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how do you get a bunch of objects to move in a group in After Effects CS5???
I’m doing an animated WWII map and I’d like to show a group of tanks all moving together over a map, representing an army group. In Apple Motion I was able to do this fast using the “replicator” tool.
Can this be done in After Effects? I’m sure it can but I can’t find the correct tool.
Could it be under another name perhaps?
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5 Replies
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There is no “tool” for duplication/replication in AE. But there are many other ways to achieve this with much more precision and variation.
After effects does not always lend itself to “the click button ease” of many programs. But this is why it is so versatile.
Check out this tut to see how you might create an offset of the vehicles in a precomp that you can then bring into your main comp.
https://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/2011/03/de-sync-expressions-tutorial-by-sebastian/
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Hi there,
The easiest way is to use Parenting. Set up one tank as the “Leader”, create the animation you want it to follow. Position all the other tanks where you want them to be at the beginning. Select them all and then, in the Parent menu, choose the “Leader tank”. The others should now all follow the leader. You can add additional movement to the followers to create a slightly less regimented feel if necessary.
Hope this helps!
cheers,
Angie
Angie Taylor animation & illustration for television, film, web and devices
https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
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David and Angie thank you both.
Angie, it worked, but do you know how to show the animation path? I’m tyring to animate them a little differently each as you suggested. And I know how to add position keyframes, but i don’t see the animation path.
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“Parenting” – see the help files for more, but basically:
Copy the layer (with the tank image), then parent the copy to the original. Make as many copies of the child layer as you want, and position as you like.
When you move the original parent layer, all the children will move to match.
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You can add animation to the children after they’ve been parented by animating their position. (You might consider adding a wiggle expression. It all depends on what kind of motion you want.) They’ll still follow the parent’s animation, but their own animation will be added to it.
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