animation z positio

[Darby Edelen]

[corillo181] ”
is there any way to animate z-position?”

Yes, keyframe the position of a 3D layer, move forward some in the timeline and keyframe a new position with a different Z value.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Rhett Robinson]

Okay – so I’m rarin’ to go tonight, and I’m hoping there’s more to this question than meets the eye. If not, after you learn how to Z-position something, check out the tutorial on z-scale… although not a “real” 3D app, there are some things you can certainly do to help sell the illusion.

http://www.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/z_scale/index.html

[Corillo181]

i already saw that tutorial, but it talks about scaling z and other ways, but when i try to keyframe z position it does not happen the same way y and x would. i move it up and keyframe it moves up i move right and keyframe it moves right, but when i send it back and keyframe, all the kay frame turn into back, move it forward all the keyframe turn forward.

[Mike Clasby]

Very weird.

So you’re setting an initial keyframe by clicking the position stopwatch, then going down the timeline and changing the Z value (numerically with the keypad, or by dragging with the cursor), the blue number on the far right of the three, under the position stopwatch?

[Corillo181]

yes, thats why i do not understand why is not working becuase when i set up a animation everything else does the correct animation acept for z possition.

[Mike Clasby]

That’s crazy. I think I would re-install AE, that’s just me.

[Darby Edelen]

If you already have position keyframes and you want to change the Z value at one of the keyframes be sure that you only have that keyframe selected.

For example, say you have 2 keyframes and the first is:

1st keyframe: [360, 240, -200]

and the second is:

2nd keyframe: [500, 240, 0]

If you have the playhead on the keyframe you want to edit (say the second one) but you have both of these keyframes selected the change to Z value will effect both keyframes.

If you type in a new value then both of the position values will change to the typed in value. So replacing the 0 Z value in the 2nd keyframe with 800 by typing would give you:

1st keyframe: [500, 240, 800]
2nd keyframe: [500, 240, 800]

If you drag the Z value in the 2nd keyframe to 800 while you have both keyframes selected then only the Z value will change relative to what it was previously:

1st keyframe: [360, 240, 600]
2nd keyframe: [500, 240, 800]

The way to get around this is by making sure you have either no keyframes seleced or only the keyframe you want to edit.

Sorry if this wasn’t at all the issue, but it’s something that people need to know anyway =)

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA