AFTER EFFECTS WISHLIST

[Andrew Yoole]

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 September 2009, look here.

[tbsaad]

Hi!

I was wondering when we'll have the new 3D camera preset - the one that people use those glasses to "see things getting close".

I believe that if we work on our compositions always  in a 3D space using that camera, it can output the image sequence already set for these technology.

Thanks

[yenaphe]

What you are talking about is called stereoscopy, and cannot be acheived that simply. But know that it's already possible to do it in AE,and that the process have been simplified by a free script available on the web, or a pay plugin available on the toolfarm online store.

It's not  new "3D preset" or 3D camera, the stereoscopy involves the use of 3 cameras in the same 3D world, one of each eye, linked together.

[tbsaad]

Hi!

Thanks for the fast response.

Hey, that's the name! Stereoscopy! I'm from Brazil and wasn't sure how it was called in english.

Can you provide the names of those tools (the free script and the plugin)? I'd like to try that feature ASAP.

Thanks again!

[yenaphe]

Here is the link for the plugin: http://www.toolfarm.com/2009/09/new-product-noise-industries-dashwood.html

And for the script: http://vimeo.com/5918877

Enjoy

[Kevin-Monahan]

We have the 3D Stereo Rig and improved 3D glasses effect in After Effects CS5.5. Have you looked at that?

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/aftereffects/cs/using/WS2bacbdf8d487e582-7a9ae7f112de8fcfcfb-7fff.html

There are also videos and other resources on Todd Kopriva's After Effects Region of Interest post about Stereoscopic 3D: http://blogs.adobe.com/toddkopriva/2011/04/stereoscopic-3d-in-after-effects-cs5-5.html

[PapaBeers]

I think that the rotate function could be more intuitive.  Instead of ctrl+shift+R bringing up a dialogue box, it should allow you to just move the mouse around and rotate your layer. If you need precise rotation you could type in a number and hit 'enter' to rotate a specific degree amount.

[Guest]

1) Swatches

2) Scale tool to work like AI, ID and PSHOP

3) Ability to Import/Export Precomps (or share from a database of linked precomps) rather than a collect and import.

4) All Layer Styles to be moved to the effects pallette. I find it laborious to access layer styles in AE

Thanks for asking!

[Navarro Parker]

It would be great if AE could interpret images with more than one alpha channel. For instance, Cinema 4D places the depth map and object buffers in the alpha channels. However, AE only reads the first alpha channel and interprets that as transparency.  It would be great if AE could read the other alphas and let me decide which one (if any) is transparency.  Or if I just wanted to import Alpha #5 from an image, it would let me.

[yenaphe]

As a workaround, you can export your animation and passes as an EXR sequence, and import it inside AE and then use the EXtractoR plugin to select the pass you wanna use.

[Navarro Parker]

Thanks for the info. C4D doesn't support layered EXRs yet.  So layered TIFF and PSD are the main way to get 32-bpc HDR multi-layer multipass images out of Cinema.

[Navarro Parker]

I don't know the political nature of the different CS divisions at Adobe, but it would be super keen if you and the Photoshop team could get on the same page.

AE is always a version behind in supporting the latest PSD features (like CS4's Vibrance adjustment).  Would be also great if you could make some of the Adobe RAW controls available as 32-pbc AE plug-ins -- such as White Balance, Recovery, Fill Light, Blacks, Clarity, and the aforementioned Vibrance.

[Todd_Kopriva]

> AE is always a version behind in supporting the latest PSD features (like CS4's Vibrance adjustment).

After Effects CS5 added new Color Correction effects based on Photoshop adjustment layer types. When you import PSD files with these  adjustments, they are preserved:

• Black  & White effect

• Selective  Color effect

• Vibrance  effect

[Navarro Parker]

This one is pretty simple, and like 64-bitness, hopefully already on the books.  But EVERY AE plug-in needs to work in 32pbc color. There's really no excuse for some plugs to support only 8-bit color in 201x (whenever CS5 comes out).

[joshtownsend]

My #1 request:

Please give us an NLE in after effects (a simplified Premiere RT panel or whatever).

