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3D motion path? Is this possible?
Good afternoon,
I have a quick AE question, I am trying to animate text along a 3D path, in much the same way as the classic windows “pipes” screensaver, this may help you visualise what I mean, https://www.arrowscan.com/images/pipes.jpg I can make a 2d shaped mask and rotate that around to turn it into a path, but that is just 2d rotated, how would I add a section perpendicular to that?
I hope someone can shed some light on the situation, I’m sure it’s pretty straightforward.
Many, many thanks,
Adrian Westaway
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3 Replies
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In AE, if you want text to follow a path, that path has to be a mask. A mask can only be created on a layer, and layers are only flat planes. So, unfortunately, masks cannot reside in more than one plane.
However, layers, nulls and cameras can move in more than one plane. If you want text to follow that kind of motion, you need to make a bunch of text layers, each with one character in it. Make a null move in 3 dimensions. Pickwhip the position of each text layer to match the null. To offset each letter, you’d need to add an expression to delay each layer. Sorry, but I can’t find one right now. There may be a “follow” expression on Dan Ebberts’ site https://www.motionscript.com/ or in a COW tutorial.
Or … time to get a 3D app. 🙂
Hope that helps,
Steve -
Hi Steve,
I like the idea of the null layer, I’m fairly new to that way of thinking but it makes sense – thanks! Out of interest which 3D apps would you suggest – I’m working more in graphics than video (although I am using video too).. Thanks again for your help,
Adrian
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Hmm … this gets asked a lot. At the risk of offending users of other fine 3D apps, I’d say that Cinema 4D is best suited to motion graphics, due to its flexible workflow and integration with AE.
Don’t get me wrong — Maya, MAX and LW are fine for character work, complex modelling, effects, realism, cloth dynamics and so on, but to my mind, C4D gets the nod for motion graphics.
There are numerous threads on this. Search the COW on “Cinema4D”, just because it’s the quickest way to find the threads covering 3D apps in general.
Steve
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