need some help with 3d layers (expression maybe?)

[Mylenium]

I suggest you place a dummy in your scene that does not belong to your sphere and have it orient towards the camera using the lookAt(position,thisComp.layer(“camera”)) expression on the orientation property. Then simply pickwhip all your other layers to use the same orientation values from that invisible layer. Just make sure the reference layer is always in the frustrum so it looks proper, but don’t move it too close to the camera.

Mylenium

[Pour Myl

[Michiel]

thanks! but I’m afraid this expression gives me the following error message: https://www.sputnikkproductions.com/error.png

also, if I simply pick-whip the orientation of the 3d layers to that of the dummy layer, the fact that they are also parented to a rotating and moving null means they do not remain facing in one direction. Their local orientation does remain the same but they are still rotating in relation to the parent null.

Any more help would be greatly appreciated! 🙂

[Steve Roberts]

Silly question: is your camera layer named “camera” or “camera 1”?

[Michiel]

Heh, it’s called Camera 1 yes 🙂 , but I did alter the expression to point to the right name, (otherwise I got a different error message.

[Michiel]

I posted my project file here: https://www.sputnikkproductions.com/test_project.aep
could someone please help me out by taking a look at it because I can’t seem to figure this one out…

[Michiel]

you will earn my un-ending adoration if you can help me out 🙂

[Steve Roberts]

I’m just looking at your comp. The objects are pointing toward camera, but the wide angle of the camera gives you that convergence effect. There are two possible solutions I can see:

1) use a longer lens and move the camera back, so the objects appear to be parallel, aimed at a more distant point
2) switch off auto-orient and use an expression to make the layers look at a distant layer behind camera
3) switch off-auto-orient and use an expression to counteract the rotation from the null

Now, not having Dan Ebbert’s mad expression skillz, I’m having a bit of a time coming up with the right expression to make #2 or #3 work. But a COW search for “parent”, “lookAt”, “orientation” and Author: “ebberts” should do the trick. Searching …

[Steve Roberts]

I think your situation may be like that of a horizontal ferris wheel.
I scammed this expression off one of Dan’s posts (about a ferris wheel, actually) and tweaked it a bit. It counteracts the rotation of the null, at least around the Y axis.

p = toWorld(anchorPoint) – thisComp.activeCamera.position;
offset = radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(p[1],p[2]));
-offset – parent.rotationY

First, switch off auto-orient, then apply this to the Y rotation of each TV layer. It changes the look a bit, but it’s a start. If you want, you can also apply it to the X and Z rotation of each TV layer, changing the last line to “-offset – parent.rotationX” and “-offset – parent.rotationZ” respectively.

Of course, I could be way off, but it seems to work. 😉

[Michiel]

thanks for taking the time to help, I’m gonna give your suggestions a shot!

[Gobomus]

maybe too late…but an easy way around it is to just pickwhip the rotation from your null and put a – in front:

-thisComp.layer(“control null”).transform.yRotation

…it will end up facing straight ahead…