I need to add more Illustrator objects but the new objects are inside the same file as the old objects. How do I add the new objects without getting extra copies of all the old objects

Inside Illustrator, put the new objects on their own layer, then turn off the visibility eyeball on all of the other layers and save the file. The Invigorator will ignore all layers with their visibility switch turned OFF. When you open the file only the Illustrator paths on the visible layers will be turned into 3D objects. (NOTE: you do not have to have the Open By Layers option enabled to get this to work.)

 

How do I create animations from scratch

By double clicking on the Time line you will create new Pose segments at the position of the pointer.

1- First add objects to your scene. This will also create a track in the Time line.

2- Next, double click at the start of the track to create a Pose segment, then double click at some later time to create another Pose segment. A light blue Transition segment will appear automatically between the two Poses.

3- Use the Pose controls and the Transition controls to edit the positions of the objects and shape their paths.

Warning: It is best NOT to drag objects in the Preview window. Doing this is called Tweaking. You can set up entire animations using only Tweaks but they will be more difficult to work with if you need to make changes or revisions.

By using the Pose controls you can make as many changes as you like and the program will auto-recalculate the animations for you. This is the perfect production tool when making changes or creating multiple versions

 

Where are the keyframes

The ProAnimator has a new way of animating that is called “behavioral” animation. Behavioral animation lets you tell the objects “how” they are supposed to act. The program then applies these behaviors to any number of objects and automatically adjusts the speed and motion of the objects so that all of the objects perform their motions within the specified amount of time.

If you are a traditional keyframe animator you can think of one of the ProAnimator’s Pose segments (dark blue bars) as a single keyframe. You use one Pose to set where the objects start and another Pose to set where the objects stop.

The Transition segments (light blue bars) control the path that the objects take when moving between the Poses. This is a totally new concept. Keyframe animators are used to editing the keyframes as a way of influencing an object’s path. But in the ProAnimator you control the path directly.

If you really want to use keyframes then the ProAnimator has that option too. In the Path controls there is a button called “Keyframe Based” This makes path shape be controlled only by the position of each object in space. So by making each Pose 1 frame in duration and using the Keyframe Based option you will get the same response as a standard keyframe program.

 

Adding more Illustrator objects without destroying your existing scene.

You can open as many Illustrator files as you want. From the Object menu use the Open Illustrator File command and pick the new file. If you are working in ProAnimator the new objects will be created and placed on their own track. If you are working in After Effects the new objects will be assigned to Set 1 by default so assign them to a different Set if you want to animate them independently