I find it amazing that 90% of AE plug-ins work in Premiere if just stick them in the common-mediacore folder. If I could have real bezier masks, track mattes and adjustment layers in Premiere there would be very little need to even go into AE for most film/movie oriented projects. This makes me thing that a merge wouldn't be that out of the question or that hard.

Either that or fix  AE so when you import a premiere pro project or it knows what the AE dynamic linked files are and where they are. It's backwards to have the Premiere CS4 'replace with ae' function clippled because it has no idea what to do with AE projects.

Mainly this is related to Adobe having complete film/tv workflow.that isn't such a pain. IF you have dynamic linked media in your .prproj then import it into AE wouldn't you think AE would know the AE file is?

Beside the obvious (native 64bit, real 3d space and 3d model import, 3d text at least)

[joshtownsend]

Also whay can;t we have photoshops brilliant curve/hue sat picker in AE?

[Andy Bay]

Here's my two cents:

1.

Disc preview.

This would work as the opposite for RAM preview, so that AE would basically render the comp in to a temp folder in order to be able to run the preview in real time. This would be useful in situations in which there is not enough memory for a complete RAM preview. I know about disc cache and have it turned on, but many times AE won't use disc cache since it thinks it's faster to use ram. It's frustrating in situations in which you don't get disc cache but you don't get a full RAM preview either. Basically this could work simply as a way to force AE to render something in to disc cache.

I know I can always render the movie out to preview it like this, but instead of specifying output module settings, file locations and then opening the rendered file in a video player software, it would be so much easier to just hit a keyboard shortcut and let AE take care of everything, similarly to what Premiere does when you render the timeline. I want to make clear that this shouldn't in any way replace RAM preview, but simply be available as an option for those situations in which RAM preview doesn't cut it.

2.

Timeline folders.

The ability to organize layers in the timeline into folders, in order to make the timeline easier to navigate. We have folders in the project window and they are great, why not extend that functionality in to the timeline too? I bet that in most projects the timeline has much more items than the project window does, which makes it very important to be able to keep the timeline tidy. A timeline folder would simply be a visual way to group layers inside folders. This way a 100 layers could be displayed as a single folder layer if necessary. Vertical screen estate is very valuable in the days of wide screen displays, and this would help make better use of it.

3.

Spatial snapping.

We have the ability to snap the CTI in the timeline and we have the ability to snap layers to the grid. I think it would be great if there were an option to snap objects geometrically in to each others too (in the comp window). Smart guides and snapping similar to Adobe Illustrator would be fantastic!

Thank you and keep developing the greatest software in the world!

[noel_d3]

Being able to easily convert 3D motion from a camera movements in 2D motion.
3D softwares allows to export camera and null but compositions are usually 2D.

Best regards,

Léon

[noel_d3]

3D softwares allow to export camera and nulls for 3D compositions but we need 2D motion for link null to masks, effects, stockshots etc ...

[bogiesan-gyyClL]

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

My projects have grown in complexity, 30-50 layers now instead of 10-20, and I find it difficult to stay oriented as my eyes move from left to right, trying to keep track of which keyframes are attached to which effect in which layer.

Mostly I just wish Adobe would dedicate more development energy to fixing everything that's broken, doesn't quite work as promised, or is too complex to be used by most users. Perfect After Effects and streamline the existing systems instead of adding more complex stuff to satisfy niche users.

bogiesan

[gnokka]

I'd like a shorcut to select all layer above/below.

I suggest

Ctrl + alt + shift + up

[Navarro Parker]

I'd like to see Growl support on the Mac.

[santororock]

At our studio we would LOVE scripting access to more options of the render que items!

We've got several work arounds right now, such as importing projects with the rendersettings and outputmodual presets saved, or saving the same presets on all of our farm machines....BUT

If we could access the output file types, qualities, and other aspects of rendering with scripts we would explode with happiness!

-Anthony

[Cillas]

1. coloured marks

2. more than 99fps comps

3. the ability 2 import more than 32k pics and an improvement in time

4. better dynamic link support. (not just importing hole comps, complete functionally as example: change the PP made cut in AE)

[gnokka]

I would like to read the work area length in a field on the center of it.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2751/aefx.gif