Illustrator to AfterEffects CS3

[Parse]

Im creating graphic assets for motion which is eventually used in Adobe Premiere and then After Effects CS3. Im having a lot of trouble importing the AI file to Photoshop to pass along tot he motion guy. First, is there anyway to import an entire AI file with all layers in tact as smart vector layers? I know it works the other way around.

My second question is that although we are working within the same pixel dimensions my files are translating over to After Effects much smaller than necessary and require all this horrible stretching and skewing.

Whats the cleanest way to transfer, besides designing directly in After effects of course? Sometimes we even have to save individual .PSD files for each piece - not good.

So the model is: AI - PSD - After effects.

Thanks!

[Craig B]

I can't help you with the After Effects issue. But I can tell you that you can export (not save, not save as) PSD files from Illustrator and control their dpi, color space and whether or not to maintain layers.

Hopefully that at least helps a little.

[Parse]

When exporting tp .PSD the layers are preserved from Illustrator. However, when bringing in to After Effect its flat again. Not only that, but its creating strange frames, some blank, some just totally random.

Im trying to get around saving each individual .PSD for the animation.

[Craig B]

Sorry, once again, I'm not an After Effects person, so I can't help you with that side of it. It looks like no one else on the boards has popped in to help you much either. Check back though, I think we have some video folks here that may have an answer for you.

[Parse]

np. ill wait and see.

[CtrlAltDel]

Import your photoshop file to After Effects as a composition (not 'cropped layers')
Then double-click the composition in the project panel. It will reveal your photoshop layers in the timeline.
To make sure your layers fill the timeline, go to Edit>Preferences>import,
and set default import length to 'Length of Composition'
I'm not sure what format you are rendering out to,but I believe the reason your layers are distorted is you may be working in the wrong pixel-aspect ratio/Screen size or maybe your PSD is of a higher- than- necessary resolution.

In Composition settings, try changing the comp size to match your original canvas. But remember, any aspect ratio outside of the international standards won't render to video tape.
With web, however, anything goes, obviously.

Hope some of this helps...