after effects

someone posted on the AFX CS3 forum about wishlists so i thought about it for a couple of minutets and began...

as far as the UI goes see my thoughts an ae8 at http://blogs.creativecow.net/node/145 and a bit of rethinking on the UI

an expressions panel/editor/viewer - being able to create/edit expressions with code completion much like in many programming environments.  a viewer that shows expressions and the connections/relationships to other objects (much like the flowchart)

improved graph editor/animation controls  -  having the ability to manipulate x/y/z postions in the graph editor just as you can x,y,z rotation(as the are separate parameters) . adding the ability in the graph editor to manipulate curves as you do with the loop expressions ( as you can in Mayas graph editor)

extrude(text, shapes layers, etc)

import 3d models like PS CS3 can

a flowchart that operators actually want to use

more accurate motion tracking - matchmoving with the ability to apply tracking data to masks on a per verticy level (3d tracking would be great but i wont go that far with this list)(and while we're at a real wishlist...maybe this is an opportunity for a plugin developer, but using tracking/optical flow to matchmove images so that you can take a still of a clean plate, line it up and let the tracker match pos,scale,rotation, and optionally warp the images to match based on optical analysis

the ability edit all parameters stored in a keyfame- much like how 3d position data is stored in a single keyframe so there is no way in the interface to then manipulate the individual channels, adding this ability would allow you to edit mask keyframes on a per vertice level for example, mesh warp on a per vertice level, any effect or parameter that has its data inaccessable from the UI b/c it is saved in to 1 keyframe

updated import dialog due to the fact the AE uses the OS based dialogs, its not entirley adobes falut, but when you have mulitple image sequenced in a folder, AFX does not have the ability to show or recognize them as such and notify the user during an import, thereby making it easy for the operator to miss sequences

all effects toggle  just as there is one for motion blur for the comp. this is for preview purposes

layer quick sets enables the operator to set the current selected layers as a quickpick, with mulitple stores so that you can work wth several layers selected, then switch to a different layer set, and back w/o having to select the indivual layers. and then the next step would be states much like Statesmen by redefinery http://redefinery.com/ae/view.php?item=rd_Statesman

thats just off the top of my head...

(this is not a negative post about ae cs3, just some thoughts that may bring about discussion for future improvements)

so v7 gave us a much improved, clean interface and really tried to bring the usability of the application to a new level (which i believe it did)

there was much kicking and screaming, but i think once the dust settled, the majority was happy.

however, to me one major usability issue has been the text animators.
they dont fit in to the old AFX animation paradigm, which is fine. And while they are a great addition, the usability aspect really isnt as good as it should be.
I mean this from an interface not animation standpoint.
there are so many parameters that you cant have enough hotkeys (not that there really are any now) for it work well in the timeline.
the depth of having to twirl is a major timesink and major usability issue.

so here comes ae8 (you can call it cs3 but whenit crashes, it says ae8 unexpectedly quit :), and with it all these great new features, but many work just like the text animators, except that there are now infinitely more options and twirlys hiding somewhere in the timeline

All these great new features, but do has the UI suffered buttons placed where they may fit vs really thinking through how an end user works?

hey, i love the fact that there is the new open parent comp button (so so happy), but with ae7 we were given a new interface to increase our productivity, and now with 8, it kinda feels like we are going back the other way. maybe im just a minimalist. i turn grads off, try and work mainly with only the panels open for what i need at the time, and use lots of hotkeys, but there is just so much more going on

The timeline is one of the features the distinguishes afx from many other apps out there, but it it really the only place for adding/modifying all these behaviors( shape layers, layer effects, text animators, etc)

Is it time for the effects pallette to grow in to something bigger to handle all these new features so that we dont have to get dizzy twirling our day away?

its one thing to add a property, it comes up, you adjust it accordingly, but what happens when you need to change something thats buried so deep its hard just to find it, never mind beign creative.

furthermore, how do you explain to a new user what a layer style is vs an effect? (seriously think about that one).

again, these are all great features, and maybe adobe has done the best to implement them in a way to keep the majority of its user happy, but does it work the way you, the end user, really wants?