[Mike Clasby]

I think to get that floating feeling for layers in a grid (didn’t hear you say that, but the mov look like a grid) check out Dan tut on Noise(), here:

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/ebberts_dan/noise.php

There’s no project file but you just need to add the expression to the layers Position.

Dan expression freezes the grids x and y to the grid, with the wave, noise(), added to the z. So I changed the last line of the expression to this for a z flow to and from the camera:

To get that “mellow “weightlessness” look… of the images floating to and away from the camera a little”.

[x,y,z] + [xOffset + z, yOffset + z,0]

For complete control, add three sliders to a New Null layer. Name the sliders “xyCompress”,”speed” and “amplitude”. Then the expression becomes:

numRows = 10;
numCols = 10;
xyCompress = thisComp.layer(“Null 1”).effect(“xyCompress”)(“Slider”);
speedCompress = thisComp.layer(“Null 1”).effect(“speed”)(“Slider”);
amplitude = thisComp.layer(“Null 1”).effect(“amplitude”)(“Slider”);

row = Math.floor((index – 1)/numCols);
col = (index – 1)%numCols;
x = col*width + width/2;
y = row*height + height/2;
xOffset = (this_comp.width – numCols*width)/2;
yOffset = (this_comp.height – numRows*height)/2;

z = amplitude*noise([x/xyCompress,y/xyCompress,time/speedCompress]);

[x,y,z] + [xOffset+z,yOffset+z,0]

You can get almost any flow /wave action you want by tweaking the sliders. Change the value limits of the sliders by Right-clicking on the sliders numbers then Edit Value, and set “xyCompress” to 1 and 500, “speed” to 1 to 10, and “amplitude” to 1 to 100.

When you add a Camera you need to hit the C key until you get the Orbit Camera Tool, then pulling down until you get the angle you want.

The Null and Camera should go at the bottom of the stack to keep the grid square, as that goes off layer order from the top down, but then that might not matter.

This is the kind of stuff that makes Dan a legend… a least to me.

[Mike Clasby]

From this, I gather that bounding box info is not available:

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/2/902489

You could always Duplicate the text (Ctrl D), then on the bottom layer, Hit the Rectangular Mask Tool, and add the effect, Fill.

Then decrease the y portion of the anchor point to center the filled box below.

I tried to do this as a preset but masks are done as a specific size for the preset, not the text or layer size. Someone could write a script for this, probably rather straight forward, but that’s beyond my pay grade.

[Mike Clasby]

This might take a few years off:

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/kramer_andrew/blemish_removal.php

[Mike Clasby]

If you have AE with Motion Tracking (Pro), try these:

Keep motion in perspective

https://studio.adobe.com/us/tips/tip.jsp?p=1&id=100241&xml=aft65cornerpin

Using the new Motion Tracker

https://studio.adobe.com/us/tips/tip.jsp?p=1&id=487&xml=aft6ttmotiontracker

[Mike Clasby]

If you have the plugin Invigorator:

https://www.nyc-visual.com/InvigoMany.html

[Mike Clasby]

The only error I get is because he misspelled diameter in lines 8 and 9 or the expression. Change lines a 8 and 9 to this, and it works;

x = diameter * Math.sin(time * spinRate);
y = diameter * Math.cos(time* spinRate);

You’d want that expression on the camera’s position.

This is a little hard to control, as it move a distance in z then just spirals in the same spot.

Colin wrote an expression for a spiral in x and y, I hacked it for z. Put what you want to spiral toward at the “centerPoint”, x and y position, but adjust the z as needed. The camera will spiral along that center point. Here’s Colin’s (hacked) expression:

//begin expression
//Expression by Colin Braley then hacked by yikesmikes
//Modify these first few variables to change the effect

centerPoint = [360 , 270];
beginRadius = 25; //pixels
beginZ = 0;
endZ = 800; // how far you want the spiral to move over time
endRadius = 100; //pixels
startTime = 0; //seconds
endTime = 3; //seconds
howManyRings = 3;
clockwise = false;
//if you want the spiral to spin the other way make clockwise = false;

//–
t = time;
if( time < startTime ) t = startTime; if( time > endTime )
t = endTime;
radius = linear( time , startTime , endTime , beginRadius , endRadius );
theta = linear( time , startTime , endTime , 0 , (2 * Math.PI ) * howManyRings );
if( ! clockwise )
theta *= -1;
x = radius * Math.cos( theta );
y = radius * Math.sin( theta );
z = linear ( time, startTime, endTime, beginZ, endZ);
//–
[x , y, z] + centerPoint
//end expression

It looks a little complicated but gives you near complete control, start and stop time, distance traveled, number of ring, etc.

Most people turn the auto-orient off, Select the camera>Right click>Transform>Auto Orient>Off.

Not to overwhelm you, but many people use Nulls to help control the camera. Here is a link to two great posts on doing that;

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/2/922144

[Mike Clasby]

Here’s how to wiggle only one dimension:

https://www.motionscript.com/design-guide/wiggle-1-dimension.html

Or if you want separate wiggles for the x and y, Dan’s expression would look something like this:

wx = wiggle(2,50);
wy = wiggle(2,10);
[wx[0],wy[1]]

Add a slider to start/stop/completely control the amount of wiggle. Here’s how:

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/227/8953

I really like a preset named Quaker for earthquakes/camera shake. It uses motion tile to fill up the edges, and comes with slider for freq and amp:

https://scottfrizzle.com/free.html

The pdf explains preset install, drop quaker.ffx in your presets folder.

[Mike Clasby]

I haven’t gone through that tut yet, it looks good, but a slider controlling with Frequency or Amplitude of you wiggle expression should do the trick, see this:

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/227/8953

[Mike Clasby]

Originally, but now it’s for everyone. Here’s the freebie version of StuffIt, no need to buy:

https://www.stuffit.com/win/expander/download.html

It works a charm for PCs, mine opens everything, zips included. I like it a lot.

[Mike Clasby]

Got link?