2d/3d movie making n such.

is that the rendered video file FROM maya or the maya .mb?

I don't know file types for After Effects so I'm no help there. For the other thing, I was thinking to play blast out your BG sets, then import your playblast into Flash. Use Quicktime Pro to compress the file smaller to a QT file. You animate over that quicktime, using it as a guide. When your animation is done, delete the layer with your QT, export out your animation as an uncompressed file. Then you composit your Flash animation with a final rendered version of your Maya BGs. I'll leave the finer points to those who know Maya and After Effects better than I.

Aloha,
the Ape

Ok,so i want to basically make a 2d/3d short,i have all the plans.I'll be using Maya,Flash,photoshop and after effects.

How will i get started?,i'm pretty new to 3d as a whole,but i know how to model and animate in maya,

I want to do the bgs and camera moves in maya,but how will i go about testing my 2d character animation on top of this? i'm not sure how to export or import things from maya.

if anyone has worked with these programs it would be helpfull,thanks.

Do you have a video editing application, if not then you are looking at moving your files to Maya or Flash. Without going into details, it should be something like this. Work with a copy of each file in whatever application you wont. :D What is the comman format in each application. I am working with Painter and Final Cut so I can only use three out of the dozen formats that are on these applications.

I am not being flip, you have let some pretty savey post here. The guys and gals ( men and women ) who know Maya and Flash can help with the nuts and bolts. I think you already know what you are going to have to do to get the animation you wont.

Well, logic would dictate that you set up your BGs and camera moves first in Maya, render them and export frames, and then animate your 2D stuff over the top of that, in order to make it match.

Unless of course you had a specific shot set up in 2D, then you could go about it the other way; do the 2D first, then match the BGs to your footage.

Ah, heck; do it however you want... :D

Yep, like DSB said I'm render out your 3D files first. Then import that movie file and animate over it. Then export the whole thing when you're done.

Aloha,
the Ape

i would def go with the 3d first because it will allow you more flexibility then doing it vice versa.

well my friend, you would have to composite in After Effects of Final Cut Pro. Which means you have separate files for all action, foreground, background, then you put it all together with any other special Fx in After Effects Compositing, then you go to mabe Premiere for your editing, sync sound and final output.

that is how we do it here anyway.

speaking of u guys SL,hurry up with that next short wudya,the screenshots had me interested....

NOOBster, you should be checking out my blog. there is daily updates bout whats going on.

Im reckoning finished shots by Saturday and a few days for the mixing and FX. unless we have major corrections, it should be done by next Saturday.

be our last short for sometime too.