications if you need any!

pek859 wrote:
1. I'm very new to After Effects and this forum. But I have a few questions.
2. Now, I have recently started a movie project with my friend at a workshop. It's an action/sci-fi film and I'm probably going to be the editor and if needed in charge of visual and/or special effects. This sounds like a pretty big job for a noob, but we don't have a time limit with the project so there's time to learn.
3. But to my questions. I've thought of introducing CGI to myself (very simple of course). I've studied the use of blender, and I think I'll use it for the modelling and animation. But should Ae be used in any stage of producing the CGI or should everything be done in blender? If I do, how? Am I going in the wrong direction (wrong kind of software, etc.)?
4. Also, I'm not talking of fully producing the scene with the computer, but adding things like characters or items, maybe special effects.
5. I'm hoping for an answer to all my questions, but if you have just one or two answers I'm happy to hear them too. You're also welcome to correct me if I've misunderstood something. Please ask for further specifications if you need any!
1. Welcome to the family. AE is big, Really big. It's hard. Really hard. You have no idea how hard AE is to learr and to master.
2. No time limit is good but you will need some money.
3. This is not a Blender forum. You want to explore filmmaking, CGI and Blender-specific forums for that kind of assistance.
4. AE is for your compositing and special effects. But you will need to learn how both apps work before you can decide how to divide up your project. A comparison would be shooting your film. Are you using a DSLR? Do you know why? Or are you using a GoPro? Another example might be Apple's Final Cut Pro. You can edit audio in it but it's better to use an audio application. You can do some special effects in FCP but it's best to do complex stuff in Motion of After Effects. How do you know what app is appropriate Lots of experience. Lots of failures.
5. We were all new to AE and to vidoe editing and to special effects at one time or another. The user forums are not places to learn how to use these applications. You do that with tutorials and books and tons of time. Learning to use Blender to make a robot move is one thing. Making the robot into a character that compels the audience to care about it is quite another. Using AE to create a layer of clouds is one thing. Having those clouds react to the bow waves created by your flying robot as it approaches sonic speeds is quite another challenge.

Exporting after effects files to Final cut pro

Hello, I'm trying to export some simple AE quicktime movies for use in the 'Final cut pro' application.I'm using AE CS5.5 on Mac OSX and my colleague is using version 5.1.4 of Final cut pro on Mac OSX. My movies arent rendering very well in FCP (my colleague tells me that there is loss of quality). What format should I render my movies as in the 'Output Module settings' box? And what 'video Codec' should I select from the 'Format options' box in the 'Output Module settings' box? I'm guessing that getting this correct is the issue...and I cant seem to get the right setting!
Please help! Its driving me mad!
Many thanks in advance.

glenn Thornley wrote:
Hello, I'm trying to export some simple AE quicktime movies for use in the 'Final cut pro' application.I'm using AE CS5.5 on Mac OSX and my colleague is using version 5.1.4 of Final cut pro on Mac OSX. My movies arent rendering very well in FCP (my colleague tells me that there is loss of quality). What format should I render my movies as in the 'Output Module settings' box? And what 'video Codec' should I select from the 'Format options' box in the 'Output Module settings' box? I'm guessing that getting this correct is the issue...and I cant seem to get the right setting!
Please help! Its driving me mad!
Many thanks in advance.
I've got a different opinion about 422. I find even 422LT it is completely adequate and satisfactory for 90% of the work I do with my partner. However, we mostly use ProRes4444 when exchanging movie files, even if we dont' need the alpha, simply because it's a good standard that we can always use whether we're coming out of Motion or After Effects or FCP.
If your movie looks good to you coming out of AE, but your editor says it is not rendering well in FCP, he's probably got something set improperly in FCP for handling the file you've given him or you are giving him an incorrect frame size or frame rate. Your output settings should match his timeline's base codec, almost exactly. But you must consider his need for an aplha chanel, color space, frame rate, scalability and other factors.

Working with after effects templates?

Hello
Im trying to use a motion vfx, after effects template. Is it possible using dynamic link to bring individual clips from perm pro and drop them directly into after effects?
Any ideas would be helpful.
I want to avoid exporting individual clips and then re import them into AF.
Thanks
Philip

When you "replace with AE Comp" it should take you to Ae ... you do your work there including choosing any template or effect ... then save within Ae. That automatically updates the clip back in PrPro to what you've just done. Exit Ae, go back into PrPro, keep working. Don't think I left out anything.
The first time I tried this I made it FAR more complicated than it is ... and it wouldn't work. Came on here, was told ... you over-complicated it noob, just ... do this, nothing else. I said thank you kind sir and ... voila ... it worked pretty dang slick. Now, I don't go to Ae often, so I'm still a TOTAL noob when working "over there" ... but getting there & back again is easy. Wish is was easy over there ... ah well ...
Neil

After Effects CS6 export to Lightwave option isn't available

I'm trying to export a camera motion from After Effects CS6 to Lightwave 11.5, but the option isn't even available in the File>Export menu. Is there a special download I need to install?
I watched several tutorials, and none of them mention a special plugin.

