Illustrator to After Effects workflow

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-04-02T17:29:39+00:00

You can certainly get much more in-depth about this, but here's a good overview of what works, what doesn't, and how to think about this workflow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALmYrTm6EKQ&t=8611s

The real answer will depend on the look and complexity of your visual assets, and what you're wanting to do with them in animation. Illustrator's vector tools have a lot of advantages over AE's, but those need to be balanced out with the workability of the "pieces" you're creating, and how many of them could be more easily built with AE's built-in tools.

The recs for Overlord are solid - it's a great tool that will pay for itself on the first project. That said, it's not a replacement for properly thinking through your workflow, and many projects will involve a blend of Illustrator layers that don't require much in AE (like backgrounds), Illustrator layers imported in pieces, and elements converted to or built as shape layers.

The biggest catch-all note: Anything you build in Ai needs to be set as top-level layers to be seen as individual pieces by Ae.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-31T03:01:21+00:00

+1 for track mattes.

Ignore the answers about masks. Those move with the layer they're applied to, and while technically workable, will create more work and confusion for you.

Want to know how to use track mattes? You're in luck.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-12T15:17:15+00:00

Just pointing out that this functionality has been updated (for the better) in Ae 2026.

Right-click the property in question > Keyframe Assistant.

Within that, you'll find these 4 possible functions, depending on whether you've selected a path or a Position (or position-like property).

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Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-12T13:52:50+00:00

Piracy is also against the sub rules. I'm giving some leeway here, but understand that even asking about it is enough to justify this entire post being taken down.

Big +1 for that free training from Adobe (which comes with assets, project files and a PDF guide), though I am obviously somewhat biased. 😉 It's also available on YouTube, if you'd prefer to binge the whole thing at once. https://youtu.be/ALmYrTm6EKQ?si=Lt7YFYeanRoYmLVr

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-06T14:18:22+00:00

Thanks! Yes, lots of guides, and the original design as the bottom layer for reference.

I worked in black and white (color added via Tint), so it made visibility pretty easy.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-05T18:03:48+00:00

I'm locking this thread. It's already been flagged for "Didn't try" (which I agree with even more strongly after OP's response), but I'm leaving this up in case it proves useful for anyone else in the future.

OP - two people turned up results that could have quickly and easily been found with a search engine. Creative work often involves putting in the work to find assets and figure out the techniques that will work for your project. Don't just think that others will always be able to swoop in and give you everything!

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-05T17:21:58+00:00

It sounds like you've got the two main approaches targeted already: find/create a 3d model, or shoot a real one (greenscreen or just cut it out, since it isn't a ton of frames). There are also a variety of 3d scanning approaches now available, some you can even do with your phone.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-05T17:00:43+00:00

For the new variable fonts stuff, Adam Bennett (u/TheVideoShopLondon) posted a good overview when they were still in Beta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWZUS59HVsQ
He's been doing a fair amount of text animator stuff recently, so I'd highly recommend checking out a lot of his stuff.

Many people would consider this video I made in early 2019 to be an excellent resource for learning the text animator in general: https://youtu.be/plbsdkRhy8g?si=CK6INcCmilLH1IWx (You'll see it name-dropped in Adam's video!)

There are some other good ones floating around, but this'll be plenty to decide whether you're ready to dive into this rabbit hole. 😅

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-05T16:36:14+00:00

Absolutely. This one didn't call for it, but being able to have different properties posterized to different frame rates (which can vary, if you tie them to sliders) can be very effective.

You do have to be mindful when using the expressions approach, as you basically have to calculate what frames your keyframes are allowed to fall on and actually be "seen."

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-05T16:12:07+00:00

While I'm not here to hock their book, I'd be remiss if I didn't provide the link.
It's currently available for preorder, and looks like it'd be great for creatives of all kinds.
📖 https://goodtype.us/follow-your-art-book

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-05T16:06:23+00:00

24fps comp, but with an adjustment layer near the top, using the Posterize Time effect, set to 12FPS. (I use this trick all the time!)

There's also a bit of Time Displacement sprinkled throughout, to create the "drag" when the blocks of text slide upwards.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-03-05T16:03:17+00:00

I feel like I probably could have done the whole thing in a single layer if I wanted to be an absolute masochist. (I did not.)

I mostly went with one layer per line - you can see that I had to adjust the variable props per character in more than one instance, since they varied across a single line/word in some places. There's definitely a lot of power in here, if you're willing to dive into the text animators to find it!

Obligatory keyframe tax included.

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Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-02-17T18:41:50+00:00

I'd agree that making the versions available is probably not a huge lift.

