Importing Illustrator Files
Because Anime Studio is vector-based, it can import and work with files saved using the Adobe Illustrator (.AI) file format. Not all objects created in Illustrator can be imported, but Anime Studio can work with any Bezier curves and points that are exported.
New Feature
Anime Studio doesn’t use Bezier curves the same way Adobe Illustrator does, so the imported curves can be a little off. Anime Studio 6 has improved how it places points to make the imported curves cleaner.
Most of the advanced features found in Illustrator cannot be exported to Anime Studio, including text (unless converted to outlines), blends, patterns, effects, gradient fills, and layers. Anime Studio also cannot deal with any CMYK or spot colors. All Illustrator content that will be imported into Anime Studio needs to use the RGB color mode. Be aware also that Anime Studio will often change the colors of the imported vectors and add many extra points that will need to be cleaned up. Also, make sure that you flatten all artwork before importing it into Anime Studio.
Note
Before exporting any Illustrator text for use in Anime Studio, the text should be converted to outlines.
Although many different versions of Adobe Illustrator exist, for best compatibility, you should save your Illustrator file using the Illustrator 8 version or any earlier version. Figure 7.3 shows an imported logo created in Illustrator and saved using the .AI format.
Note
Illustrator files saved using the CS1, CS2, CS3, or CS4 formats cannot be opened within Anime Studio.
To import an Illustrator file into Anime Studio, follow these steps:
1. | Open the Box It Up Co logo.ai file from the Chapter 7 folder on the CD into Illustrator. Use the Convert to Outlines feature to convert the text into paths. Make sure the color mode is RGB and flatten all layers to a single layer. |
2. | Use Illustrator’s File, Save As command to save the file as an Illustrator 8 (or earlier) file. This will clear out many of the recent complex features that are common in the newer Illustrator versions. |
3. | Open Anime Studio and use the File, Import, Adobe Illustrator File menu command to locate and import the saved AI file. The file appears within the center of the working area, as shown in Figure 7.3. |
Tip
If you have Photoshop, you can use the Export Paths to Illustrator command to export any Photoshop paths to a format that can be imported into Anime Studio using the Illustrator import feature.