Frequently Asked Questions
If you run into any problems while following the exercises in this book that aren't
covered here, there are a few other places you can turn for help. Please note that
lynda.com cannot help troubleshoot technical problems with Adobe AfterEffects 5.
Adobe Technical Support
If you have a question related to Adobe AfterEffects 5, but unrelated to a specific
step in an exercise in this book, visit the Adobe Technical Support site at: http://www.adobe.com/support/ or call their tech-support
hotline at 206-675-6258 (Mac) 206-675-6358 (Windows).
Adobe staff will be able to help you with such typical problems as these: the trial
version has expired on your computer; the application crashes when you try and launch
it; and so forth.
Peachpit Press
If your book has a defective CD-ROM, please contact the customer service department
at this email address. We do not have extra CDs at lynda.com, so they must be requested
directly from the publisher. customer_service@peachpit.com
Why Don't My Timeline Frame Numbers Match The Book's?
If our steps and screen images in this book don't match the numbering system in
your Timeline, here are the instructions to change your settings.
Choose File > Project Settings and make sure that it is set to Frames and Start
Numbering frames at: 0. Note: This setting was chosen book's exercises since they
were being saved as files to your computer hard drive. If you are creating a project
that will go to video, change this setting to Timecode Base: 30fps. If you are creating
a project that will go to film, choose Feet + Frames. For more information on video
and film settings, refer to Chapter 16, Rendering Final Movies and the Resource
Appendix.
Why Do I Get A Grey Frame At The End Of A Comp?
After Effects Timeline often shows a gray frame if you move the Time Marker to the
end. This is because the Timeline often extends one frame beyond the true end of
the Composition. Move to the last frame by using the End key, or pressing the last
frame button on the Time Control palette.
Why Does My Ram Preview Stops Short?
Ram Preview requires that there is enough RAM in your computer. The amount of RAM
you need varies depending on how complex and large your After Effects project. If
you are on a Windows system, you may need to install more RAM. The good news is
that RAM is a lot cheaper now than it's been in the past! If you are on a Macintosh
using system 9 or below, you also may need to install more RAM
QuickTime Isn't Working, What Should I Do?
Try going to the Apple site, and downloading the latest QuickTime plug-in. Make
sure that After Effects is not open while you do this. If you are on Windows XP,
make sure you have installed the latest updates. This is accomplished by choosing
Start > All Programs > Windows Update. There have definitely been some updates
that have affected QuickTime compatibility, so don't neglect to try this!
What Can I Do When The Error Message Appears: Missing Footage?
If you double-click on the missing footage name inside your Project window, After
Effects will let you navigate to your hard drive to locate the missing footage.
Why is My Movie Playback Jerky?
When you play a QuickTime movie on your hard drive, it will be jerky if you don't
have a fast enough processor or enough RAM. If this is a movie you created from
After Effects, you might want to re-render it using a higher compression method.
Tip: Try Sorenson or Graphics compression types and a lower frame rate with fewer
keyframes.
Why Do I Get An Untitled Warning?
When you open a project file created in After Effects 5.0 (as all the project files
for this book were created), you will encounter a warning.
Click OK, and the project will open as originally intended, except that it will
appear as an Untitled project until you save it. We chose to leave all the projects
as 5.0 projects so readers who had either After Effects 5.0 or 5.5 could use this
book.