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Translate Layer Position to Camera Movement
Hi,
So wondered if anyone had come across this before.
Basically, I’ve done a whole edit using the ‘Ken Burns’ pan & scan/rotation effect in AE on 2D still images.
However, the effect is looking a little flat, and so I have decided to try adding depth/layers to the comp.
As I have already animated the whole sequence using Anchor Point, Rotation and Scale, is there any way to translate these parameters into 3D?
Ie. they become the camera movements and Z Position, so anything added in 3D wouldn’t require animating from scratch…
Thanks in advance, more info if needed.
Dan
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6 Replies
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Not sure if I understand you right, but maybe this could help?
https://video.ucf.edu/knowledge/reference/pdf/adobe/aft6parallax.pdf -
Hi Anders,
Thanks for that; it’s an interesting solution to the problem; ie. setting different layers’ distance from each other via scipted multiples of the position parameters…
If there isn’t an easier solution, that’s prob a good way to do it.
To clarify further; at the moment it is a 2D comp, with Position/Rotation/Scale adjustments applied to single still images.
If I convert that still image into 3D, and break it up into seperate layers, each at a different distance from the camera, the position and rotation parameters will move all the layers in unison in front of it, thus not showing depth.
If it was the camera moving instead of the position of the layer, it would reveal depth, so wondered if there was a way to translate them across in an elegant way.
A few possibilities are springing to mind now with expressions, but any feedback is much appreciated.
Dan
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It may end up being a little simpler to start from scratch, but one approach might be, change your picture to a 3D layer, create a camera and create pickwhip expressions to your already keyframed layer. This layer will be your “camera control”. Duplicate the layer and break it apart however you would like now and turn off the “camera control” layer.
For rotation you would have to include a negative sign to maintain the same rotation.
For position if you move the picture back in z space the amount of the camera focus distance, it will match up with where you started.
Scale is achieved by animating the z-postion of your parent layer, of the focus distance or z-position of the camera.
Once you do it once, you should be able to copy your expressions to your other compositions.
Johnny Cuevas, Editor
Thinkck.com -
Fantastic, thanks for the help, will give it a go.
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If you have animated the Anchor Point it’s fairly easy to create the movement you need, all you need to do is simply add a new default Camera, it will default to pointing towards the anchor point so will appear as if it’s animating when in fact it’s the layer that’s animating. All you need to do then is a dd in a couple of tilts and zooms to the camera.
Here’s a tutorial i did a while back showing this technique;
https://www.angietaylor.co.uk/animating-a-line-drawn-on-a-map-indiana-jones-style/
Hope this helps!
cheers,
Angie
Angie Taylor animation & illustration for television, film, web and devices
https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
Twitter: theangietaylor
Linkedin: theangietaylor
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Taylor/118378194869002 -
Oh, and, make your layer 3D of course! 🙂
cheers,
Angie
Angie Taylor animation & illustration for television, film, web and devices
https://www.angietaylor.co.uk
Twitter: theangietaylor
Linkedin: theangietaylor
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Taylor/118378194869002
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