[Cassius Marques]

Hope this helps:

9151_headturn.aep.zip

[Cassius Marques]

Holding shift is the same as parenting then zeroing out position/rotation and setting scale to 100%.

[Cassius Marques]

that’s what that expression does. I just tested it here. The first one I posted had some syntax error. The second one, assuming you have the same names, works. What version are you on? Myabe I can upload an example.

[Cassius Marques]

parent it to the text while holding down shift. Or just copy paste the text’s position to the .ai.

Again, your text ain’t moving, theres no need to parent anything to it. You just need to make sure you’re placing the .ai in the same place as the text. Holding shift moves the layer to its(now) parent’s position.

[Cassius Marques]

Well, Michael, maybe now on I won’t spend 4 hours in a job trying to figure out why on earth the compositing tag guide doesn’t come to AE in the right position! Arrrghh!

You’re saying all I have to do is check for empty animation tracks on my null’s PSR? hahaha

thanks!

[Cassius Marques]

It should go inside the head comp. I’m assuming that in your main comp you have two layers. Your blinking eyes precomp(or layer). And your head turn pre comp.

EDIT: try comp("Head Turn").layer("eyes guide").transform.position.valueAtTime(thisComp.layer("Head Turn").timeRemap)

[Cassius Marques]

I’m starting to think you’re messing things up.

Which lights are you trying to link? The two that you created in AE?… just shift parent one to another. As you would any other layer.

Lux, assuming you applied it to a solid the same size of your composition, should automaticaly place the fake volumetric light at the appropriate light’s position.

[Cassius Marques]

Your text is probably not moving…YOUR CAMERA is. Are you checking the 3d switch to ON in this .ai file layer?

[Cassius Marques]

You can have another set of eyes animated in the same head turn comp, switched off.

Then you can add an expression to the blinking eyes position using the valueAtTime method to link them to where it should be.

something like:

a=thisComp.layer("Head Turn");
a.layer("eyes guide").transform.position.valueAtTime(a.timeRemap)

[Cassius Marques]

I don’t think AE is ideal in doing this sort of thing. You need a lot of masking, the front and back start to overlap…Its a hassle!

I mean, a split flap display that transitions between two images if fine.

On the other hand, a rigged one, that can hold several size images and have its transition chosen and that works in 3d is a little bit too much. You would have to do A LOT of pre comping and your largest resolution image comp must be inside every possible combination of a flip side.

I remember doing not even half you what you’re going for and it was painfully slow for AE to handle.

My advise would be: go to a 3d application if you can. Avoid the overlapping and the pain of getting good shadows and the motion blur issues and the huge layer nesting.