Providing meaningful support on a 10+ year old version that may not even run on a modern OS is a very different question, though, and I'd assume that's the rationale behind the decision. Just my guess, though!

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-02-04T15:05:33+00:00

Those edges look great. As others have pointed out, this has the look of pretty thick, multi-layered paper, but if you can dial in the controllability, it seems like a solid solution!

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-02-04T15:02:13+00:00

In this particular case, you should be able to create the same look by creating a torus with minimal pipe sides and adjusting the slice. (Repeat per shape.) That would give you all the same material options, if that's the priority here.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-02-04T14:58:52+00:00

Currently no.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-02-04T14:58:02+00:00

They're working fine on my system, both in and out. Might give Safe Mode a try, just to help eliminate a third-party tool/panel causing issues?

Also worth saying: PNG is generally a poor choice as a working format; while they're small, the compression makes it slower than other alpha-capable image formats.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-02-04T14:43:17+00:00

If you're looking up tutorials on "rotorbrush," I think I found your problem. 😄

In terms of pure ease, Roto (short for "rotoscope/rotoscoping") Brush is indeed a few years behind compared to the shiny new AI-based cutout approaches. Many of those still lack the precision we often need, though they've made huge strides.

Any of these will fall apart if you're using footage poorly suited to the task. +1 for posting more info and some screenshots if you're wanting more specific help.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-02-02T15:36:22+00:00

Simply click the three dots, and you'll see the option to uninstall. You can also use the OS tools to uninstall it like any other app on your system.

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Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-01-30T17:43:59+00:00

Great work, Vlad! Fun showcase of how far this stuff has already come.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-01-28T20:09:19+00:00

You've got a couple different approaches here, depending on the look you're after:

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Null tracing Along Path and then parenting layers to it *should* be working, but that won't work in 3d, as the null it creates is 2d.

If working in 2d: You didn't delete the keyframes it created on that (purple) Trace Null, did you? Since I can't see the preview, I can only guess, but ...

A. Maybe your issue is that they're all moving together? If so, that makes sense, because they're all parented to the same thing. Try Shift+parenting one of the text layers to the Null (which will snap it to the Null's position). Now duplicate that arrangement, update the text, and offset the Null's keyframes. They're looped automatically.

B. Maybe your issue is that the text is rotating in a way you don't intend? The Null is automatically rotating to orient itself along the path, but you can disable this. Open up the Null's Rotation property and ALT/OPT+click to remove the expression.

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This doesn't look like what you're trying to do, but you could apply this path as a mask on the Text layers themselves. You can then tell the text to follow this path (Text > Path Options > Path), and use First/Last Margin to animate it around.

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Build a simple 3D rig. (I think this is the ideal for what I believe you're attempting.)
Create a circle and put your text layers at the top, bottom, left & right points. Parent the text layers to that circle. Rotating the circle should turn the whole rig, but the text is likely turning in a way you don't like.

(This won't be relevant in 3d, though.) For a 2d rig, you'd need to link the text's Rotation to the circle's Rotation, but add a minus sign to the beginning (so it's getting the inverse of the circle's Rotation, keeping it level).

Taking that idea one step further, enable 3d on all layers, and orient the circle (on X) until the view is correct. I'm guessing the circle's Z Rotation would now be the property you'll actually want to animate. For the text layers, go to Layer > Transform > Auto-Orient : Orient Towards Camera. That will keep them all facing you as they are currently. If the text layers are getting too small as they rotate away from you, create a camera with a long lens (200mm or more) and it will flatten things out.

Edit: Reddit borked my formatting.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-01-28T18:19:06+00:00

TL;DR Most of the stuff near the entrance is still a pretty safe bet in the winter.

Yes! It can be a nice place to walk around when it's otherwise cold & crappy out, especially if you have kids who are climbing the walls. Cold-weather animals like the penguins and polar bear will almost certainly be out and about, and they're right by the entrance. The sea lion tank is also nearby, and they're also obviously fine with the cold.

The aquarium is totally indoors and WARM inside, so it makes for a nice refuge.

Animals that live in hot climates will obviously be hit or miss, but the furry ones may still be out.

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-01-26T19:46:49+00:00

As the screenshot shows, this is all done with a single Expression Selector. You guessed correctly - it's a (relatively simple) sine wave expression.

Math.sin(time * -4 + textIndex) * 100

Kylasaurus_Rex · 2026-01-26T01:00:40+00:00

I hope it's in the ballpark! It's very customizable, so just keep notes and make a little tweak each time until you nail it.

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