[Darby Edelen]

A 2D layer with Particular applied is automatically aware of the Comp’s camera. You should definitely not consider making the layer that Particular is applied to into any kind of 3D layer.

All you should have to do is create a 2D layer, add Particular and then place the emitter where you want it. If you want to have the emitter emit from the location of one of the Nulls you can use this expression to find the position of a 3D Null object:

l = thisComp.layer(“3D Null”);
l.toWorld(l.anchorPoint);

You can access the first and second elements of the array for your X and Y coords:

l = thisComp.layer(“3D Null”);
p = l.toWorld(l.anchorPoint);
[p[0], p[1]];

And the 3rd for the Z coord:

l = thisComp.layer(“3D Null”);
p = l.toWorld(l.anchorPoint);
p[2];

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

[sjohnson] “This still doesn’t solve the problem of a multi layer project that I want a lens flare on say layer 3, If I create a new black solid layer on layer 3, and change the mode to multiply”

Why would you set it to multiply? Here’s some quick theory in Blending Modes for AE. Firstly, RGB values are represented internally as values between 0 and 1 (working in non-HDR). Each of the blending modes uses a fairly simple function to blend RGB values together. So for a pixel on the layer you’ve applied the blending mode to (A) and the pixel ‘below’ this layer (B) you have these very simple functions (as well as slightly more complicated ones):

Add
A + B

Multiply
A * B

You can read up on all of the blending modes at:
https://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/8.0/WSFB0FE760-71F3-4616-AE88-275D718E7125.html

So basically, if you are Adding a black pixel to a white pixel:

[0,0,0] + [1,1,1] = [1,1,1]

You get a white pixel, since adding black is adding 0 to the RGB channels it has no effect on the underlying pixels and becomes transparent. This also occurs with Screen.

On the other hand if you Multiply a black pixel and a white pixel:

[0,0,0] * [1,1,1] = [0,0,0]

Since any number * 0 = 0 it’s easy to see that black wins here. Also, any number * 1 = itself so white becomes transparent with this blending mode since the result of multiplying the underlying layer by 1 is equal to the values in the underlying layer.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

[Malcolm Man] “Just use an expession to link the lights point to the layers position.”

It’s often better to parent the light to the layer when you can get away with it, this offers the added benefit of being able to offset the light from the layer easily and the light properly rotating with the layer as though it were attached to it.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

[David In Fla] “I am confused about the 720P 1080P etc. I know what they mean but I don’t know why my preference would be to shoot in progressive mode when TV’s are interlaced. Can someone explain to me why I would prefer to shoot in 1080p vs 1080i? I assume, from what I know of the program, FCP will bring in this video, assuming the settings are proper, but when put out to DVD, what am I sending?”

Firstly, there is really no way to know whether your viewer will be watching on an interlaced display or a progressive display.

Luckily, it shouldn’t really matter how they will be viewing it, the only thing that should matter to you is how you shot it. A progressive source will work fine on an interlaced device, and progressive devices generally come with built-in deinterlacers that will remove interlacing for display.

The only thing you should be concerned with is that you don’t introduce fields into something you shot progressively, or remove them from something you shot interlaced. These operations will be handled by the end device, and you are bound to reduce the quality of your footage by unnecessarily altering your footage.

That said, progressive video generally provides better detail in the frame while interlaced video generally provides a better sense of motion. This is changing with newer progressive standards and my impression, god willing, is that some day we won’t be dealing with interlaced video at all.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

I’m not sure whether this is the case anymore (since YouTube is converting much of its library to H264) but YouTube did use flash video exclusively. Meaning that whenever you upload something that was compressed, but not as a flash video file, it would get compressed again into flash video. The workaround was to compress it yourself into flash video, then YouTube wouldn’t re-compress it at all.

I’m not sure if this is still the case, or if you can now use H264 as well.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

[Elvis7Blue] “Am I missing something here?”

Just under the name of the forum at the top of the post where it says:

VIEW POSTS

[Darby Edelen]

I’m not sure why you’d want it on an Adjustment Layer, but you can make a 3D white solid that is set to Receive Shadows and not Accept Lights and then set it’s blending mode to Multiply and it should catch any shadows from other layers without being directly visible itself.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

[yikesmikes] “So for just the Z:

w = wiggle(2,50);
[value[0],value[1],w[2]]”

You can also access the 3rd element of the wiggle inside the same declaration:

w = wiggle(2,50)[2]

That isn’t necessarily easier, but it helps to remember that it’s possible =)

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

[yikesmikes] “Hey, Darby, thanks for the Auto-Trace idea, I got a nice jagged look when Auto-Tracing Courier at Tolerance 5 and Threshold 5, kinda-of like creating my own Font.”

It can be used to very creative ends =) I thought I had read that the text was an imported image, but now that I look at the original post I see that he doesn’t say.

If the text was created in AE then you should use Create Outlines.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

[Darby Edelen]

Select the text layer and go to Layer > Auto-Trace. Change the threshold, channel and other parameters as you wish. Turn preview on to see the mask you are creating.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA