Chris Smith
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Steve,
In general, welcome to AE. I know how you feel. When I learned DS, I was on the DS forum asking constantly how to do this and that like AE does. They kept saying, “DS is not AE you have to think differently”. I fought but eventually listened and learned they were right.
Opposite to your preferences, I am always confused in Combustion and I hate using the Autokey function and prefer AE’s stopwatch method. I know in Combustion you have this option as well, but it does seem to be harder to deal with than AE leading many to use autokey. I don’t care for autokey because I invariably leave keys on many parameters I don’t want keyed and and forget to turn it off. This leaves me spending more time cleaning up my mess than just clicking the stop watch on the things i want moving.
So unless I’m mistaken, I don’t believe AE has an autokey function. But I guess my point is, is to try the stopwatch method. Once you get around faster, the stopwatch will be second nature. It’s a half autokey anyways because once it’s enabled any changes will add keys.
There are many short cuts to get to certain common parameters and sections. Here are a few:
r = rotaion
p = position
s = scale
t = opacity (think of Transparency)
mm = masks
u = uber key (this twirls down only parameters that have keys on them. You will use this a LOT)To twirl down multiples, hold down shift. So if you want to show scale, position and rotaion. hit S then hold shift then hit P then R.
You will get up to speed very quick.
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
To me this looks like the effect I see where they create a bunch of shapes in 3D like a cloud of cubes (or thin cylinders in this case) and project an image onto the shapes. Then bake the projection (or just use camera projection and parent the cam to the group so the texture locks to it). Then with a seperate cam shoot it from the exact angle from the cam projection then orbit around it. So that from the dead front it looks like a front image then as the cam flies away you see it break up into bunches of shapes in 3D.
Here’s a tutorial on one person’s version of it using 3D MAX:
https://www.happygraphics.net/goodies/stylewars%20tutorial/tut1.html
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
Like the guys said, learn to shoot correctly balanced first, then it’s easier to achieve a “look” in color correction from shot to shot. So you’re not making up for where the camera was setup unbalanced.
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
Since AE is a compositing app and not really an NLE, I hear of transition effects mostly being used for alternative purposes. For example, setting the venetian blind effect right generates the look of TV scan lines very easily. Or some of them are used on text so that the text has some sort of animation to the way it reveals itself.
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
[Justin Productions] “No need for a 3D Application! Come on! “
Not dicounting the quality of your result, but it comes down to a matter of tastes and quality. When the punch ripple was made in Matrix, I’m sure it was a combination of many diciplines including 3D. Usually for such high quality work, there is a team that works on it for months to perfect the image to the highest standards. Especially if his image is moving, you’ll want a good track in 3D.
So there is no absolute. I think if the Matrix VFX team could do the exact effect from the film with an ellipse and displacement map, there would be millions of dollars saved. So it’s great we all throw our 2 cents in, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say the effect can be done to the final standards with one path only needed.
my .02
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
I would try normal maps to use as displacement maps in AE. So in a 3D app create a surface, use a wave distortion (usually with the others like bend, twist, It may be called “sine”). So you have a true 3D surface that is rippling. Match this perspective to your video. If your video is moving, then do a 3D track on it and use that track cam in your 3D app. Once you have this rippled surface to your liking, Some apps (like C4D 9.5) will create a normal map from the ripple displacement. This is to convert true 3D geometry into a map that can later be used as a texture. You see this in modern video games so things look like they have depth when it’s just a normal map.
Import this normal map into AE. You’ll see that the normal map uses the 3 color channels to define the 3D surface, Use these colors in the AE displacement map effect to create the ripple to your liking. This should give you huge flexibilty and a true 3D look.
If your 3D app of choice doesn’t do normal maps, you can try lighting the surface in 3D with a green light from one angle, then a red light from the reverse angle so that the colors compliment each other to define the surface.
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
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Well, dust doesn’t really have too much geometry so there won’t really be enough shading for them to look back lit or front lit. But they do “glow” brightly very easily making us know that there is light on them. So instead of a “normal” transfer mode, use an ADD transfer mode on them so they have a good intensity over the BG layer.
The AE DOF won’t work on them because Particular particles are not in AE 3D space. They are a 2D illusion that matches to the AE camera. So the Particular layer as a whole responds to AE 3D space, but not individual particles.
But like you said, you can put multiple PArticular instances on multiple layers and put those in AE space with DOF.
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
Well, dust doesn’t really have too much geometry so there won’t really be enough shading for them to look back lit or front lit. But they do “glow” brightly very easily making us know that there is light on them. So instead of a “normal” transfer mode, use an ADD transfer mode on them so they have a good intensity over the BG layer.
The AE DOF won’t work on them because Particular particles are not in AE 3D space. They are a 2D illusion that matches to the AE camera. So the Particular layer as a whole responds to AE 3D space, but not individual particles.
But like you said, you can put multiple PArticular instances on multiple layers and put those in AE space with DOF.
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com