• Adobe After Effects Expressions

  Camera following a layer that is moving in 3D space

  Posted by Firestarter3000 on December 31, 2006 at 3:20 pm

  I have a layer that contains a 3D rendered animation.
  This layer needs to move through after effects 3D space always facing the camera in the right angle (front, flat).
  I would like to be able to rotate this layer, etc.

  I tried two things that didn’t work out for me so far.
  > Solution A
  – The position of the layer is the same as the camera’s POI (via expression).
  – The layer is set to “Orient towards camera”
  – The amera itself follows the POI path with a time delay (via expression)
  —-
  FollowPoint = thisComp.layer(“CameraMove”).effect(“LookAhead”)(“Slider”);
  position = transform.pointOfInterest.value_at_time(time-FollowPoint);
  —-
  – I animate the POI of the camera, layer and camera follows
  PROBLEM, as soon the layer (POI) stops the camera comes closer to the object.

  **************

  > Solution B (seems quite complicated; haven’t worked the right expression out yet)
  – The layer (with the 3D animation) moves and rotates through space followed by the camera always facing in the same angle the layer. (please see also: http://www.emqu.de/docs/AEtask.jpg)
  – A cameraDistance variable controls the distance of the camera towards the object.

  Any suggestions or solutions?

  thanks
  And happy new year.

  markus

  Firestarter3000 replied 19 years, 9 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Dan Ebberts

  December 31, 2006 at 11:57 pm

  Have you tried just making the layer the parent of the camera?

  Dan
• 

  Firestarter3000

  January 1, 2007 at 5:42 pm

  Hi Dan,

  Doh!

  Didn’t see the most simple solution, by overcomplicating it.
  Well, it was late, I was tired, end of the year, etc. 😉

  markus

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