AFTER EFFECTS WISH LIST (Prior to Sept 09)

[Andrew Yoole]

AFTER EFFECTS WISHLIST

What features would you like to see implemented in After Effects? New ideas for plugins? Interface changes? Post 'em here!

Let's keep bug identification to individual posts, as these will probably be addressed more readily. Let's use this thread for specific ideas about ways that AE can be improved and expanded.

These Forums are for users, not Adobe employees, so don't forget to also fill in an  Adobe feature request form.

To view the Wish List posts prior to 2008, look here.

[yenaphe]

These have all been logged by me with Adobe (many times) using the "Feature Request" page for the last 3 versions of the software. Can't figure out why they don't think these wouldn't be an asset to the program:

Well besides the general direction the team wants to give to the software, my hunderstanding is feature addition are based on the number of requests they get, and sometime on the ease of implementing it.

For exemple, if 300 dudes asks for 64bit and if only 10 asks for "grow boundaries", they'll propably look at that 64bit thingy first. So the more the people asks for something, the more the AE team considers it. I'm not speaking on the behalf of the AE team, but it's what I have understood by looking around here.

[Jonas Hummelstrand]

Joey,

Trust me, those three are among the top requested features. The second one actually goes by the name of "über-twirl" and has been among the most requested features for several versions. That feature alone would make the upgrade worthwhile!

- Jonas Hummelstrand
http://generalspecialist.com/

[Andrew Yoole]

I'd like to see an "Orient To Layer" function in the auto-orient options, so you could define a layer that the target layer will always orient towards. I know it can be achieved with expressions, but it'd be a nice thing to do in one easy step.

[A. Cobb]

While we are requesting new auto-orient features, how about making auto-orient a keyframeable property?

[David_Wigforss-Hv1BNN]

Along those lines, I refer back to my request for "Constraints". Constrain to position, orientation, direction, pose (kinda all of the above), Distance, Scaling, Symmetry path (curve), Surface, 2 Point, 3 Point, Npoint - all with keyframable weight parameters...

(works great in XSI)

[_Nicholas_Karlovich_]

The one and only request I have is to create a meaningful animation curve interface. Many before me have posted on the necessity of this feature, because it is the single most dominating thing holding AE animations back from the fluid rolling motion attainable in 3D software.

Coming from Maya, working with curves in AE is a nightmare. The simple reason is this: Not all keyable attributes have the same value system. For example, If i wish to adjust a scale curve, i can key the value from 0 to 100%. However, if i wish to key position, my curve must always go from 0 to 0, making it impossible to match the way these two properties animate.

The only solution to this problem that I can think of is converting everything to pixel (or some virtual unit) values.

[_Sam_Vargas_]

Much, much better, much more efficient SWF export.
1. Shouldn't get X thousand symbols when exporting mask sequence.
2. Exporting shape layers as vector instead raster
3. Well, more efficient auto-trace

[_abhinab_]

I would Like to have onion skin option so that I can able to edit any problem by seeing the previous or next frame or a bunch of frame.

[Navarro_Parker]

-Behaving better under MacOS X 10.5 Spaces.

[David_Wigforss-Hv1BNN]

Please add support for Vista's much nicer file browser.

[David_Wigforss-Hv1BNN]

Creating new layers, shapes, etc...

I wish that if you had nothing selected in the timeline, it would create the solid, etc as 1st layer, up top. If you have a layer selected in the timeline, it will create the new solid,etc directly above it, rather than 1st layer.

It's a pain to always have to scroll to top, and drag it down where I wanted it (above my selected layer).

[A. Cobb]

I'd like to see the functionality of the Effect Controls panel expanded to provide access to all layer properties. Shape layers, for example, can get really elaborate really quickly, and the amount of twirling and untwirling involved to adjust that one property is a pretty big hassle, but leaving these properties displayed all the time in the timeline isn't really an option. To reduce clutter in the panel, perhaps a filter to set which types of properties get displayed would be in order.

[David_Wigforss-Hv1BNN]

Following up my previous request, I wish that when you Auto Trace, it creates the new layer directly above the layer you traced.... Maybe a preference option for creating new layers...

[Navarro_Parker]

- Needs a feature to add time to a beginning of a comp. Adding time now requires me to move all my keyframes, in points, etc.

[Navarro_Parker]

- Text Anti-aliasing control... including the ability to turn it off. This would be very helpful for small pixel/flash fonts.

[_Maxime_Luere_]

i'm totally agreed with andy clark...