I gave up on LW after that Core debacle and only loosely follow things there, but I would assume that the new workflow would require a specific plug-in to be installed similar to Cinema 4D's exchange plug-ins. Maybe refer to the LW help ofr ask on the NewTek forums...
Mylenium

Export Camera Data to After Effects CS3

I can't find any mention of this any where, but is there any way to export the camera data inside Motion into after effects? I'm creating lots of nice particle effects, but i need to keep the backgrounds inside After Effects, due to complex shadows etc

cheers Mark..
i enjoyed your Ripple Training series by the way..

Which areas does Motion3 excel over After Effects CS4?

For those who use both, which types of activities would you choose Motion over After Effects CS4?
Which features in Motion are the strongest?

Great reading, Mark, thanks for the links.
I'd say:
1. AE rules with lights and shadows. (We figure this is coming eventually in Motion, has to.)
2. AE rules with the concept of nesting sequences.
I'm totally biased toward After Effects but I am slogging through Mark's instructional materials to get my Motion chops up to the point where I can take advantage of everything it has to offer.
If you have FCS, there's no question you need to become absolutely fluent with Motion. If you are planning on making a living in the motion graphics and special effects niches, there's no question you must be fluent with After Effects to be taken seriously. But you will find yourself using every tool at your disposal to satisfy the needs of your clients.
bogiesan

"Linear" curve doesn't exsist in After Effects

Hi! I can't do a simple LINEAR curve in motion in After Effects.
Even when I select anchor of my curve and set "Make linear" i got this:
I don't want to make "Easy Easy" curve. I want simple, linear which is going streight without any offset of motion.
But this is impossible. I try 1 whole day and nothing. Everytime I got strange motion curves like screen above.
But I want just have curve like that:
How to do this? I repeat, a button like this doesn't work and causes strange curve shape lik 2nd screen above:

Oh, for Heaven's sake.
Here's an example in a 1280x720 comp: the pixel in the uppermost left portion of the comp is 0,0. The pixel in lowermost right portion of the comp is 1280,720. The center of the comp is 640, 360.
If you have trouble grasping this oh-so radical, 21-year-old concept, I STRONGLY recommend spending a LOT of time visiting the pages you will find here:
Getting started with After Effects (CS4, CS5, CS5.5, CS6, & CC)

Computer for CS5 After Effects and Premiere

Hi
I start bulding a new computer for my CS5 production premium
my main usage is for HD motion desing, after effects 70% of all my work
other usage
15% premiere for editing short clip (10 min max) ( footages from my canon 5d mark2)
8% photoshop
5% 3d modeling and rendering
2% illustrator
Power Supplies: CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-950TX 950W ATX12V v2.3/EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE
case: COOLER MASTER ATCS 840 RC-840-SSN1-GP
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD5 or ASUS Rampage III Formula
memory:Patriot Viper II DDR3 1600MHZ 24GB Triple Channel
prossesor:Intel Core i7-980X Extreme Edition Gulftown
gpu: Galaxy 70XKH3HS3CUB GeForce GTX 470
other: blackmagic Intensity Pro
hard drive option 1
4x OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX120G (raid 0) (Scratch / Temp / Pagefile/ Media / Project)
OCZ RevoDrive OCZSSDPX-1RVD0120 PCI-E x4 120GB (system and application)
HITACHI Deskstar2TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s ( photos, vector and others files)
hard drive option 2
4x SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB (raid 5 motherboard)(Scratch / Temp / Pagefile/ Media / Project / others files)
OCZ RevoDrive OCZSSDPX-1RVD0120 PCI-E x4 120GB (system and application)
Any advise for the hard drive option or other component would be greatly appreciate.,
because its mostly for use after effects maybe is better to me to go with a dual xeon(4core) and a nvidia quattro card ?
Thanks,
Fred

Thanks for the infos
That`s really help me, i finnaly go whit i7 980x
I order my last parts of the computer today
the main components will be :
MB: Rampage III Extreme
GPU: Galaxy GTX 470 GC
Memory: 24GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600
Raid controller: areca ARC-1210
Raid: 4x 1TB F3
System: Vertex 2 120GB
Now i just have to wait 1 week to get it.
Ciao,
Kding

Motion or After Effects

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