Cell wall animation

[Aharon Rabinowitz]

I think that can be done with masks on a solid layer and the effect called Stroke (Effect > Generate > Stroke). At some point, you;d need to pull the old switcharoo right when you break it, but the lines can be made with the stroke, and the interior with a solid and a mask (The mask woiuld also be the shape of the stroke).

So create a solid

put a curcular mask on it

add the strok effect to the mask

animate the mask shape over time (You will need to add points to the mask so you have more control over shape).

When it come time to split it, create a new solid with 2 circular masks that look the same as what you have up until then.

– That means one outer circle and one smaller inner circle connected to the outer one from the inside (as in the video)

then move the inside circular mask away from the outer circular mask – basically following the animation in that video.

At the swap point, make the original solid with the one mask, invisible. At that point also make the new layer with 32 masks visible.

What I’m talking about is a swap out – Does this make any sense?

—————————————-
Aharon Rabinowitz
aharon(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com
—————————————-
Creative Cow Master Series DVD
particleIllusion Fusion Volume 1
available @ http://www.pIllusionFusion.com

[Mike Clasby]

When you swap in the new solid layer for the now separated cell wall (if I read Aharon correctly), you can get some of the tension and vibration of the cell wall with two effects; Turbulent Displace and CC Bender.

Turbulent Displace: Just position the Offset and set the amount (must be more than 0) then set a keyframe for “Evolution” (0), then down the line change to 1 ( 1 revolution of the evolution for this solution…)., anyway…

CC Bender (for the rubber band vibration of the cell wall):

A little complex more here (but not bad), First “Marilyn” is the style, set the Top and Bottom positions, you’ll need a little amount to see how the cell wall changes as you move the Top and Base parameters around. Once all is set, change the amount to 0.

Now add this expression to the CC Bender Amount, (stolen and modified from Dan Ebberts (have you heard this before?)):

amp=20; //amplitude (pixels)
freq=5; //frequency (cycles per second)
decay=4.0; //decay time (seconds)

// find previous marker

n = 0; // assume haven’t reached a marker yet
if (marker.numKeys > 0){
n = marker.nearestKey(time).index;
if (marker.key(n).time > time){
n–;
}
}

if (n > 0) t = time – marker.key(n).time else t =0;
a = amp*Math.sin(freq*t*Math.PI*2)/Math.exp(decay*t);
a

Change the Amount, Frequency and Decay as needed or do as Dan suggested in an earlier post and Connect sliders to those three values.

Lastly to make the expression drive the Bender, set a Marker (* on the numeric pad) where (when really)you want the bend—->>> Decay to happen. The marker must be on the same layer as the bender, the new cell wall layer.

Tweak the turbulent displace (you can slide the Evolution keyframes around too) to get the irregular tension you want.

It should works, looks OK in a mock run.

If you haven’t added an expression to anything, copy the expression, Alt Click the Stowatch for the parameter you want to add the expression to (Amount of Bender) and paste. Click outside the box. Done.

[Aharon Rabinowitz]

not that this is a clean example of anything (It’s UGLY), but this is what I was talking about with the swap out.

https://www.allbetsareoff.com/Cow_Stuff/Cell_Wall.zip

—————————————-
Aharon Rabinowitz
aharon(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com
—————————————-
Creative Cow Master Series DVD
particleIllusion Fusion Volume 1
available @ http://www.pIllusionFusion.com

[Mike Clasby]

Actually that example you’re trying to replicate is very subtle and well done.

I Gave some incorrect advise, in that, if you use the CC Bender for a rubberband snap back you need to match the cell wall just before the separation with the Amount on Bender at 20, since the first line of the expression is:

amp=20; //amplitude (pixels)

I hope this make sense.

I don’t know how Aharon’s aep is setup as I’m AE6.5 handicapped (me Bad), but using Bender and the expression will give you the motion you’re looking for although you might have to use it differently than I outlined. You might need to put it on a dupped layer and (Alt + ]) cut it, so it’s in the proper part of the vibration to match your puckered cell wall.

Why do I et the feeling I’m making this worse?

[Scott Mcauliffe]

Aharon,

thanks for the “switcheroo” mask suggestion. Seems like that is a good way to animate the separation of the cell wall. When you broke from layer 1 (one mask) to layer 2 (two masks), did you use an auto-trace to match the shape of the mask from layer one to the masks in layer 2?

I’m struggling with keeping a seemless transition over that break.

– s

(PS – love the AE tutorials)

Scott McAuliffe
Urchin Multimedia Design
http://www.urchinmultimedia.com
http://www.pbase.com/smcaulif

[Aharon Rabinowitz]

initially, i actually did an auto trace but then decided it just was too difficult to animate with all the extra points. The interim an imation also go treally wonky if I let it go off on it;s own – even with changing the first vertex point.

So the file you finally saw did not use an auto trace.

But if you think it will help- give it a shot. Honestly i did not have much time to tweak it.

—————————————-
Aharon Rabinowitz
aharon(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com
—————————————-
Creative Cow Master Series DVD
particleIllusion Fusion Volume 1
available @ http://www.pIllusionFusion.com

[Scott Mcauliffe]

yikesmikes,

That Dan Ebberts expression with CC Bender gives the exact look that I’m trying to get (the decay variable is a great option in that expression)… plus the turbulent displacement smooths out that transition into the cc Bender. I love it… thanks for the suggestions. Now it’s a matter of me trying to get my mask layers in order and “matching the cell wall” as per your last post. Thanks for all of the help… it’s a pretty subtle animation that really sells that cell motion.

Cheers,

– s

Scott McAuliffe
Urchin Multimedia Design
http://www.urchinmultimedia.com
http://www.pbase.com/smcaulif

[Scott Mcauliffe]

Thanks… this will challenge my pen tool skills 🙂

Scott McAuliffe
Urchin Multimedia Design
http://www.urchinmultimedia.com
http://www.pbase.com/smcaulif

[Mike Clasby]

Love to see the finished product, or the cell seperation part, if possible.

[Scott Mcauliffe]

Here is the quick and dirty version: https://www.urchinmultimedia.com/cell2

I think with a little smoothing out it’ll work very well.

I’d send the .aep but I’m using AE7 for this one.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

– s

Scott McAuliffe
Urchin Multimedia Design
http://www.urchinmultimedia.com
http://www.pbase.com/smcaulif