• Adobe After Effects

  I have a Particular question

  Posted by Jordan Cadby on May 2, 2009 at 2:15 pm

  Hello there.
  I have this concept for a video i plan to make with involves me to have particles doing something that im not sure particular/after fx can handle!

  Basically i want an emitter to emit 25 particles a seconds, using a pre-comped bit of video as the custom particle.
  I want it to use the first frame from the pre-comp for the first particle, then for the next one, i want it to use the next frame, and so on. any ideas?

  I know particular lets you have a particle that’s a “movie” that starts at the beginning of every spawned particle and then plays it in full… that’s not what i want really, i want one particle to be one frame, and stay like that till it dies.

  If anyone one can help or suggest something then id really appreciate it.

  Cheers

  Jordan

  Bartek Skorupa replied 17 years ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  Bartek Skorupa

  May 3, 2009 at 12:45 am

  I recommend you watch this tutorial by maltaannon:

  https://maltaannon.com/tutorials/AfterEffects/GrowingVines/

  Although it is about somethong else, I found a solution to your problem there.
  Using the ideas from there I came up with something like that:

  1. Create a light, and call it “Motion Path 1”
  2. Animate it. This will be the source of the motion of your particles.
  3. Settings for particular:
  Particles per second 25
  Position: Set it exactly as the position of your lamp at the first frame of a comp. (Set it manualy, or use an expression, using “valueAtTime(0)” statement)
  Velocity: 0
  Particle type: custom. (Select your video)
  Time sampling: Start at birth – Loop (this does the trick)

  Now go to physics, select Air, and select Motion Path “1”.

  You have to use motion path instead of animation the position. I don’t know exactly why, but it works in this situation.

  Bartek Skorupa
  Warszawa, Poland
• 

  Jordan Cadby

  May 3, 2009 at 10:02 am

  Holy Cr*p!!!

  Thats awesome, ill try it later today! Thanks ever so much!

  J

  in the shade
• 

  Jordan Cadby

  May 3, 2009 at 11:12 am

  well after a we bit of tweaking it does seam to be working….
  how very odd… i cant see why… and there seems to be some weird relationship between the partical life and how far along the path they go. BUT!!! low and behold, pretty much exacly what i wanted! thankyou very much

  JC

  in the shade
• 

  Viacheslav Sasykin

  May 4, 2009 at 6:11 am

  Just for future:
  Particle type: Custom Fill
  Time sampling: Split clip – Loop
  Number of clips: set to how many frames in your video.
  Cheers.
• 

  Bartek Skorupa

  May 4, 2009 at 6:20 am

  Well, What can I say, just forget about my solution and use Viacheslav’s.
  I must admit: My “solution” is a crap.

  Thank you very much, Viacheslav.

  Bartek Skorupa
  Warszawa, Poland

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