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creating ‘starfields’ with MOTION?
I’m doing a docu with a huge number of ‘flying through stars’ sequences.
I created star fields (stars on transparent backgrounds) in Photoshop, imported them into MOTION, applied a grow/shrink behavior to each field (different scale rates).
It works, nice feel of 3D, but as the frame (object) grows larger the apparent speed appears to diminish — so it feels as if we are deccelerating. I know this is a mathematical\illusion phenomenon, but don’t know how to offset it. I’ve tried an ‘ease-in’ to slow beginning, doesn’t work. I’ve tried key-framing but can’t get the acceleration to work smoothly enough with Besier curves.
The manual doesn’t seem to give a hint.
Has anyone got a suggestion about how I could do this? To continually ‘accelerate’ the expanding frame (object) to give the impression of a constant speed?
Holding my breath,
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18 Replies
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Keyframe the grow parameter to accelerate as it gets larger. You’d of course get a more convincing effect in full 3d. There’s some freebie 3d programs like Blender you could try.
Noah
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Thank you kindly Noah,
Is there an easy way to describe how I can ‘keyframe the grow parameter to accelerate’ as the image grows larger? It’s the ‘to accelerate’ that has been stumping me. An exponential growth. The way I’ve been doing it, It seems that when the image hits a new keyframe there is too drastic a change … I’m having a hard time make a smooth acceleration.
Ben
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Hey Ben,
The term you’re looking for is “exponential zoom” or “exponential scale”. AE has a keyframe assistant that does this, but I don’t think Motion has a way of automatically doing it. Real zooms, using a lens, have a non-linear scaling curve: that’s what you’re trying to do.
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Oh for a real zoom lens….
I’ve got dozens of these zooms to do for this film. I’m a novice on AE… I was so hoping Motion would let me do them easily. Thanks for your help. I’ll dig out my old AE. Will version 5.5 do the exponential zooming or scaling?
Ben
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Hey Ben,
The Exponential Scale thing has been around since at least version 3 (in the Motion Math tools), but it’s part of the Pro Bundle only, FYI. Good luck!
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You can fake the optical physics of a zoom lens in Motion, or in FCP, but the tools aren’t really designed for it as they are in AE. Not that I can tell, anyway. When you apply Exponential Scale to two scale keyframes in After Effects, you’ll instantly see what’s going on when you reveal the newly created Scale property keyframes. The linear progression has been changed so that about 80% of the scale operation occurs in the last 10-20% of the time allowed for the move. If your move is 10 seconds, set kfs at 0, 8 and 10 seconds. The really difficult part, in Motion and FCP, is to get a decent Bezier at the 8 second kf.
In AE, it’s practically a no-brainer. That is, it’s a practical use practical math.
bogiesan
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Hey specialcase,
My Motion comes from the Final Cut Studio. Does that mean it’s the Pro version? And if so, where might I find the ‘Motion Math tools’?
This would be phenomenal if I could get it to work in Motion without keyframing for the next six months …
Ben
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Hi Bogeisan,
Thank you, I’ll print out your note. Specialcase has suggested there is a tool in Motion that will do this. If I read his suggestion right. I’m off to look.
If not, then I’m going to bite the bullet and dig out my AE. I’m very rusty on AE and have always had a problem with Adobe manuals (the tiny little details they manage to leave out of a chronological explanation). But your description is mucho helpful and I may just pass on these zoom sequences to a fellow in the office here who isn’t entirely daunted by AE.
Thanks again,
Ben
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Aha!
S’cuse me. I thought we were talking about Motion as in Final Cut Pro Apple Motion. But I think you are referring to AE. In which case I’ve just hauled out my version which is 5.5 (Production Bundle). Is that the Pro version? Don’t think so. And the ‘help’ is so out of date it’s sending me to a non-existent website.
Sigh,
Thanks,
Ben
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It looks like AE for me. Any suggestions where I can easily log on to the ‘help’ on the web? My 5.5 ver. help is out of date, takes me to a non-existent web page.
B.
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