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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects Exponential Graph / Realistic Motion with Timer

  • Exponential Graph / Realistic Motion with Timer

    Posted by Andy Baumgartner on July 12, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    Hi, I’m constructing a timer with “wheels” that rotate and blur (123456789012…) which needs to show values 8min, 40min, 4years keyframed with approximately equal time intervals. I have numbers for sec min hour day year but the rapid key-frames still make the 40min to 4year transition jarring. To minimize this I’d like to 1. keep the velocity between key-frames (wheels keep spinning) to mimic how the timer would function realistically and 2. use an exponential speedup between expecially 40min to 4 year transition.

    I’ve been unable to maintain the velocity however (this seems like it should be easy)(when I use magnet and adjust velocity at key-frame the timer must spin backwards) and am unsure how applying the exponential key-frame assistant option will affect once I have maintained velocity.

    So in short, I want the timer to function realistically including an exponential speedup.

    Thanks!

    Andy Baumgartner replied 15 years, 10 months ago 4 Members · 8 Replies
  • 8 Replies
  • Andy Baumgartner

    July 12, 2010 at 7:34 pm

    To clarify I have a slider that controls time (that’s what I animate).

    Also a similar situation might be a zoom lens with some inertia which zooms from 0ft to 5000ft to million ft not stopping at 5000ft but still reaching 5000ft at a certain time.

    Thanks again!

  • Kevin Camp

    July 12, 2010 at 7:50 pm

    i assume that you are looking for a smooth change in the rate of counting from 8min to 40min to 4years… because you can’t keep the velocity (rate of change) consistent while also having the rates be different, right…?

    i would think that having the 40min key frame on the slider be an ‘easy-ease’ keyframe would help smooth it out… you may even want all the slider keyframes to be ease-ease (soft interpolation).

    select the keyframe(s) to change to ease-ease and the choose animation>keyframe assistant>ease ease.

    does that get you close to what you need?

    Kevin Camp
    Senior Designer
    KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

  • Andy Baumgartner

    July 12, 2010 at 8:48 pm

    Thanks for responding Kevin. Easy Ease is what I tried first but it looks incorrect for two reasons 1. the velocity is 0 at the key-frame (my timer’s wheels stop spinning) and 2. it’s not shaped like an exponential curve so instead of seeing minutes blur first then maybe 5 frames later hours ect, most start spinning right away and it’s too abrupt so the fast pace has no context.

    I’d like to retain the velocity from the previous speedup (lessening the speedup required for the 8min to 4 year transition) and use an exponential curve so that each timer digit speeds up and becomes completely blurred at staggered times (first sec the min ect)

  • Paul Conigliaro

    July 12, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    Have you tried manually editing the velocity curve on the graph editor? That could at least remove the paused motion on your eased 40 min. keyframe.

    conigs
    [Disclaimer: Sometimes I am an idiot and misinterpret people’s posts. I’m sorry.]

  • Andy Baumgartner

    July 12, 2010 at 9:04 pm

    Thanks for responding guys. I’ve been using the graph editor but when I use the magnet (so the value and time of my keyframe remains fixed (which it has to because I’m animating to an audio byte)) and I raise the two sides of the keyframe velocity, the velocity before dips below the previous key frame value to compensate and I get backwards motion.

    I didn’t think to manually key-frame in between but I’ll try and see how the motion blur works.

    Thanks!

  • Andy George

    July 12, 2010 at 9:16 pm

    Check out this script ease-and-wizz

    https://aescripts.com/ease-and-wizz/

    Makes exponential easing really easy…
    I must use this one everyday

    -Andy George
    Senior Editor
    http://www.chiselindustries.com

  • Andy Baumgartner

    July 12, 2010 at 9:18 pm

    Tried Exponential between each key-frame; still too choppy.

    Thanks for the link Andy, I’ll try it and report back.

  • Andy Baumgartner

    July 12, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    Ease and Wizz is pretty cool but it can’t retain the speed, plus its expo doesn’t ease quite as much as the exponential option in the key-frame assistant for some reason.

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