“Zoom Out” to reveal 100’s of clips

[Steve Roberts]

Well … this is off the top of my head …

… I’d use 3D, and arrange the 3D layers in a grid within a D1-sized comp and pull back the camera to reveal them. This way, no layer is bigger than D1 … which can help keep RAM usage down. I seem to remember there was a post on arranging images in a grid recently.

To reduce RAM usage further, consider that the center clip and the 8 clips closest to it are the only ones that will be shown full size. (and if you use motion blur, even those 8 clips can be smaller than D1 and scaled up to match the center clip) Everything else doesn’t need to be full-size. So if you storyboarded it, imagine the screen filled by:

1) one clip
2) 9 clips (3×3)
3) 25 clips (5×5)
4) 49 clips (7×7)
… and so on. As the animation progresses, each set of newly revealed images is smaller, yes? So you could import smaller images and scale them up before arranging them in the grid.

Does that help?

[Mike Clasby]

Here’s one way to do a grid of vids.

Here’s how to set up a grid of 100 videos in a grid = 10×10

each video would be 720 x 480 (and then scale down to 10%, this worked for my test, I dupped the layer 100 times and it didn’t gag my machine, but if all the clips are different, I dunno) or render at 72×48.
So import your pics (vids?) at 72 x 480

Anyway use this expression for position(Dan Ebberts, you can search: Dan Ebberts and Grid for more):

horizSpace = 72;
vertSpace = 48;
numCol = 10;
origin = [horizSpace/2,vertSpace/2,0];
col = (index – 1)%numCol
row = Math.floor((index – 1)/numCol);
origin + [col*horizSpace, row*vertSpace, 0]

This expresion works for any size you want, just change the horzSpace and vertSpace to fit your layer, then choose the number of columns. Then dup the layers (100 times here ) and you have your grid. Or if the clips are different, put on one layer, then

Edit>Copy Expression Only

Add you other 99 layers and select them, and Paste. Then you get a grid of vids.

[Phillr]

thanks for the code. i’ve never done coding before. how do i use/implement your code?

[Mike Clasby]

OK, I tried it BIG. My final was 720×480, so I wanted a 10×10 grid of these vids, so I made a comp 7200×4800 (Comp 1). I added my 720×480 vid, added this exression for position:

horizSpace = 720;
vertSpace = 480;
numCol = 10;
origin = [horizSpace/2,vertSpace/2,0];
col = (index – 1)%numCol
row = Math.floor((index – 1)/numCol);
origin + [col*horizSpace, row*vertSpace, 0]

I dupped it 99 times for a grid of 100 vids each 720×480 in an overall comp 1 that is 7200 x 4800.

I created a new comp (Comp 2, 720×480, this is my final size) and added my Comp 1 to it.

I set a keyframe at 0 sec for scale at 100% and moved the position so that one video (of the 100 in the comp 1) filled the screen (at 10%, without moving the position you get one fourth of 4 of the videos), then at 1 sec I set a keyfame at scale = 10% , and repositioned the grid layer (layer 1) to fill the screen, then on render you get a zoom from one screen to a grid of 100 screens.

My computer is less than a year old but nothing special(AMD 64 bit, 3400+, 1 GB RAM) and it took 10 seconds per frame to render so the 1 second zoom animtion took 5 minutes to render).

[Mike Clasby]

To add this expression to a layer:

Copy this:

horizSpace = 72;
vertSpace = 48;
numCol = 10;
origin = [horizSpace/2,vertSpace/2,0];
col = (index – 1)%numCol
row = Math.floor((index – 1)/numCol);
origin + [col*horizSpace, row*vertSpace, 0]

Then Alt + Click the Stopwatch for the Position Property, and Paste (Ctrl V) the expression.

Now if you dup the layer they willbegin to line up in a grid. (Dup it 99 times and you get a grid of 100)

If each video (layer) is a different video, all all your layers, put your expression on the first layer, then select it, Edit>Copy Expression Only, then select the other layers and Paste, it will paste the expression into all 99 other layers to the Position property.

If you add a camera to this move it to the bottom because the grid it setup on the order of the stack of layers.

I also did it big, see my second post, with this expression in a 7200×4800 grid (Comp 1):

horizSpace = 720;
vertSpace = 480;
numCol = 10;
origin = [horizSpace/2,vertSpace/2,0];
col = (index – 1)%numCol
row = Math.floor((index – 1)/numCol);
origin + [col*horizSpace, row*vertSpace, 0]

I then dropped this Big Comp 1 into a regular 720×480 comp (Comp 2)and set keyframes for scale and position (sclae 100% to 10% and you get a zoom from 1 vid to a grid of 100.

[Mylenium]

Other than what the others were suggesting, you could simulate this sort of stuff with Trapcode’s Particular used with a layer grid emitter. This would especially simplify the random dissolve since it would be merely dependent on the lifespan of the “particle” (your layers). Admittedly it’s a bit tricky to align and sync the layers, though.

