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Swarm of flies: 3D app versus AE?
Hi, I need to create a swarm of flies that fly out of a doorway when the door is opened.
It is for a composite into real DV footage. The camera will be quite far from the door, so the flies need only be very small, i.e. specks.
I am not sure whether I should create a particle flow system in 3Ds Max to create the cloud of specks.. this is possible but I’m not very familiar with partical effects in Max yet.
I hear that AE has partical effects. I’m fairly good at AE, although still yet to learn of much of its power.
Do you think AE will be able to make a cloud of particals fly out from a doorway, and look like the random direction-ish motion of real flies?
Also, If I did use 3D flies, I could render out a Zdepth map and then play with depth of field as some of the flies fly towards the ‘lens’.
Although, I could mimic this with animated blur in AE using AE’s own particals.I’m either going to have to learn particals in 3D, or AE. the question is.. which?
Has anyone done anything similar, and what do you guys recommend??
thanks
John
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8 Replies
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the stock particle systems that come with AE may not be up to the task since they do not include collision detections and swarming or flocking characteristics. You can fake these things, for sure, but it ain’t easy.
If you already know how to do flocks in a 3D app, I’d stay there. But you can also obtain lots of third party particle systems that can do flocking and clustering and respond to attractors. Try some of the AE portal sites for links to such tools. Sorry not to be able to point you directly I do not use such tools.
bogiesan
This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”
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Do it in MAX. AE’s standard particle tools are simply not up to the task and shelving out another 300 bucks for particular seems not very logical just for such a simple effect.
Mylenium
[Pour Myl
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Thanks a lot guys,
I think I’ll take your advice and do it in Max, It’ll involve learning how to work partical systems, but better sooner rather than later 😉
Cheers,
John -
I think what will sell the effect more than swarming or flocking or any focus effects will be the sound. If you have the fly buzzing sound, you can get away with probably a simple particle burst from one of the CC particle systems. How many frames is the shot? Is it long lens medium or wide lens? Do you need to track the swarm into the shot or is it a lock off?
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
Stu Maschewitz of Orphanage fame has a video tutorial on his blog that explains how he created a swarm of flies in AE. You can find it by going HERE:
You may already have found your solution but this is an interesting and enlightening look at some of the hidden powers of AE.
Enjoy!
Arthur Vibert
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Hi,
Aharon Rabinowitz also did a great tutorial on how to create a flock of birds entirely in After Effects.
Click on his portrait and scroll down to “creating a flock of birds part 1 and 2”.
… choose your weapon;)-Adi
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Particular has to be easiest – and the new version allows depth of field which makes a great difference for realistic effects. Mostly swarms of flies don’t move in patterns like flocks of birds
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