• Adobe After Effects Expressions

  Mario style camera

  Posted by Flitch13 on May 3, 2007 at 6:21 pm

  Hi all!

  I am making a mario style animation where the camera keeps the subject in the center of the frame while he is going forward, but stops when he goes backwards.
  I can get the camera to follow no problem when he goes forward by linking the x position properties. My problem comes when I try to determine whether he is going forwards or backwards.
  Any help would be appriciated!

  Thanks.

  Flitch13 replied 19 years ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Kerryt

  May 3, 2007 at 7:40 pm

  you could try something like this.
  at the start of the script set x_max=x

  then in the update part you put this

  if x > x_max
  then xmax =x

  then link the camera to xmax not x

  that way x_max contains only positive and greater values of x, eg when x declines the camera stays at x_max

  hope that helps

  Kerry.
• 

  Flitch13

  May 3, 2007 at 8:11 pm

  thanks for the response. I sort of get the idea behind it, but am having trouble actually implementing it. I’m really new to expressions, so maybe if you could show me a sample code that would help a lot.
• 

  Filip Vandueren

  May 3, 2007 at 10:23 pm

  This works for me:

  expression for the camera’s position
  
marioPos=thisComp.layer("mario").transform.position;

  progress=valueAtTime(0)[0];
f=thisComp.frameDuration;
for (t=0;t<=time;t+=f) { progress=Math.max(progress,marioPos.valueAtTime(t)[0]) } [progress,value[1],value[2]]

  as with many occasions a loop is needed that checks all the positions 'Mario' has been in since time=0
• 

  Flitch13

  May 4, 2007 at 1:38 am

  thanks! that worked perfectly

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