ai files in ae

#1

Hi,
I am trying to figure out a behavior in ae.
I’m an ae noob so please bare with me.

I have a comp (800x600) with lots of layers.
The background is some psd files/layers blended together.

I have made some small graphic elements in ai.
When I import these elements the whole comp area (800x600) gets affected.
It sort of gets lighter, not only where my graphic is, but the whole comp.
My ai file is clean, no blend modes or other thing going on, that I am aware of.

Can anyone please tell me what I am doing wrong here?

Thanks

#2

Your files are not in the correct color mode/ have different color profiles attached and AE compensates, most likely.

Mylenium

#3

Thanks Mylenium
My ae comp/files are now Adobe RGB 1998, which is what is usually work with in RGB mode.
This made the whole comp darker, which I can compensate with ae’s adjustment tools, but the problem is still there.

If I import a letter size (or A4) ai doc, with just some vectorized small white text elements, do I have to manually create masks in ae for these graphics?

The ”blank” space outside my graphics in the ai file, still makes the comp brighter and ”removes” shadows from other layers.

I have worked with ai since 1988 (first version) and ps since version 2.
So I believe(d) I have a fairly good understanding how to solve problems with these.
Still on CS3, though.

Thanks for any help, and Merry XMas to you all.
p

#4

Thanks Mylenium
My ae comp/files are now Adobe RGB 1998, which is what is usually work with in RGB mode.
This made the whole comp darker, which I can compensate with ae’s adjustment tools, but the problem is still there.

If I import a letter size (or A4) ai doc, with just some vectorized small white text elements, do I have to manually create masks in ae for these graphics?

The ”blank” space outside my graphics in the ai file, still makes the comp brighter and ”removes” shadows from other layers.

I have worked with ai since 1988 (first version) and ps since version 2.
So I believe(d) I have a fairly good understanding how to solve problems with these.
Still on CS3, though.

Thanks for any help, and Merry XMas to you all.
p

#5

Anyone else who might know what I am doing wrong?

Thanks for any help.

#6

Why? AE operates in sRGB to begin with and Windows doesn’t care for CM in its default configuration. See the problem? You are viewing profiled content in an uncalibrated environment. That aside, unless you use color management all the way, there is no point in using other color profiles. When you do, they need to be not only set on the input, but also be used for previewing the comp with respect to the monitor profile and possibly for output. Please read the help on color/ color management for correct procedures.

Mylenium

#7

Thanks again for your reply.
I am aware of the importance of having the correct profiles along a print and web project.
This RGB switching was actually a test with ae.
At first, ae’s color mode were set to None, some of my graphics were sRGB and some Adobe RGB.
I still don’t think my problem is here.

Please let me rephrase the question;
Why does a ai doc with one tiny piece of praphic affect a whole comp?
I.e, the empty space outside the graphic is affecting the graphics below in the comp.

Thanks very much again for any help.

#8

Well, it shouldn’t, that’s a given, but I would still blame it on color modes/ color profile stuff. Just hard to tell where it actually goes wrong. Do you use spot colors? Do you use raster effects in the AI like drop shadows? I could imagine those (and a few other things) affecting the AI’s internal transparency handling and ion turn causing this “Gamma haze”. also, is your project set to 32bpc? In that case you may see some weird exposure stuff going on. Mmh… Can you provide screenshots or even the source files for inspection?

Mylenium

#9

Thanks for taking your time helping me out.
Much appreciated.

No spot colors, effects or blend modes in the ai file.
8 bit ae project.

Here is a a couple screen dumps with ai file on and off. The missing shadow when ai file is on, is circled with red (where the ai file is off).

If I move the ai file (when on) to the top in the layers, the shadows will show, i.e all is good.

Thanks again

#10

How do you create the shadows? With a layer style or are they true 3D? In case of layer styles, they would interfere with 3D rendering due to how layer styles are always applied as the last step after everything else. Essentially they make 3D kaput. This may also be further complicated by the continuous rasterization on the AI file, so it would be worth trying to pre-compose the AI file to get a flattened buffer that correctly obeys AE’s rendering order…

Mylenium

#11

All shadows are from the Light layer. (allowing the other layers to create shadows)

I had a Outer Glow effect (on the ai file) in the Layer Styles in ae, before.
I deselected the OG fx (eye icon), but with the main LS icon still activated.
This is what caused the problem!
The LS Blending Options is still ”on”, which causes this problem.
I.e when I turn off the LS completely, my shadows shows up.
Maybe there is a way to work around this.

This is still a behavior that is not what I would expect.

So to wrap this up, hopefully; a small graphic file with a LS is affecting the complete comp, even when the separate eye-icons are switched off for the different effects.

Thanks again

#12

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