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Shebbe
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 2, 2020
Question

Essential Graphics bug / oversight - need fix for our work!

  • August 2, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 1305 views

I work in a studio where we deal with inmense amount of deliverables per project. Localisation differences or just dynamic videos that can have varying shots per asset where an edit itself stays global.

 

The use of Essential Graphics is a key component for us in order to minimize timelines and iterations as uniques are created dynamically instead of being full duplicates.

The part where our workflow breaks is when we have to deal with takes that inculed voice-overs or dialog that also needs to be swapped.

 

1:

Currently using expressions to "mute" a track and 0dB the other through stereo mixer effect only functions within the comp it's setup. When you change it outside the comp via Essential Graphics master properties only visual elements change but not the received audio.

I think the Master Properties only checks for visual data changes and not audio which it should!

 

2:

The other workflow breaking bug/oversight is the fact that Dropdown Menu expressions written in the Master Properties of a comp get removed when you edit the Dropdown Menu's items ie. add more indexes.

We often link a dropdown menu in a comp to the same dropdown menu outside a comp by just parenting it. That expresion deletes itself without warning when you add one more index to the one inside the comp.

This drives me nuts and restricts me from easily changing the Dropdown Menu amount of indexes.

 

A solution would be to just give an error message similar to if an expression itself has errors without deleting the expression lines! Or a simple warning window popup. I've tested linking a Master Property dropdown with less indexes to one with more and it just keeps working and stays on last available when selecting something outside the range. There's no reason to auto delete it.

 

I hope this can be fixed fast.

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

DiogoMP
Participating Frequently
December 28, 2023

The audio feature is still missing.
I added a checkbox to change the audio from one value to another, that checkbox is also connected to the Opacity of another layer.
On the master comp, using Essential Properties, only the visual elements are affected by the Essential Properties.
If anyone has a workaround, please share!
Thank you.

Shebbe
Community Expert
ShebbeCommunity ExpertAuthor
Community Expert
December 28, 2023

Support for audio still hasn't been implemented unforetunately.

Please cast a vote on this one and hopefully it'll be implemented at some point.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-ideas/allow-audio-to-be-controlled-via-essential-graphics/idi-p/13270356

Shebbe
Community Expert
ShebbeCommunity ExpertAuthor
Community Expert
September 28, 2020

It seems the issue has been fixed in the latest update of AE. Nice work Adobe!

But not quite there yet... 

Behaviour works as I'd like it to: expressions remain applied. Mismatching indexes just take whatever the latest option is when one is selected that exceeds the linked index number. I can work with that 🙂

 

What now needs to be fixed is the master properties adjustments that are made outside the essential graphics comps!

If I adjust / add indexes that are used in Essential Graphics and other comp instances already had specific master settings applied (the push and pull icons being white) they revert to grey and take whatever is set inside. They need to stay set as is unless the index doesn't exist anymore!

 

Hope you guys can get on this asap.

Justin Taylor-Hyper Brew
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 28, 2020

I ran into this bug on a recent project as well, there's no solid solution other than expression linking to the active comp directly which defeats the purpose of master properties. You can vote on the issue I made for this:

 

https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911311-after-effects/suggestions/40381690-bug-audio-levels-are-not-affected-by-master-prope

Shebbe
Community Expert
ShebbeCommunity ExpertAuthor
Community Expert
September 29, 2020

Thanks Justin,

Voted!

Shebbe
Community Expert
ShebbeCommunity ExpertAuthor
Community Expert
August 13, 2020

Just bumping this once more in hopes Adobe sees this and can perhaps confirm they're working on it.
I will also see if I can report this in a more direct way to them.

ArthurTLee
Inspiring
August 13, 2020

Sorry this comment isn't a solution, but I agree with Adobe adding this function or fixing this issue. I'm running into the same thing and my "solution" right now is to add quite a few comments into the template to instruct users on when to cut out the audio in Premiere Pro... lol

Shebbe
Community Expert
ShebbeCommunity ExpertAuthor
Community Expert
August 14, 2020

Hey, thanks haha. For us that's not possible as we're dealing with projects that have around 500 unique deliverables that we need to be able to output simultaneously straight out of AE without the need of manual switching between renders.