Compositing Layers

# 1 20-12-2007 , 11:09 AM

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Hey guys, have just finished doing the filming and 3d work for a short uni project and now need to composite everything together.

I was wondering what compositing package you guys use most?

I'm currently using After Effects and Fusion (basically seeing which one I get better results from).

My main question though is how to composite separate layers from Maya (AVI's/Tiff Sequences, etc) in After Effects, when I bring them in they just overlap each other.

I presume it has something to do with the layer modes/options or something but am not sure.

Any help would be very much appreciated, Cheers in advance.

Chris

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# 2 21-12-2007 , 08:46 AM

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yeah thats right. some simple layering needs an rendered out alpha channel... so the image sequence should be a format that can carry one like tga tiff or iff.

for different renderpasses you use the layer mode. e.g. for occlusion/multiply... specs/screen... etc.you can subtract shadows or use the shadow matte to drive a color layer that way you can tint it afterwards...

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# 3 21-12-2007 , 10:31 AM

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Cheers badg3r, I thought it would be something along those lines.

I have done most of it in Fusion now instead of After Effects (literally just because I prefer the node based workflow). But will be trying out After Effects in my next project.

What compositors have you tried/prefer?

Chris

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# 4 21-12-2007 , 12:34 PM

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I tried ae, shake and fusion... in the near future I will dive into nuke too.

And till now... so w/o any exp. in nuke... I prefer shake. Node based rules and although it has some things missing it got some nice things fusion doesnt have. e.g. color concetenation and infinite workspace... and it is my main work-tool.

AE is nice for Motion Graphics or better: in Shake it was horrible, but Fusion can cope with it pretty well...

But in the end, as always, it depends what you feel comfortable with.

greets

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# 5 22-12-2007 , 09:40 AM

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I use Ae, personally and at work. At work they only really use fusion when they have to deliver stuff at 2 or 4k as Ae doesn't cope with it that well.
I like Ae cause it's pretty intuitive.

www.animateme.me.uk

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