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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects Explode / distribute shapes in 3D space

  • Explode / distribute shapes in 3D space

    Posted by Konrad Mazanowski on February 11, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    I want to do an animation similar to this one at 0:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpZmIiIXuZ0#t=37
    Since I’m not super familiar with 3D (I specialize on 2D motion graphic and animation) I’m kindly asking for some advice.

    The story flow:
    – A word explodes into multiple particles that distribute randomly into a 3D space
    – A camera then moves around in space, stopping at some particles where some action happens (text etc.). Imagine the space kind of similar as in 0:27 in the clip

    Requirements: particles have to be a certain shape (some kind of a rounded rectangle). This means I (think) cannot use shatter effect. All particles shall look similar.

    What do you think is the best way to do it? How I would do it for now:
    1. Distribute my shapes with a script like: https://aescripts.com/3d-layer-distributor/
    2. Collect all shapes a couple of frames ahead and scale and position them by hand around / in the form of my word
    3. Add and tweak the easing to those xyz-movements.
    For the second part:
    4. Attach the camera to a null object
    5. Since all the shapes should face to the camera at all time, I would attach their y-orientation to the null objects y-rotation
    6. Move around the null object (with attached) camera around the space to my pleasing

    I think the second part is less of a problem. Does it make sense to attach the camera to a null?
    As of the distribution / “fake” explosion animation I wonder if there is any easier trick to do it?

    I’d be super happy if anyone could share his thoughts on this. I want it kind of flat and also have quite some experience in AE, that’s why I choose to do it herein.

    Thanks!

    Tudor “ted” jelescu replied 11 years, 6 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • Joseph W. bourke

    February 11, 2015 at 7:02 pm

    If the ball effect is what you’re looking for, CC Ball Action might do the job. Take a quick look at this VideoCopilot tutorial, and you can decide pretty quickly if it will help out:

    https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/3d_ball_dispersion/

    Not that most of what’s in the tutorial is 3D-ish looking. You can also keep things pretty flat as well.

    Joe Bourke
    Owner/Creative Director
    Bourke Media
    http://www.bourkemedia.com

  • Konrad Mazanowski

    February 12, 2015 at 9:44 am

    Thanks Joe,

    that’s an interesting effect! Unfortunately I really do need my own shape (rectangle with rounded corners) to float in the space.

    Yeah, it’s definitely 3D I’m working here, just this kind of flat looking style (as the Apple design movie). Some field of depth and that’s it.

    I guess I’ll have to do / position the items it by hand…

  • Joseph W. bourke

    February 12, 2015 at 2:39 pm

    I apologize for not ready further into your post. It sounds as if Particular (or possibly one of the built-in particle effects in AE) might do the job.

    Joe Bourke
    Owner/Creative Director
    Bourke Media
    http://www.bourkemedia.com

  • Tudor “ted” jelescu

    February 12, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    You can use Card Dance to explode any kind of layer. The trick is to build your text on a grid of squares since you can then assign columns and rows in card dance based on the exact number you have in your grid. My advice, build your own text/font using and animated square that turns to a rounded corners square precomp on a grid and then precomp that and blow it up with Card Dance.

    Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
    Senior VFX Artist

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