Layer Map Question

[Cmedia]

oh yah…and to mention of course John Dickinson

His tutorials are some of the best I’ve seen. If he has a training DVD video or something like that out there, let me know where I can find it. That dude’s awesome!!!!

but since he hasn’t focused on layer maps…yet :)…I’m needing help understanding them.

[Jon Okerstrom]

Hi Cmedia,

Layermaps can be any layer or precomp in your project which you want to apply as a surface attribute to an Invigorator object. It works like this:

Create or import your layermap layer into your AE project. Drag it into your comp window or timeline. For the purpose of this explanation, we’ll use a quicktime movie layer.

In the timeline, turn off visibility for that movie layer.

Now in the Invigorator effect control panel, look for the layermap selector twirlie. There you’ll be able to assign your movie layer to a layermap number.

Now, you need to create a material which includes the layermap. Do this in the material editor area. Either create a new material base or drag one from the library bins to the editor. Decide how you want to use the quicktime movie. Notice the square thumbnail boxes to the side of the various options – basic surface, transparency, bump, reflectivity. You could use the movie to affect any of these attributes. Click the enable texture checkbox.

Next to each of the texturemap thumbnail squares is a pop-up menu where you will find layermap – none, 1, 2, 3, etc. In the channel of your choice, choose the layermap number you designated earlier. You’ll see the effect on your material ball. When you’re done editing, drag the material ball onto your object.

You will see the effect when you render in best quality.

Hope this helps. If I’m not clear enough, let us know where you get stuck, or refer to the manual for more details.

Jon

[Kathlyn Lindeboom]

We have a couple of tutorials in the library on layer mapping:

This one from Kurt Murphy:
https://www.creativecow.net/show.php?page=/articles/murphy_kurt/cross/index.html

And one from Serge Hamad:
https://www.creativecow.net/show.php?page=/articles/hamad_serge/messenger/index.html

I believe the final tutorial in the Zaxwerks Tuesday Tutorial series is a video tutorial from John also demonstrating Layer Mapping, so stay tuned….

Kathlyn Lindeboom
The Mistress of Mmmooooo!

[Cmedia]

Thanks, yes both of you helped a great deal!!! I thought that was really cool of you Jon to suggest further help if I get stuck.

One other thing I was expecting that it’s not doing is with create 3d text…each letter is showing the layer map “individually”, instead of the layer map spreading across the entire word.

I can’t seem to figure this part out