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.

[Todd_Kopriva]

> 2) Help lining things up in the timeline, snapping behavior like in premiere.

There are already lots of existing snapping behaviors in the Timeline panel.

[DigitalSoju]

Todd_Kopriva wrote:

> 2) Help lining things up in the timeline, snapping behavior like in premiere.

There are already lots of existing snapping behaviors in the Timeline panel.

Still not as user friendly as Premiere cs5. I feel like After Effects is behind in Premiere, feels like a last generation version. After Effects needs to copy a lot of what Premiere does well and also pleasssse put the Adobe Mercury Engine or something similar.

[AtonMusic]

DigitalSoju wrote:

Todd_Kopriva wrote:

> 2) Help lining things up in the timeline, snapping behavior like in premiere.

There are already lots of existing snapping behaviors in the Timeline panel.

Still not as user friendly as Premiere cs5. I feel like After Effects is behind in Premiere, feels like a last generation version. After Effects needs to copy a lot of what Premiere does well and also pleasssse put the Adobe Mercury Engine or something similar.

Funny,

I think PPRO should look over to AE for professionalism and workflow.

Dont forget, AE is a composite software NOT an online NLE !

Workflow and feature wise, AE leaves PPRO dangling in the wind !

INMO 😉

[jahesscreen]

Here are a lot of great suggestions to tune up AE a lot more.

It would be nice to follow the ideas. Most of them shouldn`t be difficult to programm?

Instead of releasing a CS5.5 you should bring out in an CS5 update for free - or take these suggestions and put them all into CS6.

Posting wishes is waste of time when we can`t see that you heed them.

Another simply function:

Sometimes there are plugins where you can chose more than one color. If you want to copy one of these colors to another color-button, you have to choose the eyedropper and pick the color. Instead of these it would be much easier to click at one colorfield and drag`n`drop it to another field. In Cinema4D it works like that - and it`s a great detail to optimize the workflow!

Understood the idea?

[Dan Ramirez]

Every single release includes many features requested by our customers. In many cases, the requested features are already in the product. I'm not saying the AE team is perfect, far from it, but they listen to their customers.

[John Stanowski]

You can hit the "." key on your number pad to instantly play sound without RAM previewing.

[jahesscreen]

1.: Preview for the Clone Stamp like in PS

2.: Fullscreen mode like in Lightroom

[MusoguyAdobe]

Hi. I'd love it if the Stencil Alpha layer mode would work on 3D layers. Trying to figure out a workaround at the moment!

James

[jahesscreen]

There are several effects and functions wich are affected negatively (e.g. mocha shape)  by switching on "Transformation falten" button (sry, i just know the german word - not the english translation).

I just want to have the vector file from the precomp in highres. But it gets streched, too.

[Andy_Bay]

Oh yes, the old collapse transformations struggle. With Vector layers that need to be 3D it can get a real nightmare. I wish there was a better way to control the render order..

[Guest]

seems like no1 has mentioned this but... RAMP...

i would love to be able to fully manipulate ramp like we can in illustrator. I would like to be able to have a ramp effect on a text layer and have the effect stay in place if i need to move that layer a few times.. which can make that effect be extremely annoying by having to re-position starting and ending points... aka.. not just a ramp to the whole composition size. and that goes for everything.. Not just text layers, but paths and anything else.I dont want to have to do expresions or find presets for something that should really come with AE. It would be amazing to also include the gradient tool that we have in illustrator for this..

I would also like to be able to import vector images from illustrator to AE and be able to modify them like we can do if we import to flash or PS.

[John Stanowski]

You can get better 'ramps' by adding a Gradient Overlay layer style instead of using the Ramp Effect. The gradient moves with the layer and you get many more options like adding more color stops, etc.

[p0rkbu5]

Don't know if this has been requested yet but I would love to be able to have the ability to tell certain layers beneath an adjustment layer to NOT be affected by that adjustment layer.  Sometimes placing that layer above the adjustment layer is not an option, and it would save me time in tedious work arounds via precomping and readjusting my project.

Also it would be great if you could select a group of layers, create a new null, and the layers that you had selected are automatically parented to the null.  Although, I could definitely see how this might cause problems by having nulls always being created with random children simply because of having a layer selected, but just throwing it out there.

