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Dominic Witherow
Inspiring
June 30, 2021
Question

Illustrator paths scale wrong on import to AE

  • June 30, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 779 views

I have traced a path on a PNG in Illustrator, then pasted the path into AE, over the same PNG (at 100%) scale, but the path comes through at roughly 25% scale.

 

This happens with both simple copy and paste and using Overlord (which usually fixes everything). I am sure this is simple user error, but I just can't figure it out! This is an operation I undertake frequently, though I haven't for a few months and I wonder if there's a new update issue somewhere?

 

If I turn the png into an AI file and use that in AE, it all matches. I just don't understand how AI changes the basic raster data without any saving prior to copying to AE. 

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks,

Dominic

 

PS

System is:

MBP 16" 2.3GHz 8 core i9, 64GB RAM, 8GB 5500M Gfx (operating in clamshell to 3 screens)

OSX Catalina 10.15.7

Adobe CC 2021 - fully updated

All media on external Thunderbolt RAID

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    1 reply

    Mylenium
    Mylenium
    Legend
    June 30, 2021

    Check your DPI settings in AI. This stuff matters. A 300 DPI document in AI will of course produce different pixel coordinates than AE's assumed 72 DPI. You may want to study up on this and use the respective presets in AI. This really isn't anything new and there are even special "broadcast" templates in Illustrator to provide correct baseline settings.

     

    Mylenium

      D
      Dominic WitherowAuthor
      Inspiring
      June 30, 2021

      Thanks, Mylenium.

      That does seem like the right approach to me too, but it makes me even more confused.

      The original image (png) is 300dpi, Illustrator is set to 'screen' resolution of 72dpi and AE is working in 72dpi too.

      So, my understanding is that the new path I draw (tracing the image from my artist) is 72dpi, as per Illustrator.

      I only ever use AI for this particular task (artist gives me images, which I trace in AI and animate in AE), so your input as to any other settings I can check to ensure DPI is correct, would be much appreciated!

      I've been following this workflow for several years now and not had this issue before - it may be the artist has changed something his end too.

       

      Thanks for any help!

      D

      Professional film maker/editor since 2004, working on MBP M4 Max 128GB, 4TB SSD
      R
      Community Expert
      Rick GerardCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 30, 2021

      You actually need to set AI to 300 PPI for a copied and pasted path to be the same size in AE. It's been that way forever. The Artboard should be the same size in points or pixels as the comp frame size, You should have Pixel Preview and Snap to Pixel turned on in the AI view menu, and the Document Raster settings should be 300 PPI. There are no PPI settings in an AI document, only the Document Raster settings in the Effects menu.

       

      If you don't set things up like this you are eventually going to get in trouble.

       

       

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