Linking Tinderbox Starfield to AE Camera

[Jack Binks]

Hey Andy,

The parameters in Starfield for the camera are relatively close to those on the native AE camera, so the majority of the time its a case of pickwhipping and a little editing. First off, however, you’ll have to switch off the auto animation on the control panel so the camera doesnt autoanimate itself away from the point you’re looking at.

Next off switch the Auto Orientation drop down to ‘Orient Towards Point of Interest’, to match the 2 point camera model you’re probably using (if you’re orienting along path use the single point model).

I’ve set up a quick comp of this, and below are the expressions I used on the AE camera, to link to the starfield effect I applied to the layer ‘Black Solid 1’. This was done at PAL res; thus the half PAL offsets used to compensate for the differential origins. Bear in mind if these expressions are going to be applied to the starfield camera (rather than the AE camera as I set em up), the offsets will probably need to be reversed, and the intermediate 3 parameters to 1 work wont be necessary (as the pickwhip should be able to link to individual sections of the AE camera).

AE Camera1
Point of Interest:
tempX = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“P.O.I. X”)+360;
tempY = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“P.O.I. Y”)+288;
tempZ = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“P.O.I. Z”);
[tempX, tempY, tempZ]

Position:
tempX = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Position X”)+360;
tempY = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Position Y”)+288;
tempZ = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Position Z”);
[tempX, tempY, tempZ]

Orientation:
tempX = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Orientation X”);
tempY = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Orientation Y”);
tempZ = thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Orientation Z”);
[tempX, tempY, tempZ]

X Rotation:
thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Rotation X”)

Y Rotation:
thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Rotation Y”)

Z Rotation:
thisComp.layer(“Black Solid 1”).effect(“T_Starfield”)(“Rotation Z”)

HTH!
Jack

The Foundry, UK

[Andy Burmeister]

I appreciate it Jack.

[Andy Burmeister]

One more thing…

I set up a camera with no POI (since I have to do a fly-through) and also turned off Starfield’s auto anim.+orient.
The rest is just a matter of pickwhipping each parameter to the AE camera…too easy.
However, I have trouble seeing my orientation and rotation changes as I rotate the camera. It updates which I can tell right after I truck-in or out because of the position change, but not in realtime.

Any pointers?

[Jack Binks]

not sure I get get exactly what you mean: Is it that the starfield updates only when you release the camera rotation, and not whilst you’re dragging the rotation around? If so it looks like it may be to do with the sequence in which the parameters are updated when they are linked.

If its a question of being able to see how your rotation is going then is dropping a small solid in the comp and turning it 3d enough to give you feedback on the move you’re creating?

Cheers
Jack

The Foundry, UK