Animations in Adobe After effects go crazy

[laia_r]

Hello,

We have recently had some issues with AE. I'll try to explain how we edit videos:

- We are three people working remotely, each one in their own computer. There is a Synology DS (NAS) linked to each computer to share information between users.

- Each computer has two disks: one SSD, where programas are installed, and a HDD, where material is stored.

- One of us edits sequences in their local computer. Then, he copies the folder and pastes it in the NAS, so another person can copy this material, paste it into their local computer and place it in a Premiere project with adobe dynamik link. Once the video will be completed, this person will copy all the files and place it in the NAS, to store the whole project.

The problem:

- We changed the names of the files and linked them back to AE project. In the computer that first opened and edited the AE project, the animations work fine. However, once the other person opens the project in another computer, with apparently all the files, the animations go crazy, they act in a different way.

What are we missing? How can we make the animations work exactly the same in two different computers? We do need to work with this kind of flows, so we will appreciate any help.

Thank you.

[Dave_LaRonde]

Wow.

I have never, EVER heard of such a workflow.  To be frank, it's bizarre and leaves you extremely vulnerable to bugs in the software, which you're experiencing.

You may have to bite the bullet and go back to a version of the PP project file before the ill-advised file name change.  Then ONE person should do the editing in PP,  and the other two should collaborate by viewing a new segment and making comments.  Dynamic Link should NOT be used.

Adobe software is just not ready for a collaborative workflow as the marketing materials would suggest... and which you seem to be taking as an article of faith will work flawlessly.  It doesn't.

You MIGHT be able to accomplish what you want, but you will definitely need to enlist the services of a system integrator to assemble the correct hardware, software and operating system.

[laia_r]

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your quick reply. We are working like this because one person is expert in after effects, and the other one assembles the clips that the first person produces in premiere with the rest of the material. Therefore, we need two people working in two different computers. Also, we use adobe dinamik link because it saves us time when changes are made in the original AE project (such as changing a file). The name issue shouldn't happen again because, after all the problemes we experienced, we will try to mantain the names from the beginning. This being said, how do you suggest us to work in this scenario, when there is a person producing AE files and another one needs the material to edit a premiere project?

Thank you very much.

[Dave_LaRonde]

If Dynamic Link starts acting up on you, it won't be much of a time-saver.

It's also not a good idea to use Dynamic Link to round trip, i.e. from PP to AE, and then from AE to PP.

I'd recommend using Dynamic Link on a one-way trip only.  You can decide which that will be. Personally, I'd use it for the PP to AE trip, and then render out the AE stuff in a lossless codec, which can be imported into PP and put into the PP edit timeline.  Typically, you only use AE for a shot or two, so the render time is a lot less on the AE end.  Furthermore, if you happen to be syncing sound effects to AE animations, it's a LOT easier to nudge them towards the head or tail in PP.

In the past I've had Dynamic Link issues no matter which direction I went, with no time to diagnose the cause.  So I exported a lossless video for each video track in PP -- which included trim handles, which can be VERY handy to have --  plus an audio scratch track.  It was kinda messy, but it by-God worked.  Once I made the deadline I let the IT Lady have at my machine to sort things out.  It took her a half-day or more in front of my machine on the phone to the home office before she could declare it functional again.

Glad to hear you sorted out the file name issue.

[ToolfarmJP]

Hello,

After Effects and Premiere support Team Project feature although the workflow may not be what you look for. It is a function to share the editing work.

Working simultaneously in shared video projects

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Laia_R,

Sorry for this issue. Did you ever find a solution? Please let us know if you have or if you still need help.

Thanks,

Kevin

[laia_r]

Hi Kevin,

No, we didn't find a solution. It feels like Premiere or After Effects would be saving some files related to animations and they are not in the folder where we save the project, otherwise I can't understand how can it be that, even if we transfer from a computer to the other all the files, there is this mess.

If this is the case, where can I find this files?

Thanks

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Laia_R,

I have a feeling it may have something to do with your workflow pipeline. Can you please contact support and have an agent run through some tests with you? Here is the link: Contact Customer Care

Let us know what happened after working with them so that others may benefit.

Thanks,

Kevin

[Rick Gerard]

What do you mean when you say the animations go crazy?