Import 3dsMax positions

Importing 3dsMax Cameras and animated Positions Into After Effects

AE already has a way to import Cameras from 3dsmax via RPF images. Yes, AE uses images to create a camera for your scene!  We'll be using this same camera importing technique to import animated postion data.  We do this by using other cameras as locators.

Exporting from 3dsMax

Camera Export

1. Change yout viewport to view as the camera you'll be exporting

1. Hit F10 to open the Render Setup rollout
2. In the Render Setup rollout specify your resolution and frame range. ex.
   1.  1920x1080 (pixel aspect of 1.0)
   2. Active Time Segment:
3. In the Render Output section of the rollout check save file and then click the files button.
4. In the Render Output File Window> Save as Type, choose RPF Image File (*.rpf)
5. Pick the location of your render.  I would use a new empty folder because the sequence will create quite a number of images.  You don't want these mixing with yout files or other exports. Name your file as such; "myfile_"
6. A setup Button should be avaliable on this window, click it.
7. I have the following options should be selected, but set your setting however you like:

   

   1. Bits per channel: 8
   2. Store Alpha Channel
   3. Premultiple Alpha
   4. Z Depth
   5. Velocity
8. click ok
9. click save
10. In the Render Setup rollout click Render
11. Wait for the render to finish

Create a position

1. Create a camera
2. "align" the new camera to the target you want tracked
3. Link the camera to the target
4. change the viewport to the view of this camera
5. export the RPF of the camera as instructed above

Importing into AE

1. Import the footage into AE
2. Drag the footage into your comp
3. Create a camera from your footage
   1. R-click>Keyframe Assistant>ROF Camera Import
   2. or Animation>Keyframe Assistant>ROF Camera Import
4. Delete you footage from the comp, it served its purpose!
5. rename your camera!  This is important. Otherwise you'll end up with a bunch of cameras all named the same and you'll get confused.
6. Turn off all camras in the comp except the one that is not a tracker.  you need at least one active to track the others properly.
7. select a layer that will be tracking one of your points
8. make the layer a 3d layer
9. alt-click the stopwatch for this layer's position
10. pick-whip the position of one of your position cameras
11. adjust layer position via the anchor point
12. you have a tracking layer!!!!
13. This also works for particle positions!!!!

Important Note:  You MUST have at least one camera-camera.  This camera will detect the positions of your position-tracking-cameras.