[Eric Carl]

I’m using C4D here for the Mograph tools. I might be able to achieve the same effect in AE, I’m just less familiar with it. Here’s an example of my end goal (though with a different size, scale, and undesired AA):

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9144872/pixel-render.mp4

Here’s a zip with two example scene files:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9144872/pixel-dos-test.zip

In pixel-dos_no-tex.c4d, I’ve set up a 640×480 render. I’m cloning a grid of 8×16 blocks with random colors. The render looks close, though some rows render at 17 pixels tall, rather than 16. You can spot the difference if compared against the included pixel-grid-refence.png. If you hide the cloner and render pixel-grid-refence.png on one 640×480 object in the scene, it renders fine and the pixels exactly match that reference.

In pixel-dos_tex.c4d I take it a step further and put textures on all of the clones. In this example any of the 16-rendering-as-17 pixel tall rows appear to have their textures stretched to fit, resulting in random horizontal 2 pixel repetitions. (It looks like Creative Cow resizes my embedded images here, so you’ll want to view them full-size for the correct scale.)

My assumption is that if I could get the 16 inch tall objects to all render at 16 pixels tall, I’d have what I want. The interesting part for me is that one 640×480 object with a texture renders correctly, but a group of 8×16 clones that add up to 640×480 don’t. *shrug*

[Eric Carl]

Thanks Jim. I’m able to get incredibly close just following the steps as you’ve described. Unfortunately I still run into issues where some pixels just don’t match (an object that is 8×16 inches renders as 8×17 pixels). I’m not sure why it happens, but at least I’ve gotten close.

[Eric Carl]

This is great! I love that this is added. It’s a small feature but makes vector editing just a bit more friendly.

[Eric Carl]

Thanks Todd, holding down Option while drawing the shape works great. Good to know!

[Eric Carl]

Thanks David! I was able to get what I was going for by just using one copy of the rain composition for each color and displaying them at once. Yay!

[Eric Carl]

Here, you can see exactly what I’m trying to accomplish:

https://www.sans-concept.com/Boards/Deadly_Lights.mp4

It’s all working except that obviously the lights don’t match the rhythm. The problem I’m finding is that the loop length of the audio and the timing of the notes are not going to divide equally into a specific 30 fps frame rate. My math is telling me they should technically occur like every 5.562 frames (not exact number, but you get the idea).

Should I just build this at 90 fps or something where I’ll be able to more accurately place the lights and just render it out at 30 hoping it’ll work? Ideas?