nulls

[Chris Smith]

The same as nulls/locators/effectors in all other 3D based programs. They are non rendered entities that you can reference things to. They are incredibly useful and I use them all the time. For example when you do a motion track, just apply the data to a null. Then parent whatever you want to follow that data to the null layer so the layer will ride along with the null.

What if you want to make a camera orbit something. Create a null and put it at the same point in space as the object you want to orbit around. Then parent your orbiting object to the null and offset it in space. Now all you have to do is rotate the null and the object parented to it will orbit around it.

The null would be the sun and the object parented to it would be the earth so-to-speak.

What about animating the camera? Do it in layers using nulls attached to nulls. For example. Create a null layer. Make it vibrate. Create another null and only move it through space. Create another layer and do rotations on it. Now parent them in a chain to each other using parenting then add the camera last parented to the last null. Now your camera will move along a direction, rotate, and shake from the vibration. But the motions are all seperated on different null layers so it’s easy to modify. So if you want to change the path of the cam just go to the null with the path movement and change that. That way you don’t have to mess with the vibration and rotations at the same time.

Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com

[Steve Roberts]

Indeed. If I may add, Chris …

Nulls can also be used to hold expressions that refer to other layers.

Nulls are always used in conjunction with other layers to execute some sort of animation technique. One exception might be a spacer layer in the timeline, named “———–” to better organize the layers therein.

Steve

[Michael Szalapski]

Nulls are lovely…I want them to have my babies.

Because they’re great at PARENTING!!! Get it?

The “Great” stands for “Not-So-Great”