[Graham Quince]

Is it the “exploding and returning to shape” element you’re trying to recreate or do you want the circle to form a square?

If it is the first one, you might try a displacement map or an expression to knock layers and then return them to a location something like:

var pos = transform.position;
nudger = thisComp.layer("Nudger").transform.position;
maxDisplace = 300;
dist = length(pos, nudger);
linear(dist, 500, 0, value, [maxDisplace,maxDisplace,maxDisplace]);

or animating the the Air > Spherical field in Particular.

If it’s “circle to square” I think you’ve been given the best approach, fake it using time remapping and fading.

[Graham Quince]

What happens if you force software rendering only? If it is a lot less, it might be worth updating the graphics cards drivers.

I say that was someone with a 2Gb GPU 🙁

[Graham Quince]

Could you use a Simple Choker, keyframed from a really high number to zero to get this look?

[Graham Quince]

The Text is a String, and the position values need a number. Fortunately AE uses Javascript, so you can use parseInt() to convert the text to a number:

temp = parseInt(thisComp.layer("control").text.sourceText);
[temp, temp]

[Graham Quince]

You could take your comp and place it in another comp to apply the mask to it or you couuld try adding an adjustment layer, adding the mask and then the CC Image Wipe and setting the completion to 100%.

And shape layer content transform tools, not that I know of, but now you’ve suggested it, I really what that option!

[Graham Quince]

No picture attached I’m afraid. Can you try again?

[Graham Quince]

If the problem goes away when you start from scratch, it makes me wonder if there was a glitch in the original preset version that was compensated for.

Have you checked the Turbulence settings in Physics?

[Graham Quince]

If you’re going down the 3D route, then C4D Lite is included with After Effects CC. Create the file via AE’s File > New menu options.

Then the simplest way to make an extruded logo is probably to import an Illustrator version of the logo and then use the Extrude nurbs.

If you don’t have an illustrator version of the logo, I found this site a while back which is a great resource: https://seeklogo.com/

Or my favourite website (not including the COW of course): https://fontawesome.com/icons?d=gallery&p=2&q=apple which also has the Apple logo – so you could use Text with the Extrude option.

Just went to hit post and I re-read your reply. Shatter can rotate, expand the Camera Position options and you can rotate the effect’s camera around the layer.

[Graham Quince]

I would guess it’s a byproduct of his technique. Try hiding most of the layers, so you left with a front, middle and back layer. Then use tint to colour them differently. When you watch this back, you might be able to spot what’s happening.

If you’re after a 3D logo, years ago on the Cow there was a tutorial which used Shatter to extrude / add depth. It only requires on layer, where you set the effects force to zero. I think you also have to set the shatter map to the layer

[Graham Quince]

Take a look at CC Particle World. You’d need to set the particle rate really high, and the producer radius’s to 0. So that the particle appears as a single stream. Then in physics you’d set the gravity to be horizontal and quite high and set the velocity to 0. Then duplicate this layer a bunch of times, placing particle producer for each one in a different spot.