Adobe After Effects - Simple pixel aspect ratio question

Author

Simple pixel aspect ratio question

NMFlash@adobeforums.com

2006-11-06, 12:50 am

Hey all:

In putting together a project I have rendered out a slew of my animations in Maya at 720 x 486. Once I brought them into After Effects (with my compositions pixel aspect ratio set to Square pixels - the default) they didn't fit the comp window. So I did a
Ctrl+Alt+F and fit it to the window, the proportions seemed to look fine.

I just heard from someone who knows AE far better than myself, and he said to set my pixel aspect ratio to: D1/DV NTSC (0.9). Which I did. Now my original fit-to-window files are cut off on the right and left!?!

Instead of continuing to guess, can someone please tell me what is the best set up when I am looking to fit a standard TV screen? :P

Thanks a ton in advance,
Phil

Aaron_Cobb@adobeforums.com

2006-11-06, 12:50 am

You were told right. Use the NTSC D1 preset in the Comp Settings, which will set your comp to 720x480/.9 Pixel Aspect Ratio/29.97 FPS. Then just make sure the footage is scaled to 100% x 100%. The "Fit to Comp" probably stretched the footage horizontally
to compensate for the comp's square pixels, which can lead to some undesirable side effects.

NMFlash@adobeforums.com

2006-11-06, 12:50 am

Hey Aaron -- thanks (that's what I thought). :)

Phil

Rick_Gerard@adobeforums.com

2006-11-06, 12:50 am

Once I brought them into After Effects (with my compositions pixel aspect
ratio set to Square pixels - the default) they didn't fit the comp window.
So I did a Ctrl+Alt+F and fit it to the window,

Two problems here... First, the rendered files didn't fit because your comp size, 720 X 486 I assume, is set to square pixels. This is wrong and why your render, which is interpreted as rectangular pixels didn't fit. The 720 X 486 render could be D1 or DV
Widescreen, but unless somebody fouled up the presets in Maya, should not be square pixels.

The second, you can never be assured that Fit will fix pixel aspect ratio problems. Ctrl/Cmnd + Alt/Option + H will fit any layer to your comps width and preserve the pixel aspect ratio. Everything will remain undistorted as long as your footage is interp
reted properly and your comps are set up using one of the defaults.

Fitting the layer horizontally and vertically will always distort the footage unless both the comp and the footage have exactly the same screen aspect ratio. Fitting your 420 X 486 render in a DV comp of 720 X 480 will distort the footage slightly because
the two projects are not precisely the same picture aspect ratio.

Abbie_Labadie@adobeforums.com

2006-12-06, 8:15 pm

This is probably a dumb question, but I tried Cmnd+Option+H and nothing happened - what is that a shortcut for?