Mylenium

[Pour Myl

[Mike Clasby]

Here’s the Dissolving Randomly part. This too is a slight modification (I switched the 100 and 0) from a Dan Ebberts Post, yes I know I’m only a Remora feeding on the scraps of the Great White Dan Shark. Its an expression to have a layer blink out at a random time between the start and end of the comp, unfortunately the only way I know to make this work is by splitting a layer (the Comp 1 layer in Comp 2) then replacing the top part of the split with a copy (adjusted for time) of the 100 vids-in-a-grid comp).

If you’re using the Big Methods (Comp 1 is 7200×4800 with 100 720×480 vids in a 10×10 grid, hey all these numbers are making my head spin), then you can make the 100 vids-in-a-grid Dissolve or blink out randomly this way:

In the Project Window, select Comp 1 and Dup it (Ctrl D), rename it (it’s probably Comp 3 now) to something like “Comp 1 Dissolve” (rename by selecting the comp in that window, then Enter, and type in the name).

Now in Comp 2 (the 720×480 one, the only layer being “Comp 1”), move to the point in the timeline where you want the layers to start dissolving, let’s say it’s at 2 seconds.

Open “Comp 1 Dissolve”, and go to 2 seconds, hit the letter “b” on the keyboard (we’re setting the Beginning of the Work Area), then Composition>Trim Comp to work area.
Now select the top layer (of the 100 layers), hit “t:” to reveal Opacity, Alt Click the Opacity Stopwatch, and paste in this expression:

seed_random(1,true);
t=random(0,this_comp.duration);
if (time >= t) {
0
}
else{
100
}

This expression tells the layer to blink off (100% Opacity else 0% opacity) at a random time from the start to the end of the comp.

Select the Opacity Property, and Edit>Copy Expression Only.
Now select all the other layers (in the grid), and Paste.
The layers should all be visible at the beginning of the comp. and all have blinked out (to 0% Opacity) at the end of the comp.
Like I said, the expression adjust to blink out the layers depending on the comp length, so:

How long do you want the dissolving of all 100 layers to take?

Let’s say 4 seconds. So Go to 4 seconds (still in Comp 1 Dissolve) and hit “n”, (this sets the end of the Work Area) and then:

Composition>Trim Comp to Work Area (Note: See warning below, it’s easy to shorten a comp, but a bit of a pain in the neck to lengthen it (unless I’m showing my ignorance, which I may be) so keep it on the long side, you can shorten it later.

Now, back in “Comp 2”, at 2 seconds, select the “Comp 1” layer, and Edit>Split Layer.
This splits the layer, the top one should be selected, and from the Project Window drag down the “Comp 1 Dissolve” Comp (while holding down the Alt key) onto the Top Comp 1 layer in Comp 2. This replaces that top part of the split layer with the Comp 1 Dissolve.

You should have what you want. Just build you text thing from here on.

If you want to adjust the time that it takes the layers to blink out, the go back and change the length of the “Comp 1 Dissolve” (either by setting the Work Area, and Trimming to Work Area, like we did before, or Composition>Composition Setting, then change the Duration in the bottom of the Composition Settings Box). Lengthening can be a pain because you need to drag the individual layers back to the right so they are the full length of the lengthened comp, I think there’s a handy shortcut here, but it eludes me. That’s why its better to have the Dissolve on the long side, then shorten until you’re happy.

Yikes.

[Dino Muhic]

Well, here is another Idea:

look at my video, I had quite the same idea like you (rigth at the end):

https://www.bootlegversion.de/dino/ADTrailer_nico2.mov
https://www.bootlegversion.de/dino/ADTrailer_nico.mov

I used the Plugin “3D-Assistans” (google for it,its from Digital Anarchy, and you can use it 5 days for free).
With this plugin you can make a grid containing your videos as often as you want, completely without any expressions. It’s easy to use and you can find several tutorials for it on the digital anarchy site.
The good thing is also that you can leave it in a DV-Comp, so not much RAM using. Just add a camera to the comp and zoom out until you see all the videos…

Dino

[Laszlo Kovacs]

Have you seen this tutorial?

https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/page_wrapper.cgi?forumid=2&page=https://www.creativecow.net/articles/fischer_john/video_wall/index.html

Laszlo
*****************************
Life is too short to drink poor wine.

[Randy Cates]

These are all great suggestions but seems like a lot of work. Have you considered card dance? It lets you work in three D space with multiple clips (based on a grid size you determine) the clips can all converge and can come together in x, y and Z space and can each be a different clip or image. Check out https://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e.html . Japanese guy who has a slew of great work. The tutorials more or less just point you in the direction rather than step by step but any seasoned AE animator can figure out where he’s going. Hope this isn’t too late.