AFTER EFFECTS WISH LIST (Prior to Sept 09)

Another Graph Editor request....

Ability to vertically zoom in the graph editor (after disabling autozoom). You can zoom horizontal via - and =. I need something for vertical.....

Option for setting mode of self collision of masks. I always run into have to cross the splines and thus, getting a difference effect on it. I'd like to set that to Add as well, if I want to. Sounds easy.
Thanks.

> perhaps you should include a link under the After Effects Scripting Guide

Will do.

> Also, still waiting for the AE Scripting Guide to be upgraded to LiveDocs...

Me, too. I won't trouble you with the details of why that's not trivial, but I will assure you that the wheels are in motion.

> Speaking of ExtendScript. It bugs me that my script will
> debug/run but not function properly. I then copy the section
> of my script that creates the xml file into a new document.
> Only then does debugging the new doc reveal my error,
> undeclared (mistyped) variable. Why wouldn't it catch that in
> the larger script? Frustrating.

I bet that you'd get some help with this if you started a new thread with this issue in the scripting forum.

That's it. I've already downloaded, printed it, and am reading it. I originally found the link while searching for "XML After Effects." Without finding it thru the ExtendScript, I think it's very difficult to locate; perhaps you should include a link under the After Effects Scripting Guide, since the two compliment each other. Also, still waiting for the AE Scripting Guide to be upgraded to LiveDocs...

My XML script is almost done; just a couple of remaining problems. Moving on to UI creation (which is also covered in Javascript Tools Guide)....

Speaking of ExtendScript. It bugs me that my script will debug/run but not function properly. I then copy the section of my script that creates the xml file into a new document. Only then does debugging the new doc reveal my error, undeclared (mistyped) variable. Why wouldn't it catch that in the larger script? Frustrating.

> There's a chapter on XML in the Javascript Tools Guide CS3
> (Open ExtendScript Toolkit 2, then go to Help > SDK > JavaScript
> Tools Guide CS3. There's also a pdf version somewhere on the
> adobe site, but I couldn't find it with a quick look.) There's
> a lot more on reading xml files than creating them...

Is this what you're looking for, David?

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/bridge/pdfs/javascript_tools_guide_cs3.pdf

I have to agree with the posts these days on 3D. I wrote about this prior to the current version, and was really surprised and saddened that the 3D situation still sucks in AE. What's the problem? This, in my opinion is the main reason I'd stop using AE and switch to Motion, which at least seems (in my limited experience with it) to have worked out a nice 3D interface.

At the VERY LEAST:

XYZ coordinates

Named windows

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!!!!!

Thanks!
Josh

Yep, no change to the HTML limitations yet, sorry.

"Does anyone use the node/schematic view in AE? I opened it up once to show my boss the end game from our show, but it's so horrible to open/organize that it's just a waste of time.."

This has been exactly my experience. For any comp network complex enough to make a network graph useful, the graph itself is so unwieldy as to be completely unusable.

On an unrelated note, is HTML still hosed on this forum? I tried putting the above quote in italics, and the forum displayed the tags rather than the formatted text.

(Replying to Marcus)
Sorting out 3GB limit means rewrite for 64bit. Not that I'm against that....

Does anyone use the node/schematic view in AE? I opened it up once to show my boss the end game from our show, but it's so horrible to open/organize that it's just a waste of time..

"Instead of node-based view of project. How about node based view of expressions a la quartz composer /c4d xpresso." Later this year, you should check out Softimage XSI 7. "Moondust" is awesome!

And the main reason I was replying... Accessing XML files is already possible, via scripting.. Funny you should mention that, I'm just working on how to write XML files (http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3c05dc8f/1).

There's a chapter on XML in the Javascript Tools Guide CS3 (Open ExtendScript Toolkit 2, then go to Help > SDK > JavaScript Tools Guide CS3. There's also a pdf version somewhere on the adobe site, but I couldn't find it with a quick look.) There's a lot more on reading xml files than creating them...

>Just don't bother with the node view thing unless it's useful. Imitation Flame thing from years ago. We all asked for it. And got something different. No one uses it. Do they?

Once you learn how to use something like nodes you'll always want them. Combine something like Shake's nodes with AE's timeline and you've got a killer way to composite and do MO graphics in the same app. Gone forever will be my AE compositing projects with 50 to 100 layers.