problem with AE position keys

[Alan Lorence]

Try using the Cinema 4D position exporter:

https://www.wondertouch.com/downloads/C4D_PI_Exporter.zip

Alan.
wondertouch

[Frank]

I did use this C4D exporter at first but the plugin seems not to work correctly with the newer versions of C4D and PI.
So I would be very glad if I could manage the AE > PI position keys transfer somehow. The only problem seems to be the changed camera perspective in AE. You can reproduce a simple scenario which shows my problem very quickly:

– make a new comp in AE
– “animate” a little pane or null object across the screen
– copy the position keys of this object
– make a new emitter and import the AE position keys in PI

-> everything works as described in the manual: the emitter moves like the pane in AE

– now slightly change the composition in AE by adding a camera
– change the position or the point of interest of this camera
– copy and paste the position keys of the moving object again into PI

-> now the view in PI differs from the view in AE because the new modified camera is active in my AE composition and PI doesn’t now anyting about this camera.

Maybe some little trick like an expression could adjust the position keys according to my AE camera ?

Frank

[Aharon Rabinowitz]

The problem is that the C4D camera and the AE Camera are both 3D. pIllusion camera is 2D.

I deal with this very subject in my AE training DVD, paarticleIllusion Fusion Volume 1 (https://www.pillusionfusion.com/) – the section is called coverting 3D position data into 2D position data.

This is going to be hard to explain in print, but basically, you need to create an expression that gives a null object (or temporary solid layer) the equivilent position in 2D of the target object (or layer’s) 3D position.

Give the position value of your 2D layer this expression:

L = thisComp.layer(“YOUR LAYER”);
L.toComp(L.anchorPoint);

Where “Your Layer” becomes the name of your 3D layer.

Then you need to select the position value and use the keyframe assistant called “Convert expressions to Keyframes.” Then export those keyframes to AE.

hope that helps.

Aharon

—————————————-
Aharon Rabinowitz
aharon(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com
—————————————-
Creative Cow Master Series DVD
particleIllusion Fusion Volume 1
available @ http://www.pIllusionFusion.com

[Frank]

Aharon, you are a genius and a lifesaver – if I may say so ! That expression works like a charm and does exactly what I need.

thanks a lot !
Frank

[Aharon Rabinowitz]

Glad it helped, but I cannot take credit for it, alas. Dan Ebberts (Creative cow AE forum leader) who helped me out a buch on my DVD figured out just how to do it. It took me a long time to understand what that little script was doing.

His website has a lot of great stuff along those lines:

https://www.motionscript.com/

Warning! Shameless plug here:

Again, if you’re doing a lot of this sort of thing, about a 3rd of my DVD is dedicated to position data between AE and pIllusion – things like simple keyframe exchange, as well as more complicated stuff like the question you asked, as well as offsetting the position from a layer’s anchor point (so an emitter can be emitted from somewhere other than the center of an AE layer)- which is not as easy as you’d think.

Again, glad I could help.

—————————————-
Aharon Rabinowitz
aharon(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com
—————————————-
Creative Cow Master Series DVD
particleIllusion Fusion Volume 1
available @ http://www.pIllusionFusion.com

[Frank]

Oh … ok, then thanks to you anyway for showing me this little “diamond” of Dan’s treasure. I will definetely pay your website “www.pIllusionFusion.com” a visit and browse the content of your DVD. Maybe it could indeed be worthy for my work …

thanks again
Frank