[Mike Park]

try parenting the camera to a 3d null object and animating the null instead. That should clear up the problem

[Mike Park]

I run xp Pro 64 with 8 gigs of ram. Runs very stable. Virtually all of my programs will run on it with no problem. Sounds like you have a problem with your xp64 install. I prefer to use different hard drives for my OS and data so that if ever I have a problem with the OS or need to do a clean install, my data stays put and I dont have to transfer files all the time.

[Mike Park]

The only way I know of to do this effect is to use 2 layers of the same text. Use particular to do the effects in the different ways you want and then time remap the first layer to create the build. This way, the layer will build to the text, which will map perfectly to the second text layer, which will then dissolve. There is no way with particular to build up text without time remapping, unless you simply want the particles to appear static on the text.

Best of luck

[Mike Park]

Zee,

I dont think you were being lazy. That is why we have this forum to help each other out in a pinch. I have learned so much from this site and am happy to help give back when I can. I hope it goes well for you.

Best of Luck.

PS, I am already married and dont require singing or dancing at present. However, if ever there is a good birthday party or something, I will keep you in mind.

[Mike Park]

Because I like to be as helpful as possible, and because it would take a long time to explain step by step, here is a link to the project file.

https://www.mediafire.com/?mjrfmazyyzd

You can check out the comp for details, but here are the broad strokes.

I found a pic of bethlehem online…forgot where. It was a daytime pic, so I applied a toner and curves effect to swap day for night. In a new comp, I created a new layer and used the star shape creator to make a star shape. When dragging, use the up or down arrow key to change number of points. Adjust points to your liking.
Add the star source comp to a new comp and duplicate it 3 times. You will now make your glow. I applied cc vector blur, trapcode shine and glow to the layers respectively. Add this precomp to your main comp.
Next, position the star and make your beam layer. I used trapcode shine for this, but you can also use a solid white layer and use the pen tool to cut out your shape. Then feather the mask and change the transfer mode to add. If using shine, create a new layer and use the circle shape tool to make a small circle. This will be used by shine. Apply trapcode shine to this circle layer and play with the settings including boost light, ray length and position to get the look you want. PreComp this shine/circle layer to you can control where it stops on the ground. Mask of the precomp in your main comp to stop the shine where you want it.

Finally, I added a starry background with trapcode particular and used a masked layer as a luma matte to control the opacity. I also added another layer as a luma matte to create a gradient near the ground to give it some more pop. Feather out this layer to make it blend.

There you have it. I know it is a little confusing to follow, which is why I have provided the comp.

Best of luck

[Mike Park]

Here is a tweaked version which I think looks better. It uses Trapcode Shine for the effect and Trapcode Particular for the starfield. Do you have either of those plugins. If not, there is another way to do it.

https://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=tzgmjzmhhzj&thumb=4

[Mike Park]

I just threw something together to see if this is what you are looking for. Many stars are very stylized for these shots, while others are more realistic. Is this close to what you want?

https://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=ylemdcmgaqz&thumb=4

[Mike Park]

Do you mean twinkle brightly or point a beam to the manger like in some productions?

[Mike Park]

Not sure why this is…make sure you dont have any per character blur or dof turned on in your camera. Not sure if dof would affect 3d text as I have not tried that yet, but something to watch.

[Mike Park]

Glad you figured it out. I hate to see posts or questions go unanswered and help whenever I can.

Best of luck