Kevin Camp
Forum Replies Created
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adding a rounding expression to the position values is a simple way to force whole pixel movement, and avoid the rasterizing problem on the text…. this will round the x values to whole pixels, although it can create some slight inconsistencies in movement due to round values up or down:
[Math.round(value[0]),value[1]]
this expression will mov a layer a set number of pixels each frame (d=8, moves 8 pixels), so movement will be consitent. no keyframes are necessary, just position the text where you need it at the start, and it will march accross the screen for as long as your comp is:
d = -8; // positive values will move left-right, negative values right-left
x = value[0] + ((time * (1 / thisComp.frameDuration)) * d);
[x, value[1]]if you want a very elaborate expression for horizontal movement you can try this… you don’t need to apply any keyframes if you don’t want to, but you can use keyframes for start position, end position or both:
n = numKeys;
if (n > 0){
if (n == 1){ // If only one key, determine if it is start or end key
if (key(1).time < thisComp.duration / 2){ // If key is in the first half of comp, assume start key startX = key(1).value[0]; // Start postion based on X position from keyframe startT = key(1).time; // Start time based on first keyframe endX = (thisLayer.width / 2) * -1; // End postion based on layer width endT = thisComp.duration; }else{ // If key is in last half of comp, assume end key startX = thisComp.width + (thisLayer.width / 2); // Start position based on layer width; startT = 0; endX = key(1).value[0]; // End postion based on X position from keyframe endT = key(1).time; // End time based on keyframe } }else{ startX = key(1).value[0]; // Start postion based on X position from first key startT = key(1).time; // Start time based on first key endX = key(n).value[0]; // End postion based on X position from last key endT = key(n).time; // End time based on last key } }else{ startX = thisComp.width + (thisLayer.width / 2); // Start position based on layer width startT = 0; endX = (thisLayer.width / 2) * -1; // End postion based on layer width endT = thisComp.duration; } frameRate = 1 / thisComp.frameDuration; duration = frameRate * (endT - startT); // Duration (frames) between keyframes displace = startX - endX; frameNum = (frameRate * (time - startT)); if (frameNum < 0){ // If uing keyframes, there is no movement until the first key frameNum = 0; }else{ frameNum; } Xinc = Math.round((displace / duration) + 0.5); xPos = startX - (Xinc * frameNum); if (xPos < endX){ // If using keyframes, take final position from end key x = endX; }else{ x = xPos; } [x,value[1]] Kevin Camp Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
in addition to possible interframe compression problems, enabling opengl (always on) render for previews will disable multiprocessing rendering for previews… best to set opengl previews to interactive only, or just use adaptive resolution and disable opengl all together.
did you run the hardware test from the osx install disk? choose the more extensive test to test your ram… it si possible that you have a bad module, or the ram wasn’t installed correctly or in matching pairs.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
it’s possible that the design suite install messed up the ae demo…. uninstalling the demo, then reinstalling might fix it… but i think i would try trashing the ae preference file first. it should be in the users/username/library/preferences/adobe/after effects folder.
i would think the cs3 was pretty well designed for g5 processors, but for the g4 mobile processors… it may not be as well developed, but i would believe that it should at least work.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
not sure if this workflow would be any use to you… but, you can bring a frame into ps, use the ps curves and it’s features to create you curves, then save the curves data (option in the curves settings). then, you can import the ps curves data from ae’s curves settings window.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
are you talking about adding eyedropper points on the image at specific locations (they look like eyedropper cursors but with a number next to it), or setting black, white and midtone values with the associated black, white or midtone eyedropper from the ps curves?
although, in either case, no… the curves and levels adjustments in ae are weak compared to photoshop.
you can link up color values to the levels adjustment using expressions and a few color expression controls (from effects>expression controls), or you can try stu maschwitz’s rebel cc preset in which he has linked those together and added other functionality to make it more like the photoshop levels adjustment. maltaannon has a cool pixel sampler preset that may be of some use, if linking colors to levels will work for you. but i can’t think of a way to get color sample data into ae curves.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
opengl is a type of code that accesses hardware accelerated effects that are in your graphics card. it is very useful in 3d games, but not as useful in ae. many users just disable opengl in after effects’ preview preference, just uncheck use opengl, and set accelerate effects to adaptive resolution…
as to why your system is having problems, we would need to know more about your system… platform, os version, ae version and maybe graphics card. updating graphics card drivers may help the crashing, if you would like to continue trying to use opengl. for pc drivers, go to the card manufacture, for mac, these are usually supplied by apple thru software update.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
i should have mentioned, pre-comp each ‘gel’ individually…
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
pre-comp you mask layer, choosing move all atributes. cc spotlight wants the gel to be a single layer with transarency, so layers with masks or track mattes need to be pre-comp’ed.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
actually, pixel motion will be best on progressive footage. if you use interlaced it will usually mess things up. you probably didn’t have any issues since ae most likely coorectly interpreted you footage as interlaced and separated fields for you.
by the way, you can slow down interlaced footage very quickly by setting the interpret footage for the footage to separate fields (with correct dominance), select smooth edges and then set the the frame rate to half the destination (or comp’s) frame rate. so 29.97 would be set to 14.985). now when you drop that footage into a 29.97 comp the footage will be half speed… if you needed 30i to 24p slow-mo, set the footage to half of 23.976 (11.988), when placed in a 23.976 comp the footage will play at .4 speed. no pixel motion needed.
maltaanon has a simple, similar method too posted on his site, using timewarp, i believ. but i was unable to load his site today…
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
hi paul, sorry i haven’t had time to update posts….
but in regards to seeing fields on the computer playout… yes, you will notice them more on a computer monitor. this is because a computer’s screen does not refresh using alternating fields.
and you will be headed for some problems taking 4:3 sd to 16:9 sd if you need to scale the 4:3 to fill the 16:9 screen. if you footage is keyed out on both sides of the screen, then you shouldn’t have much of a problem, you will just take the keyed comp/footage into a 16:9 comp to composite on 16:9 footage/comps/layers etc.
but if you have to scale up the 4:3 to fit 16:9, then you will need to make sure that the 4:3 interpret footage settings are set to separate fields (lower) and it would probably be best to choose smooth edges. if you are going to render out progressive, then you may also want to try enabling frame blending. if you are going to render back to fields, you probably don’t need to try the frame blending trick.
by the way, ae defaults to progressive, if you need fields back in, set that in the render settings.
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW