3D Space – line between 2 points expressions

[Mylenium]

Mmh, I don’t really understand what your problem is (that growing beyond past Z is absolutely unclear)… The technique would work just as well in 3D given that you switch around a few variables and add the third dimension. If you need dashed or dotted lines, replace the solids with text layers and animate the start and end on a opacity selector. The problem is, however, that you need to adjust your text layers manually since there is no way to calculate the overall length in pixels from the typographic units – that info is nowhere accessible in AE.

Mylenium

[Pour Myl

[Filip Vandueren]

I sometimes use the Beam-effect on a non-3D solid:

Add a Beam effect
set the length to 100%
Give it this expression on Starting & Ending Point:

l=thisComp.layer("start or endlayer");
p=l.toComp(l.anchorPoint);

-> change the layer name in the first line to different layers for start and end-point

Adjust the colors, softness and thickness to taste.

If you want the thickness of the line to follow the correct 3D distortion add this expression to Starting and Ending Thickness:

l=thisComp.layer("start or endlayer");
w=length(l.toComp([0,0,0]), l.toComp([0,value,0]));

-> change the layer name in the first line to different layers for start and end-point

Put the layer with the lines in the back of the comp and it should look perfectly 3D, eventhough the lines are not.
If you need mulitple lines, you can duplicate the solid, or duplicate the Beam-effect, but select the option “composite on original” on all but the first beam.

[Jamie Nimmo]

Thankyou very much.

The beam Idea worked like a treat, I am going to play with multiplying the thickness values to get a thicker line. Also I have noticed that the target/end point line flips to the opposite direction once the 3d camera goes past the same z space as the source/start point. I hope this makes sense. if not let me know and i’ll post a ae comp.

-Jamie

[Filip Vandueren]

The expression for thickness uses the value you have set as a starting point, so if you first set the thickness so it looks good when everything is at Z-depth=0, then apply the expression, it will scale proportionally after that.

I also noticed the error when one of the points is behind the camera, but didn’t know if it was an issue for your animation.
I’ll see if I can find the workaround for that.

[Jamie Nimmo]

Yeah, I have camera moves that push forward which means they have to go behind the camera, which is when I noticed they flip. If you can help with this it would be great, I am so new to expressions that i kind of know what I need, but hard to express it with code.

Cheers, thankyou so much for your help I am learning so much about it with your help.

-Jamie

[Filip Vandueren]

Well, after some experimenting, it turns out this is not a flaw in the expression, but a serious bug in After Effects…
I’m not sure how and if one can work around it.
see the post “Headscratching 3D error: Z-position”
at https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_read_post.cgi?forumid=2&postid=859101&theadid=859099&pview=t

Perhaps best then to go with the tutorial you had.
Could you post the url for the original tutorial, then I’ll have a go at rewriting the expression for 3D

[Jamie Nimmo]

TTHE ORIGINAL TUTORIAL I WAS DOING WAS THE “ANIMATED MAPS OF THE WORLD”

https://www.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/page_wrapper.cgi?forumid=2&page=/articles/mylenium/world/index.html

BUT THEN I TRIED TO ALSO USE THE “ANIMATED GRAPH TUTORIAL ON CRTEATIVE COW AS WELL, WHICH USED A MASK TO DO THE LINES, SEEMS SMARTER, BUT AGAIN COULDN’T GET IT TO WORK IN 3D SPACE

IF YOU COULD GET BACK TO ME CHEERS,
SORRY BOUT THE CAPS LOCK, JUST RENDERING AT THE MOMENT.

-JAMIE

[Jamie Nimmo]

or the animated lines tutorial was https://www.creativecow.net/articles/mylenium/line_chart/
seems to be a good way to do it, if you can get it to work that would be great. then will re-build over night tonight to make this thing sweet,

cheers, can’t wait to see how you added the 3rd value for z-space for this.

-jamie

[Jamie Nimmo]

Okay,
I am back on this project again after we won the job based on the animatic I did before.
I was wondering if there was an “advanced beam” plugin or stroke engine that has position data
for the start and end points????

Or if anyone can add to the point behind the camera problem would be great.
Just working on looks at the moment so if there is any help i’ll try and address it in my comp asap.

Cheers

-Jamie Nimmo

[Filip Vandueren]

Wow,

blast from the past…

I’m thinking if it can be worked around with trapcode 3d stroke, but I’m quite busy the next days…