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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects Orbit object around screen

  • Orbit object around screen

    Posted by Jason Fisher on November 14, 2014 at 6:20 pm

    I’m trying to get an object to orbit around a central point in 3D, whilst remaining oriented towards the camera. I have it animating along a path, but can’t work out how to rotate that path on x and y axis to move the object through 3D space….

    thanks.

    Jason Fisher replied 11 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • Kevin Camp

    November 14, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    the most straight forward way to animate something like this is to parent the 3d layer to a 3d null, offsetting the 3d layer from the nulls position and then rotating the null around the relative axis to give the rotation needed.

    to keep the layer facing the camera, select the layer and choose layer>transform>auto orient, and check the option for ‘towards camera’

    if for some reason you are not able to use this technique, expressions can also be used, but the null method usually works and is easier to manipulate.

    — edit —

    i should’ve mentioned that orient towards camera also needs a camera in the comp

    Kevin Camp
    Art Director
    KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

  • Jason Fisher

    November 14, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    Great, thanks for the info!

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