FAQ
Product information
- What is Adobe After Effects?
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Adobe® After Effects® CS3 Professional software is the industry standard for creating motion graphics and visual effects for film and broadcast. It is also widely used to enhance other video productions and to create DVD motion menus, animated web graphics, and movies for mobile devices in FLV and SWF formats.
- What are the top new features in After Effects CS3 Professional?
After Effects CS3 Professional includes new features designed to boost your productivity and expand your creative options. They include:
- Shape layers — Easily create and animate vector graphics with new shape layers. Add and animate strokes, fills, gradients, and vector effects. Convert text into shapes and animate them just like any other shape type.
- Puppet tool — This new, fast, and intuitive animation tool lets you squash and stretch any shape or text to bring it to life as an animated character. Use Motion Sketch to record the position and speed of your puppet movements, the Starch tool to stiffen areas of the character, and the Overlap tool to control the depth of elements of your puppet.
- Enhanced Adobe Photoshop® integration — Enjoy a streamlined workflow with support for importing layered Photoshop images including new video layers. Then add texture and shading to even the most basic layer instantly or animate individual characteristics at will with Layer Style support. Import Vanishing Point data from Photoshop into After Effects to build 3D compositions automatically.
- Tight integration with Adobe Flash® CS3 Professional — Work more efficiently to create and edit animations in Adobe Flash software. Preserve vectors from animations created in After Effects for lean and clean delivery and create FLV files more easily. Import SWF files as vectors with alpha channels preserved and batch render FLV and SWF videos with embedded cue points.
- Per-character 3D text animation — Explore new text animation possibilities by making individual characters in your text — or an entire phrase — move and rotate in 3D space.
- Brainstorm — Jump-start animations with Brainstorm, a new user interface that offers variations on selected design and animation parameters. Choose which properties and effects you want to explore and Brainstorm will propose animated variations.
- Complete color management workflow — Enable color management simply by selecting a Project Working Space. Doing so ensures the color accuracy of imported files as they are displayed and rendered and allows you to preview how footage will look on other devices.
- Adobe Clip Notes — Streamline the review and approval process of your work. Render your work into an Adobe PDF file that enables anyone with Adobe Acrobat® or Reader® software to make timecode-accurate comments. When you import the comments into After Effects, they appear as markers on the Timeline.
- Enhanced performance — Harness your computer's processing power with new multicore and graphics acceleration plus disk caching so you can spend less time waiting and more time creating. Distribute rendering across your entire network to maximize output performance.
- Video for mobile — Create video and then use new render options to output to Adobe Device Central, helping to ensure output quality for an array of supported mobile devices such as cell phones and iPods.
- What operating systems does After Effects support?
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After Effects supports the latest platforms from both Apple and Microsoft, including MAC OS X Leopard and Intel® based Macs and Windows Vista™ systems (Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise). For more information, see the complete system requirements. Learn more about compatibility between CS3 applications and Leopard here.
- Which versions of Adobe Creative Suite 3 is After Effects included in?
- After Effects is included in Adobe Creative Suite® 3 Production Premium and Master Collection software.
- Why should I purchase Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional?
- After Effects CS3 Professional delivers innovative features that empower you to bring new dimension to your work. Design animated vector graphics right inside the application with new shape layers, fluidly manipulate any object to create organic movement with the new Puppet tool, change the appearance of layers over time using Photoshop layer styles, and take advantage of the new Brainstorm feature to explore design options automatically. Unmatched integration with Photoshop, as well as Flash CS3 Professional for outputting SWF or FLV files with alpha channels and cue points, makes After Effects CS3 Professional an essential upgrade.
- How much does After Effects CS3 Professional cost?
- After Effects CS3 Professional is available for an estimated street price of US$999. You can also get it as part of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium (ESP US$1,699) or Master Collection (ESP US$2,499).
You can upgrade from After Effects 7.x, 6.x, or 5.x (Professional or Standard) to After Effects CS3 Professional for an ESP of US$299. Note that prices are approximate, subject to change, and do not include taxes, shipping, or other related expenses.
You can purchase Adobe After Effects CS3, Creative Suite 3 Production Premium, or Master Collection from Adobe Authorized Resellers or through the Adobe Store online. For pricing outside North America, visit the Adobe website in your region or check with your Adobe Authorized Reseller.
- I'm interested in the new Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium. Can I upgrade from After Effects?
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If you have After Effects Professional 7.x, 6.x, or 5.x, , you can upgrade to Production Premium for an ESP of US$1,199. Note that prices are approximate, subject to change, and do not include taxes, shipping, or other related expenses.
You can purchase from Adobe Authorized Resellers or through the Adobe Store online. For pricing outside North America, visit the Adobe website in your region or check with your Adobe Authorized Reseller.
- Is there an After Effects CS3 Standard?
- No, After Effects Professional is preferred by the majority of our users; thus, we decided to discontinue Standard.
- Can I upgrade from a previous version (5.0 or later) of After Effects Standard?
- Yes, for just US$299, you can upgrade to After Effects CS3 Professional.
- Will After Effects grow with my professional needs?
- Yes. With After Effects, you get an open architecture that enables third-party developers, such as The Foundry, Trapcode, Automatic Duck, RE:Vision Effects, Synthetic Aperture, and GridIron, to produce plug-ins that are closely integrated with the tools and environment of After Effects. This means you have access to a wide range of affordable design options that simply aren't available with other motion graphics products. For a comprehensive list of third-party plug-ins for After Effects, see the plug-ins page.
