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Andrew Yoole
Andrew Yoole
Inspiring
January 11, 2008
Question

AFTER EFFECTS WISH LIST (Prior to Sept 09)

  • January 11, 2008
  • 215 replies
  • 57439 views

AFTER EFFECTS WISHLIST



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 2008, look here.

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    215 replies

    Andrew Yoole
    Andrew YooleAuthor
    Inspiring
    August 31, 2009

    There is a newer version of this thread available here.

    This thread is now closed.

    R
    Rich Pulham
    Participant
    August 29, 2009

    Better error trapping!

    If you do something wrong, it should catch the error and tell you that you did something wrong (even if it doesn't tell you why).  Instead, the program crashes and you don't have a clue as to why.  I think a lot of the "instability" problems result from poor error trapping.

    My biggest learning problem with CS4 has been knowing what NOT to do.

    TimeRemapper
    TimeRemapper
    Inspiring
    August 31, 2009

    It would be great if the confirmation window (dialog box) for overwriting an existing file created by an output module (when hitting "render") had a little checkbox that said "ok to all", or something of the like.

    J
    jblessing00
    Participant
    August 28, 2009

    I would like to see the auto save check to see if you are in the middle of something before it auto runs every x minutes. Make it so that it only runs after there has been no input from the user for 10 seconds or something after x minutes have gone by.

    I have had After Effects crash numerous times because I was right in the middle of something when it went to save and then it never recovered.

    A
    Andy Bay
    Known Participant
    August 26, 2009

    Timeline folders.

    Let us organise a bunch of layers (that are next to each other) in to folders that can be opened or closed to make the timeline less busy looking in complex projects. This way a hundred layers could be viewed as just a single folder layer if necessary.

    3D snapping.

    Let us snap 3D solids in to each others edges so that no gaps will remain between them. Well, why not actually make a snap function in which you can snap any layer or shape in to other objects edges.

    Todd_Kopriva
    Todd_Kopriva
    Inspiring
    August 26, 2009
    > Let us snap 3D solids in to each others edges so that no gaps will remain between them.

    Not that this isn't a good feature request. (It is.)

    But make sure that you're using Alpha Add if you're seeing apparent gaps between the edges of your layers. These apparent gaps are usually a result of anti-aliasing, not of layer position inaccuracies. (See the note in the Alpha Add section toward the bottom of this page.)

    N
    Navarro Parker
    Inspiring
    August 3, 2009

    It would be cool if there could be separate controls for "continually rasterize", "collapse transformations", and "collapse blend modes".  Right now, all three of these are combined into one switch.  Sometimes I just want one or two, but not all three.

    N
    Navarro Parker
    Inspiring
    August 24, 2009

    bumpity bump bump.  I thought this was a sticky?

    Andrew Yoole
    Andrew YooleAuthor
    Inspiring
    August 24, 2009

    These Forums don't have a "Sticky" function as such, but I've placed a new link in a "Sticky Threads" box at the top of the discussions.

    N
    Navarro Parker
    Inspiring
    July 10, 2009

    IMPROVE OS X SPACES SUPPORT

    This goes for all Adobe software. Spaces has been available for 2 years and yet no update to CS3 or CS4 has improved compatibility. It's an OS feature that's not going anywhere.

    After Effects sometimes has the main comp window in one space floating alone with the rest of the AE UI in another space.

    Or the UI in one space and a file dialog box in another. Or sometimes a modal dialog box gets hidden behind the AE UI window. It's really annoying.

    I can't think of any other professional software that behaves so poorly with Spaces.

    I
    Impulse_Fire
    Participant
    July 8, 2009

    id be nice if AAE could just read my mind and put what i want on the screen

    David_Wigforss-Hv1BNN
    David_Wigforss-Hv1BNN
    Participating Frequently
    July 8, 2009

    It would be nice if there was a link to this thread at the top of the forum, perhaps a mention of it after "Feature Request/Bug Submit".  Add a mention that you should still file feature request....

    I wish Point Control (Expression Controls) was in 3 dimenstions when applied onto a 3d layer.  Currently it's only 2D, and in order to copy 3D position keyframes onto a Point Control, you must split it into X and Y, and then a seperate Slider Control for Z.  It's a pain and results in a messier project.

    A
    Anonymous
    July 8, 2009

    That's a very good request.

    But note that before there's an expression control effect for that, it should exist as a standard AE UI element. There are no effects in AE making use of a 3D control point now (which I imagine should appear with a 3D axis widget).

    I don't see an action to turn a thread into a sticky. I'll try to find out how to do it.

    N
    Navarro Parker
    Inspiring
    May 25, 2009

    How about more traditional 3D manipulators (translate/rotate/scale) for layers/cameras?  Plus standard W/E/R keyboard modifiers? Also, it be great if holding down the shift key while using the new Unified Camera Tool would constrain rotation to X or Y axis.

    yenaphe
    yenaphe
    Inspiring
    May 26, 2009

    For the Adjustment layer thing, you can still precompose the layers you want with your adjustement layer.

    J
    joshtownsend
    Participating Frequently
    May 27, 2009

    64 bit native

    Curves and hue/sat controld like in Photoshop CS4. Being able to pick a spot on the picture and adjust from there (like with photoshop CS4) would be amazing!!!!!

    Fix the 24pa auto pulldown already...please.

    Built in NLE - make an 'editing mode' that is set up like a cuts-only premiere. Then change the mode to AE. Not Dynamic link. There's no point in having to go into Premiere to just cuts. All the opacity, fx and tranditions won't be needed because they'll be done on AE. That would have to be way faster than what we have now with the Dynamic link.

    When opening a Premiere project have any AE carry over. Right now it doesn't even know where the AE files are.

    True Nodes

    Importing real 3d objects without photoshop.

    Per vertex feathering.

    B-splines.

    Improved mocha interface AE (also DVCPRO input for mocha would be nice)

    Easier Camera projection and simple primatives (that you could tweak) would be sweet.

    Per-vertex mask tracking.

    Built-in Background rendering (why is this so hard, a scripts been around forever)

    N
    Navarro Parker
    Inspiring
    May 23, 2009

    How about a checkbox to exclude layers from the effects of Adjustment Layers?

    Todd_Kopriva
    Todd_Kopriva
    Inspiring
    May 23, 2009
    > How about a checkbox to exclude layers from the effects of Adjustment Layers?

    Layers are rendered from the bottom up in the layer stacking order. An adjustment layer applies an effect to the rendered composite of all of the layers beneath it. I don't know how an adjustment layer could somehow not apply to certain layers beneath it without fundamentally changing the way that adjustment layers work.

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