[Mike Clasby]

Aharon uses Auto Trace to create a super-tight junk mask, and expands it with a Choker, would that help?

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/junk_mattes.php

If not, I probably don’t understand what you’re trying to do.

[Mike Clasby]

Window > Tracker Controls brings up the Tracker Control Palette, is that what you mean?

[Mike Clasby]

You share mucho good.

[Mike Clasby]

Todd, thanks for the link, first time I’ve seen that.

[Mike Clasby]

You’ll probably need to make slight adjustments to Bender’s Top and Base for each branch.

I going to take a nap now.

[Mike Clasby]

OK, you’ve officially created a Monster… Me… I took your tree to another level.

Overview: I added Bender to each branch, tied that to rotation of that layer to get bending branches. I also tied all the branches to the Trunk (by making it layer 1, the top layer in the expression last post).

Details: Bender

Bender:
Effect>Distort>CC Bender
place the Top at the tip of the branch, the Base at the base of the branch.
Then for Amount I pickwhipped to the layer’s rotation to get the expression (on Amount):

rotation

So the rotation of the branch causes the branch to bend or whip as the branch rotates.

I had to also ad the effect Grow Bounds (at about 50) because my branches were just solids and Bender made then bend off the layer and disappear without the Grow Bounds.

Details: Trunk instead of Null

To tie the branch movement to the Trunk, I put the trunk layer at the top of the stack (I’m using the ” thisComp.layer(1)” in the last line). Then I wiggled it slowly, with this on the trunk’s rotation:

wiggle(1,5)

I then modified the branch expressions a bit, to this (still on rotation of the branch layers):

delay = 5; //number of frames to delay
whip = 3; // whip factor
d = delay*thisComp.frameDuration*(index – 1);
thisComp.layer(1).rotation.valueAtTime(time – d)*whip

The “whip” in line 2 is a stiffness factor, the lower the stiffer.

Or try this to make a random whipfactor:

delay = 5; //number of frames to delay
seedRandom(0,true);
whip= random(2,4); // stiffness factor

d = delay*thisComp.frameDuration*(index – 1);
thisComp.layer(1).rotation.valueAtTime(time – d)*whip

For random stiffness between 2 to 4.

I saved all three bits for the left branch; Grow Bounds, Rotation expression and Bender, by selecting them and saving as an animation Preset (Animation>Save Animation Preset). I named it LeftBranch, and can now apply it enmass to all left branches at once (Select all left Branches, Animation>Apply Animation preset). I did another preset for all right branches.

Remember: For RightBranches, the last line of any of the rotation variations need a minus sign in front of it, like this:

– thisComp.layer(1).rotation.valueAtTime(time – d)*stiff

Also, if you don’t want the trunk to move, just tie them all back to our Null and rotate that.

Also, if you don’t make Presets you can still apply expressions enmass, by selecting the expression in one layer, Edit>Copy Expression Only, then selecting as many other layers as you want, and then Paste.

The expressions were modified from Dan expressions linked in earlier posts above (Trails and Random).

OK, I’m going to go take my meds now, but for I get too far out on a limb…

[Mike Clasby]

In the expression I used, the Null needs to be the top layer, all those with the expression follow the top layer. To make it refer to the Null specifically, change the last line to:

thisComp.layer(“Null 1”).rotation.valueAtTime(time – d)

[Mike Clasby]

There is an element of Delay in Dan’s expressions on Trails, here:

https://www.motionscript.com/mastering-expressions/follow-the-leader.html

Maybe you could use the “index -1” part (in line 2) and add in your own multiplying factor and incororate that into your expression.

“index -1” refers to the order in the stack.

Anyway it sounds like you’re off to a flying start.

I followed your instructions and I think I would go about it in a slightly different manner.

Instead of using the position, I tied them all to the Nulls rotation, with Dan’s Expression, on Rotation:

delay = 5; //number of frames to delay

d = delay*thisComp.frameDuration*(index – 1);
thisComp.layer(1).rotation.valueAtTime(time – d)

The above is for the branches on the left side (2D looking at the screen), for the branches on the right side I added a minus sign in front of the last line, making it:

– thisComp.layer(1).rotation.valueAtTime(time – d)

Then I wiggled the Null, with a wiggle expression on it’s rotation:

wiggle(1,20)

So you end up with a nice fluid waving of the branches, and they’re layer order (index-1) determines who follows who.

I’m glad you asked the question, it looks useful.

[Mike Clasby]

No problem with have a hundred layer, some have many more. The bigger problem oftern is keeping things organized and being able to find things. Often that’s another reason to precomp.

Is it possible to do what you want with a particle generator with text as particles? Sometimes one layer can generate what appers to be hundreds, thousands.

[Mike Clasby]

I don’t think so. Maybe Dan will clarify. But…

How about making the layers 3D, adding a camera (the default look like no camera is there, just a 2D setup) and then stack them in 3D space, say 1 pixel apart, then with a little if statement moving it toward the camera when it hits 100% opacity? It should work. Or maybe I’m crazy, just a thought.

Basic If stuff on Dan’s site, here:

https://www.motionscript.com/mastering-expressions/language-beginning-4.html