Illustrator files into Vegas

[Renton Maclachlan]

I wonder if anyone is using Adobe Illustrator files in Vegas. I have got to a stage in a project where I need to bring a great number in and am planning at this stage to do so by saving to Photoshop (with transparency) and importing them via that. Initial tests indicate I may need to scale the Illustrator files up by about 9x to get a high enough definition and save at a high resolution - meaning big Photoshop files. I don't think Raster illustrations will come in.

Anyone had experience with this?

[David Jimerson]

I just export as PNGs, 150 dpi. Or 300, but that's usually overkill.

[Renton Maclachlan]

Thanks David.
Do you see a jaggedy edge at all?
What if it was on a dvd shown on a big tv or projected onto a biggish screen?
What scale are the Illustrator drawings done in? Actually...how do you determine what scale they are in :-) ?

[David Jimerson]

No, no jagged edges. The dpi sees to that. For DVD, the bigger problem is usually too *much* detail, and a slight blur is necessary to prevent interlace flicker. (Not an issue for progressive display.)

I usually create things using a 1280x720 Video template, but that doesn't matter as much as the export dpi.

[Renton Maclachlan]

I was seeing jagged edges in the Vegas preview window even in 'Best"...

[David Jimerson]

But what were you looking at? The Photoshop file?

Try exporting a 300 dpi PNG and see if you still see jagged edges.

[Justin Molush]

No video editing applications truly utilize vector files to their full potential (even AE, which will pixelate vector files when you start scaling them up). Best bet would be to open the .Ai or .EPS in photoshop and export a .PNG or .TIF with an alpha channel.

[Renton Maclachlan]

My Photoshop won't open .Ai files (CS2) but I can export .PNG from Illustrator with transparency (a lot smaller files than .PSD).

Each segment (72 of) of the overall Illustration needs to be large when being introduced, then scaled down to fit in its particular place in the illustration. This initial enlargement seems to be an issue re resolution, and I've wondered how to overcome it - if indeed it is an issue...

[Steven Reid]

Renton, if you have Boris FX Continuum Complete (BCC) installed, you might be able to pull off a "cheat" without having to worry about rasterized images. Specifically, BCC's Extruded EPS plugin for Vegas will allow you to import an EPS spline, e.g., a path from AI, and extrude, rotate, light, etc. to your heart's content within Vegas. If you already know this, sorry -- I don't mean to sound condescending.

In your case, all you need to do is import the EPS file and stop, except to resize along X/Y axes if you wish. Even if you resize, the vector format within the BCC plugin will ensure that you always have razor sharp edges, subject to the limitations of whatever your render format is.

The only caveat (aside from your not having BCC in the first place), is to ensure that you export the EPS correctly from AI. For instance, I have exported simple splines and they work great. If you have many layers and/or complexity in AI, however, you may need to group the layers before exporting so that the BCC plugin won't mangle or misinterpret your spline. I have not tried this with really complex artwork in AI.

Does this make sense? It would relieve you of having to mess with rasterizing AI files to PNG, PSD, or whatever in Photoshop as an intermediate step.

Steve

[Renton Maclachlan]

I have BCC on my computer evaluating it for its Chroma Keyer. This sounds very interesting...have to go out now but if you have any more on this, let me know...Thanks.

[Renton Maclachlan]

hmmm...I don't know how to make the eps plugin work.

I see it...I can export my file as EPS...but I don't know how to get the file into vegas...

[Mike Kujbida]

Originally Posted by Renton Maclachlan

hmmm...I don't know how to make the eps plugin work.

I see it...I can export my file as EPS...but I don't know how to get the file into vegas...

You need to bring the EPS file into Photoshop and save it as a PNG which Vegas will read.
I do this all the time when I get logos from print shops.

[Steven Reid]

Originally Posted by Renton Maclachlan

hmmm...I don't know how to make the eps plugin work.

I see it...I can export my file as EPS...but I don't know how to get the file into vegas...

Renton, if you were addressing me about the BCC plugins, not the posters above concerning the PS step of making a rasterized image (e.g., PNG), then you first should watch this tutorial by John Rofrano. You want to start watching at ~ 8:10 -- this 1/2 of the tutorial is about importing EPS files. In hindsight, I see that I might have misstated something: you use native AI files (see below). I've done this, but not often, which is probably why I made the mistake. Just watch the tut and you'll be golden.

I've made the assumption that you have the BCC plugins for Vegas Pro. It seems that you are evaluating them. If not, just totally chuck my idea into the waste bin. It ain't gonna work.

In general, you export the EPS from AI. (I think you can also just use native AI files, not necessarily EPS. This makes your life even more simple.) Then, add BCC Extruded EPS plugin to an empty event to your timeline in Vegas. Within the plugin, click on the "External File" button, select your AI file, and then you're in like Flynn. You can extrude the vector image -- which is a main part of the plugin -- but in your case, you don't care. You just want the artwork. All you need to do is scale it to taste within the BCC plugin. It will stay razor sharp because, after all, it is still a vector image. Ticking a check box entitled "Keep EPS Color" ensures that your imported artwork keeps the same colors as you designed within AI.

I swear that I can't think of a more simple (or any other way) to get native AI files directly into Vegas. A potential bonus is that if you want to tweak your artwork while editing in Vegas, then you tweak in AI, save, and then update the BCC plugin so it recognizes the updated AI file. With the rasterizing route (i.e., PS), you have to save your tweaked filed from AI, import into PS, save as PNG, then import into Vegas. Want another tweak? Then do it all over again. Ugh. I'd rather stay with one, solitary AI file.

HTH.

Steve

[Renton Maclachlan]

Steven...Thanks. I'll watch the tutorial tonight and have a go at it all.

One clarification. You talk of 'exporting' from AI. Under 'Export' I have no option for exporting in EPS. However in 'Save As' I do. Is that what you were referring to?

As I said, I have BCC on the computer for evaluation. It is full functional. I will very likely be buying...especially if it does this...

Mike: Thanks. I'll check your idea out also...

[David Jimerson]

Renton, I'm still curious as to what exactly you're doing.

When I create Illustrator files, do them on the 1280x720 Video template, and then export them as PNGs. Exporting at 300 ppi makes them massively huge (dimensionally, not file size) and there is no resolution problem whatsoever. As I said, 150 ppi pretty much does everything I need.

Now, you DO want to export them as progressive and not interlaced. Perhaps that's part of the problem.