Mike Park
Forum Replies Created
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If all you want to do is make the camera rotate around an object, it is really simple as Dave said. Create a null object. Place the null position at the position of the object around which you want to rotate. Create a new camera. Position the camera the distance away from the object you want it to be. Parent the Camera to the null. Now adjust the rotation of the null object and the camera will rotate around the null (and your object since they have the same position) in 3d space.
Best of luck
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I think you just want to hit the tilda “~” key to the left of the numbers on your keyboard.
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Sorry it took so long to get back to you, I did not realize you asked another question. Yes, you can essentially drive the parameters of one camera in a comp off another camera in a comp. It is just a matter of picwipping the parameters from one camera to the other master camera. The easiest way is to drag one of the comp tabs over to the right hand side of the window so that you have both comps side by side. Then simply alt click on the stopwatch of the slave camera and picwip it to the master camera in the other comp. Now when you animate or update the other camera motion, your other slave camera will move accordingly.
Best of luck
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here is an old tutorial, which should point you in the right direction with particle playground:
https://www.toolfarm.com/tutorials/rndmnbrs.html -
do the numbers have to be in a certain order? I think one of the built in particle systems should be able to to this for you fairly easily. I would use Trapcode’s Particular myself, just because I know how to use it quickly.
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does your camera move?
Why dont you simply precompose the 3d layer with its animation and then convert the precomp to 3d – it will still be a flat 2d layer positioned in 3d. If you precomposed correctly, it will still rotate fine (assuming you precomped the null as well) If you camera moves, simply parent the 3d precomped layer to the camera. Now use the precomp as an obscuration layer.
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First, what effect are you using to generate the particles? Second, are your particles oriented in a spherical shape, or are you attempting to orbit around a sphere made with something like cc sphere?
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Try this,
Create the text you want to stroke. Then with the text layer selected, click “Layer” then “Auto-Trace…” Use the default settings. Turn off your bottom original text layer. You should now have your text as individual editable masks. To the Auto-traced layer, apply the 3d stroke effect. Turn on “Stroke Sequentially” and then animate the start and end positions to your desire. You can also turn on taper to get the effect you want.
Hope this helps
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Are you wanting to trace the letters one at a time with a solid line or individual circles like bulbs. I think you mentioned an EKG look, which is more like a solid line which fades out. You could use 3d Stroke from Trapcode. It does exactly what you want and has the ability to animate strokes or paths at the same time or sequentially, as you are.
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You are correct, parenting will not work. You can see this by using 2 null objects and parenting one to the other spin one and the xyz position of the second null doesnt change in the rollout, even though it looks like it does in the comp window.
To do this properly, you must use (gasp -) some math. Remember your old trig days. You just need to use the good ole sin and cos functions to create a circular path for the emitter to follow in x, z space, and then animate a variable for the radius. Then animate the y (or up) position of the emitter and there you have it. Somewhat of a pain, I know, but it works. I feel your pain regarding the difference in parenting in 3d apps like Max and AFX. I think every application has things we like and dislike.
Hope this helps. If you need some more specifics about circular functions in after effects, check out Dan Ebberts page on expressions. He lurks here on the Cow forums, but also has his own expression’s website. Just google his name and you will find it.
Best of luck