-
Moving Layers in 3d around a center point
I know this is really easy, but after trying a few things I just can’t seem to get it to work.
I basically want 7 layers, to move around a center point of a circle at my command and always face the front (not the camera).
Think of it this way, top view in comp window there is a center point. I have manually placed (couldn’t figure out to do it automatically) 7 layers around the center point based on a reference circle mask. All layers are facing the front view with one layer directly in front of the camera.
At certain points I basically just want to rotate everything around the center so layer1 that is facing the camera moves around and layer 2 comes up in front of the camera. With some handy DOF added later I’m basically giving the illusion of a 3d ring of layers where one comes up, plays its video, then the whole unit rotates and brings the next layer into view.
I’ve tried using a null and parenting the anchor points of the objects to this, then simply rotating the null on the y-axis but this obviously doesn’t work. I’ve also tried pasting the reference circle mask as the position properties to the 3d layers, but the path simple shrinks itself to the size of the layer and maintain its orientation.
I’m thinking I just need to figure out how to take a mask orientation and size on one layer, and have another layer use that path as its position, but I just can’t seem to get it to work.
Any ideas here? Sorry if my explanation is confusing.
-
2 Replies
-
Setup your null layer in the center of the 7 layers and parent all the layers to the null. On each layer alt-click the Y-Rotation stopwatch and grab the pickwhip and select the Y-Rotation layer of the Null. This will create an expression something like this:
thisComp.layer(“Null 1”).transform.orientation
add *-1 to the end of that expression and it will rotate the inverse of whatever the null rotates. Then just animate the Null Y-Rot and everything will face forward.
-
PERFECT Thanks a lot!
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up