- much more intuitive control of the curves as in maya/max.
- individual mask point keyframes and individual blur per point in masks also.
- would love colour finesse to be more integrated into AE's interface.
- drop down option for precomps to see the layers inside, maybe indented or highlighted .. whatever
- ability to clone/paint in the comp window

And i add

- Why the heigh of the layer is bigger than the heigh of the layer of the 6.5 version ?? (just one or two pixels higher but it's very annoying ! )
- sometimes, the mouse weel done'nt work the first time (!)
- that would be great to have an option to activate multithreading only on compilation of the movie. and shortcut to activate/deactivate multithreading
- with CS3 version when i have "capslock button" activate, it's slower than the 6.5 version. ( it try to refresh something... what ? i don't know...)
- it was possible in the 6.5 version to see preview in full screen and BLACK BACKSIDE screen... it's impossible in the CS3... :'(
- shortcuts for "level" effect,"Curve" effet and "hue saturation" effect
- bigger graphic for curve effect
- it's possible in photoshop to pick color in "hue saturation effect", it is not possible in after effect.
- when i have an effect that request another layer, it does'nt take into consideration the effects and translation of this layer ( i have to precompose again and again... ( very annoying :'( ) why not a little box next to motion blur, frame blending to activate that ?

Thanks for all !
Maxime.

[A. Cobb]

i shortcut to activate/deactivate multithreading

Check out the Throttle-n-Purge script at aescripts.com. It give you a control panel in the AE interface that lets you switch multiprocessing on and off, as well as change the project bit depth and purge image caches with the click of a button.

http://aescripts.com/2007/11/07/throttle-n-purge/

[_ken_gorrie_]

How about a button to add a loopOut(type = cycle) (and the rest) to the interface?. It seems this can only be accessed as an expression.
I have just started to use AE after a number of years with Combustion and this seems like a serious omission to basic animation tools. Everything else is way cool though.

[Navarro_Parker]

Ken, I agree. AE has long needed basic looping functions. The fact that newcomers have to dive into expressions for such a basic feature is terrible.

-- I think this has been mentioned before, but AE needs an entirely new 3D navigation system. This "2D workspace window looking into a 3D world" mechanic is obnoxious.

[Guest]

- True Dynamic Linkig inbetween all adobe apps.
This "edit original" thingie does not work for me properly.
Its annoying that you for example edit an PSD graphic in PS, save it and nothing changes in AE.

- How about the possibility to change character properties projectwide for all comps at once? just like when working with CSS in HTML, templates or assets.
you know customers be customers and they always change their mind.

- Layers with true tranparency handles in the comp window. because you always klick into the wrong layer because all have this square around it. if you command+click a layer in the Canvas of PS you immediately are seleceting the right layer.

- customizeable layer size, custom shortcuts (no redefinery script thingie), intl. keyboard support (refers to keystrokes) e.g. lets find the tilde key on an german keyboard??
Preview thumbnails (scrubbing clips) in the project window (no, not flowchart view please)

- hell yeah! 64 bits anyone? are we in 2008?

[Navarro_Parker]

-Healing Brush on Paint layer

[_Terence_Daniels_]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Will someone create a paint effect that is useful for 2D ANIMATION! That means onion skinning, strokes appearing in a timely manner, and a single layer mask for all strokes. Possibly even a frame by frame 'exposure time' que interface when you toggle frames. Frame blending options, ect. I have been using puppet!

[Guest]

the possibility to expand all of the effects parameters in the effect controls window at once. just like when expanding all layer properties or all subfolders with strg+klick (little arrow).

AND

whenever you switch away from the effect control window the fx parameters always collapse (close) when you come back into the window to tweak parameters. it´s a bit annoying for my opinion.

thanks

[_Pietje_Bel_]

I have always liked After Effects for its abilities with text. Though this means you try more text effects with it and run into its limits faster. Maybe some extra options/animators/selectors. Also, i noticed i can't link/pickwhip the evaluated expression for 'amount' in an Expression Selector (using textIndex etc) to another Expression Selector.

-Extruding would be nice (for text or objects in general)
-Extrapolation or as someone mentioned.. using loopout every time is quite disturing
-I'd like to see some features I can use with my tablet (I got it for photoshop, though I use AE even more than I use photoshop).
-Workflow when working with multiple people on one project? Now can't really work parallel. Maybe it's impossible.. but something like better file organization (like fonts/effects used etc)

Also i've noticed that many things that are accessible in Extendscript when making a script (like.. mask point positions/tangent stuff, and may seem weird.. but functions as well) are not accessible in After Effects. Calling functions in other properties would be nice.. The function would then be like.. an attribute to that propertie. (maybe i script too much :D)

[Navarro_Parker]

-I'd love a 2D physics engine -- like Phun (http://www.phun.at/)