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falling leaf/paper effect
Just wondering if it’s possible to create a falling leaf effect. I am making a photo slideshow and after each photo finishes, I would like it to fall to a lower ground (birds eye view). I just want the movement of a leaf or paper floating to the ground and was wondering if their is an easy way to do this other than manually keyframing it (maybe a plugin, expression or something else). I am pretty new to after effects, so explain slowly 😉
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17 Replies
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Here’s two expression solutions from the wizards at the AE Expression forum:
Filip’s for a 2D layer:
https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/227/7942?
Dan’s for an AE 3D layer:
https://www.aenhancers.com/viewtopic.php?t=8
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wow!! great. Now.. i hope this is not too much of a n00b question, but how do I apply the expression to the image?
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[atomicrabbit] “but how do I apply the expression to the image?”
You can add an expression to a property of the layer (i.e. position, rotation, orientation) by opt/alt clicking the stopwatch next to the property in the timeline (or selecting the property and pressing opt/alt-shift-=).
The important thing to know is what property to apply the expression to. I believe these expressions should be applied both to the position property and one (or more for 3D layers) of the rotation properties, usually people will tell you what property to apply them to in the post.
Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA -
great thank you, I will take a look at the posts in more detail. I have a couple other questions that I hope you guys can help me with. I procrastinated and it’s now 2 days before my sister’s wedding and i’m kicking myself for not doing this a LOT earlier. Anywho… enough about how stupid I am…
1) How can I get a layer a slightly curved effect… like a curved photograph? Not totally curled.. just a slight curve to it.
2) How can I move an image within it’s own mask. This might be a stupid question as well, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it.
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[atomicrabbit] “1) How can I get a layer a slightly curved effect… like a curved photograph? Not totally curled.. just a slight curve to it.”
You can sort of do this with Distort > Bezier Warp, but it doesn’t curve the layer in 3D space… that is to say that it appears to be curved but it is still a flat 2D plane. AE cannot do anything but flat planes, Zaxwerks 3D Warp is a plug-in that is much more powerful than Bezier Warp (it takes the composition camera into account as well) but it’s still faking the 3D look.
[atomicrabbit] “2) How can I move an image within it’s own mask. This might be a stupid question as well, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it.”
Use the Pan Behind tool (Y).
Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA -
[Darby Edelen] “Use the Pan Behind tool (Y).”
Perfect! But how can I animate this movement. Where do I set the keyframes for it. I tried setting the keyframes on the Postition propertie and moving the image within the mask, but it just animated the entire masked object moving.
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You must set a keyframe for the Mask Shape and for the Position of the layer.
Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA -
wow… everyone here is a great help! ok here’s another question for someone. How can I make one mask for several layers? OR duplicate an identically sized mask over several layers.
I know how to duplicate a mask onto other layer (same as duplicating any property onto another layer), but the photo’s I’m using get scaled within the mask and for some reason when I copy a mask that is masking an image that is sized to 180%, the mask shrinks to the relative 100% size when I copy it to another layer. I don’t know if that makes sense to you guys, but I can’t figure out why it’s doing it.
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[atomicrabbit] “How can I make one mask for several layers? OR duplicate an identically sized mask over several layers.”
I would look into other options for generating alpha for your layers. I don’t know the specifics of what you’re trying to do, so I can’t suggest the best solution, but here are some options to explore:
1) Track Mattes, see After Effects help for more information (F1)
2) Preserve Transparency, if you set a layer to Preserve Underlying transparency it will take its alpha from the combination of all of the underlying layers. This is a toggle switch accessible in the Layer menu or between the Blending Mode and Track Matte drop downs in the timeline.
3) Stencil Alpha, this is a blending mode that applies the alpha of the layer to every layer beneath it (similar to an Alpha track matte, only it affects every layer under it in the stack, not just the one directly under it).
4) Silhouette Alpha, the inverse of Stencil Alpha, it punches a hole in the alpha of all of the layers beneath it.
Masks might work as well, but it sounds like there might be a better approach for what you’re trying to do.
Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA -
ok my idea/concept is to have the specific sized rectangle encasing all the photos, but I just realized that if I want them to fall down like leaves, each photo will need it’s own mask.
SO, what will happen is the picture will come onto the screen. I want the mask for each photo to be the same size and in the same position on screen so that it looks clean. After X seconds the next picture will appear over top (in it’s own mask or whatever) and I want the previous photo the float down (bird’s eye view) to a lower plane and slowly each of the pictures will float down, scattered on the lower plane/ground.
Does that make sense?
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