- Does the same software used to create opening titles and visual effects in feature films have a place in web communications?
- Absolutely. The need to communicate — with customers, prospects, and employees — is at the heart of every business. And communications that engage your audience with motion and animation are the ones that get noticed and get their point across in a memorable way. Adobe After Effects makes high-quality motion graphics and visual effects affordable and accessible to film and video professionals, web content creators, video enthusiasts, and graphic designers alike. Whether you're creating a motion picture, a website, a retail POP display, a training video, a trade show presentation, or a sales demo, Adobe After Effects helps bring your messages to life.
- I recently purchased an Adobe creative product, and then you announced Adobe Creative Suite 3. Do I have to pay full price for the new version?
- It depends on when you purchased the product. If you purchased after the announcement and you have proof of purchase, contact Adobe Customer Service in your region for assistance in obtaining a post-announce upgrade. This is a limited-time offer and restrictions apply. For contact information, visit the Adobe.com site for your country or region and click Contact.
- Why should I register Adobe After Effects?
- When you register your Adobe products, you qualify to receive expert technical support, new product announcements, special offers, and early notice of product upgrades.
- What types of support are available if I need help?
- As a registered owner of the current version of an Adobe product, you are eligible to receive complimentary person-to-person support on issues related to installation and unexpected behavior, including crashes and errors caused by the Adobe software. There is no charge for this service; you pay only for the cost of the call. In addition, Adobe offers a variety of person-to-person technical support plans for how-to help and real-time problem solving. Whether you choose to call or contact technical support online, you can get dependable answers from Adobe. Learn more.
- In what languages is Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional offered?
- Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional software is available in English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish.
- Will After Effects run on a 64-bit version of Windows Vista?
- While After Effects is not a 64-bit application, it will run on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista as a 32-bit application.
- Which OpenGL cards does After Effects CS3 Professional support?
- For a complete list of the OpenGL cards supported, visit the OpenGL page.
- Will After Effects CS3 Professional work well with my other Adobe software?
- Yes. Tighter integration with other Adobe products — especially those in Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium — is an important enhancement in this release because it allows you to work more efficiently. Enjoy a streamlined workflow with support for importing Photoshop images including video layers as well as Illustrator® graphics while preserving image integrity. Use Adobe Dynamic Link to move easily between After Effects and Adobe Premiere® Pro or Encore® software without rendering, and share animations easily with Flash CS3 Professional. And the new Adobe Soundbooth™ software gives visual professionals the tools to easily create and edit audio.
- What is Color Finesse from Synthetic Aperture, and how do I get it?
- Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional (retail, education, and upgrade versions) includes Color Finesse™ (in English only) from Synthetic Aperture, a professional color processing system that uses a 32-bit floating-point color space for precise adjustments. With Color Finesse you can fine-tune color corrections in HSL, RGB, CMYK, and Y’CbCr color spaces and take advantage of automatic color matching and custom correction curves. You can monitor all color levels using the built-in waveform monitor, vectorscope, histogram, and correction-curve displays in Color Finesse.
- What are the CycoreFX, and how do I get them?
- Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional (retail, education, and upgrade versions) includes bundled effects from Cycore (in English only), the original developer of Final Effects. You can add smoke and sparks to your compositions using Particle World and blazing ray of light transitions using Light Burst and Light Sweep.
- The demo versions of CycoreFX 1.5 can now be downloaded using these links:
- For Mac: http://host.cycore.net/cycorefx/macosx/Cycore_FX_1.5_Demo_Mac.dmg
- For Windows: http://host.cycore.net/cycorefx/windows/Cycore_FX_1.5_Demo_Win.zip
- What is Keylight, and how can I access it?
- Keylight is an Academy Award-winning greenscreen and bluescreen keying tool from The Foundry. It is included in After Effects CS3 Professional (retail, education, and upgrade versions, in English only).
- Are training materials included with After Effects?
- When you purchase After Effects, you'll receive the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Video Workshop DVD that includes more than ten hours of training on After Effects and Adobe's other Creative Suite 3 products. In addition, many in-depth technical guides, tutorials, tips, and tricks are available in the Design Center. In the After Effects user forum, you can also browse through tips, tricks, and FAQs; read about how others have made use of After Effects; and share your questions and experiences with the worldwide After Effects user community.
- Does After Effects support hyperthreading, dual-core processors, and multiprocessors?
- After Effects takes advantage of hyperthreading and offers support for both dual-core and multiprocessors.
- How can I stay up to date on the latest support information about After Effects?
- You can subscribe to the lively user forum.
- Is Adobe Dynamic Link also included with the individual products that make up Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium and Master Collection?
- No. Through the capabilities of Adobe Dynamic Link, Production Premium and Master Collection offer users an integrated and efficient workflow between Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, After Effects CS3 Professional, and Encore CS3. Support for this feature is uniquely available to Production Premium and Master Collection owners.
- Will Adobe Dynamic Link become available as a separate product?
- No. Adobe Dynamic Link will continue to be available only as an integral part of Adobe Creative Suite 3.
- Where can I get more presets?
- Adobe Exchange will provide more presets for downloading.
- Whom should I contact if I have questions?
- In North America, contact Adobe Customer Service at 800-585-0774. For all other areas, visit Customer Service to find out how to contact a local representative. Licensing customers should contact their Adobe Licensing Center.