[AtonMusic]

My ONLY wish:

Being able to render out a movie matching the original source

No GAMMA no COLOR - Shifts...

[Navarro_Parker]

Here's a silly little thing I found out.  Select both a WAV and an image sequence and drag to New Composition.  It'll ask you if you want to make a Single Comp, what dimensions to use. If I select the WAV, it'll create a huge 3K comp. Obviously, audio only files should not be one of the choices.

[Navarro_Parker]

This still exists in CS5.5. And it has the same problem with AIFF files.

[AtonMusic]

BACKGROUND RENDERING... A La the BGRender Script.

Warp Stabilizer optimization - As of now, I just dont have the TIME to let WS to its magic. It takes to darn long.

And often the results aren't even worth waiting for.

MUCH of the WS results are fantastic, though. But the circumstance involved engaging it, are huge. So opening Mocha and doing it manually,

is ALWAYS faster.

Easier way of changing and accessing shortcuts. MORE shortcuts. Much MORE !!!

I still cant believe that I need to render a source clip before I can watch it. That be, this clip isnt even residing in a comp. Just wanting to view the movie a la the quicktime player, calls for AE to render it first. Very old fashioned.

MP Optimization. Too much Trial & Error is needed to get this to work correctly.

Memory leak optimization - AE deals with memory like a lion with a buffalo carcus - NOT AT ALL ;-))))

[PFuerst]

1. SCOPES: Adobe knows how to make them I've seen them in OnLocation and PP. It's so essential for grading. I know there are 3.party plug ins and color finesse but i use colorista II, curves and levels most of the time so I need them right inside of AFX. Please Adobe
2. Improve Curves: I really like this tool and use it often but if you just have a look at the Photoshop cureves effect and you know what I mean. Just slightly improments but it would be good to have it in AFX.
3. TRUE 3D space: Just like Nuke
4. Is there any chance to bring all the great Furnacecore Effects from the Foundry "back" to AFX. They are available for all the major compositing programs. AFX what are you waiting for?
5. Per Vertex Feather: It would be nice if we could asign different feather strengths to mask-vertexes.

[Todd_Kopriva]

> Is there any chance to bring all the great Furnacecore Effects from the Foundry "back" to AFX. They are available for all the major compositing programs. AFX what are you waiting for?

That's a conversation that you need to have with the people who make the plug-ins.

[jahesscreen]

1.: Using simple maths in the number fields ( plus, minus, multiply, divide)

e.g.: If your comp is 1920*1080 and you need it twice as large as full HD (maybe for an precomp) you dont need to calculate it and type the new value in --> just go behind the 1920 and type in " *2 ". AE will automatically double the value. (like Cinema4D does)

2.: AE seams to have troubles with the standard lensflare in combination with a tracked null object.

You can`t simply pickwipe it to a null Y (the null Y is a child of null X. Null X is the tracking of the camera movement)

[jahesscreen]

Is there a solution for my 2nd problem?

Nullobject 1 has the tracking data of an object in the center of the picture. I want to use the Nullobject 1 to child a lensflare to it (because its the tracking of the cameramovement) - but that way the lensflare would stay round about the center of the picture. Exactly where Null 1 is.

But I want to have the lensflare at another position, maybe in the upper left corner.

How can I adjust the position of the lensflare with a second null? (accept of using the expression: .......+[X Position,Y Position]  )

Thanks!

[Rick Gerard]

I'm not sure I follow you but here's one thing you can do. Let's say the null you applied the tracking data was called "trackingNull." You would apply the lens flair to a black solid set to screen mode. Now you position the lens flair exactly where you want it to start. The last step is to add an expression to the lens flair property using the pickwhip but before you use the pickwhip you type "value + " in the expression window. Then you drag the pickwhip to the "trackingNull" position property. That's all there is to it. The value + statement takes the original position of the lens flair and adds it to the position of the trackingNull.

BTW - this talk about a lens flair needs to be moved to another thread.

[jahesscreen]

Thanks Rick, it`s exactly what I wanted!

[gnokka]

I would like a "solo" switch for layer visibility in timeline, as "shy" switch works.

Or at least I think that would be more useful if the "shy" flag would be changed in a "solo" switch.

[Navarro_Parker]

There's been a solo switch for the past ten years. http://help.adobe.com/en_US/aftereffects/cs/using/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103906c6dea-7e7aa.html