Joe Clay
Forum Replies Created
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By the way, I just wanted to note that it’s possible to render while you work in other versions of AE. You can use the command line renderer, although you can’t render the same project you’re working in. I’m not sure that’s possible in CS4. I don’t have CS4 to check. 🙂
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
That shouldn’t be a problem. The only time I’ve seen something like that happen, is if there’s a lot of alpha to the object and some parts may be too thin for After Effects to recognize that they are contiguous. After Effects tries to guess a mask around objects when using the puppet tool, sometimes you have to help it along by adding your own mask. If I recall correctly, this only matters when moving the pins themselves, not changing the position property.
This only seems to happen with certain images, as I can’t recreate it right now. How are you trying to move it? You might be able to get away with a transform effect after the puppet effect.
Having it do the same thing while precomped is definitely strange. Do you have continuous rasterization checked?
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
It’s hard to tell which effect you’re talking about, but the one I think you’re after looks like text from a film leader set to add over the footage with a little bit of glow applied.
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
Thanks for everything you’ve done for us! And good luck with everything that you do!
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
That’s a good tip. I would have mentioned it, but if he needed to stop it and start it, it’s a little more complicated and would almost always have to be keyframed anyway. Although it should go on the y-rotation unless it’s from above, in which case you wouldn’t need a 3D layer anyway.
I see that the OP has found his solution, but here’s another way for posterity.
You could still do RPMs with the expression method, however. The calculation would be:
RPM*6In case you wonder where I got that, it is simplified from RPM/60s*360°. Time is expressed in seconds and fractions thereof in After Effects. Because of this, we have to multiply by 360 so that at 1 second the value is 360, or 1 revolution. Then we figure out how many revolutions per second and multiply the previous part by that. It’s convoluted, but if you’re going for realistic motion, that’s how you do it.
Thus 1500 RPM would be 9000. Which explains why 10,000 looks good (it’s about 1667 RPM). So the final expression that would go on the y-rotation property would be: time*9000. For a second rotor offset by 90°, you could either parent it and make the y-orientation 90, or use time*9000+90.
If you need to start and stop this, look into expression controls or check out Dan Ebberts’ site for info on starting and ending expressions on a certain frame.
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
Cut the wings out and make them into a 3D layer or redraw them from a side profile. Use the orientation to get the rotors in the proper position and animate the y-rotation property. I think helicopter engine RPM is about 1600 from prior research (it’s pretty varied from what I can tell, but if you want extra realism, stick to 1600 or so). For an additional bit of realism, animate or wiggle the z-rotation slightly. Make sure you have motion blur checked.
You could do the same with a solid in the shape of the rotors (add a little color to the blades for a nice touch). Or, you might just be able to get away with simply directional blur in a pinch.
I hope this was clear and useful.
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
I prefer water. 🙂 I rarely drink coffee.
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
See I thought of that, but it happens when just touching the arrow keys. And then the most telling moment happened. Yesterday I was editing text and something distracted me so I left the room. When I got back to my chair I looked and saw the text deactivate right before my very eyes when I hadn’t even sat down yet.
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com -
Hold the Fn button and hit the up/down arrow.
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com
tampadigital.com -
Precomposing can also be used to speed up renders. Let’s say you have an image with an effect on it but it doesn’t do anything other than sit there. If you precompose that layer, the effect is calculated once in the precomp and not checked again until the layer is changed in the main comp. Otherwise, the effect will be calculated for every frame in the main comp.
Basically, layers in a comp are recalculated every frame that there is motion or effects so moving layers with rare changes in motion or effects into precomps speeds up renders. The precomp will still be calculated in the main comp, but the effects inside the precomp will not need to be calculated again.
I hope that makes sense. 🙂
Joe Clay
Animator
gra-phix.com
tampadigital.com