[Mike Clasby]

There was a script from nabscripts named “maskPointsExpression.jsx” that did what you wanted but alas his site is no longer online, but…

there is a similar script that should do what you want, named “Connect_Vertex_to_Point.jsx “, here:

https://www.crgreen.com/aescripts/ie/

Just download the jsx file and drop it into you AE Scripts folder, then open AE, and you find it under File>Run>Script…

I have no expertise or detail on the second script as I’ve never used it, although the description fits your problem.

[Mike Clasby]

Check out CC Bender or Bend It, they can do the oscillation thing with a few keyframes after adjusting the points that direct the bending..

[Mike Clasby]

Kids grow up too fast, enjoy. Thanks for all the help.

[Mike Clasby]

When you say Andrew Kramer’s tut do you mean this one, using Lens Blur referencing a Depth Matte (solid with Ramp)?

https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/2d_depth_of_field/

If you have AE 7 or above that should do nicely, or if older you could use masks on duplicate layers and blur the lower layer, but seems that would be more tedious, no?

[Mike Clasby]

For a full run down on Displacement in AE, scroll to near the bottom of this page, Aharon has a three part tut there:

https://leaders.creativecow.net/leaders/rabinowitz_aharon/

[Mike Clasby]

For a visual of ease in and ease out, see the animation halfway down this page:

https://jjgifford.com/expressions/basics/interpolation.html

So they both leave and arrive at the same time, the in or out just has to do where the slow down or speed up occurs.

That page is technically about interpolation in expressions but the principal is the same for keyframes.

[Mike Clasby]

Here is an expression for having a marker trigger Dan’s squish and squash. Put the expression on Scale. (Copy the expression, Alt-Click the Scale stopwatch, Paste):

n = 0;
if (marker.numKeys > 0){
n = marker.nearestKey(time).index;
if (marker.key(n).time > time){
n–;
}
}

if (n == 0){
value;
}else{
max_dev=20; // max deviation in pixels
spd=35; //speed of oscillation
decay=10; //how fast it slows down
t = time – marker.key(n).time;
s = max_dev*Math.sin(spd*(t))/Math.exp(decay*t);
value + [s,s];
}

So wherever you place a marker you’ll get the old squish and squash. Hit the asterisk (*) key on the numeric pad to drop a marker wherever you are on the timeline.

There are other ways to trigger expressions, but this is easy and very flexible.

Note: No marker, no squish and squash. Five markers give five squish and squashes.

Also if you’re talking a diferent expression, just drop that in below the }else{.

[Mike Clasby]

This oldie is the coolest 3D movie projector with AE I can remember. Click on Filip’s embedded movie about halfway down:

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/227/6037

Here is another thread by Filip explaining more, but to my eye the still pics don’t do the final product justice (as the above movie does):

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/227/7984

[Mike Clasby]

Making wmv’s from AE has bee OK at best, render out lossless and use Microsoft’s Window’s Media Encoder (freebie). It’s straightforward and you’ll be happy with the results:

https://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx

[Mike Clasby]

This might help, but you need zbrush to make a depth image:

https://www.taronites.com/gallery/zborntoy.php

And there is CC Glass, faster than 3D but distortions can be a problem.