[Rob Dahl]

Thanks Alan…

Keep up the great work!!!!!!

[Rob Dahl]

You can hold the alt key (on a pc) and click and drag the comp from the Project list down onto and on-top-of an existing comp in the timeline. The new comp will replace the old one.

If the old comp is using a mask from the next layer, turn it off first. Otherwise you will replace the masking layer.

Hope this helps.

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com

[Rob Dahl]

OK. I understand now where you are. Although it is sometime hard with out seeing the files.

Change your top layer (the animation) mode to Normal.
IF the top layer already has an alpha key:
Reinterpret the footage, alpha=premultiplied.
Apply from the effects menu Matte/Simple Choker or Matte Choker.
Adjust the chokers as needed.

If it does not have an alpha, you will need to key the footage.

See if that helps.

Otherwise… send me a link with the files and I’ll help out.

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com

[Rob Dahl]

Here is one suggestion: to clean the Top layer scans.

If you have the original scans…

Open Illustrator (or Corel Draw has a good tracing program as well).
Set the page size to match your animation layout.
Place the 1st scanned image.
Live Trace (use a good setting that captures all of the drawing and deletes the original).
Expand the trace.
Ungroup the trace.
Delete all backgrounds.
Export file as Transparent PNG.(name_1.png)
You can save this Ilustrator file or use it again. (see below)
Create a new layer.
Import next scanned page and place where it is required for the animation.
Live Trace (use a good setting that captures all of the drawing and deletes the original).
Expand the trace.
Ungroup the trace.
Delete all backgrounds.
Hide the previous layer.
Export file as Transparent PNG. (name_#+1.png)
You can save this Ilustrator file or use it again.

Once complete… in AE
Import the bottom background layer.
Import the new pngs as an animation. Mode as overlay.
Use curves, saturation, and other color tools to adjust the look.
It should match close.

Added benifit to this long process, the images in illustator are editable. Minor adjustments can be made and the image reexported as needed.

Others will chime in… with more experience… I hope.

Rob

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com

[Rob Dahl]

Sean,

I am sure others will respond with more experience…

The answer from me is use the correct program for what needs to be accomplished. Too many times, clients and users try to utilize programs that just are not built or designed to do everything. (Microsoft Word is a word processor, not a Desktop publishing Learning Content Management System).

While I believe there is a way to code responses into AE, (i.e. looping) the outputs from AE do not allow for Mouse interactions.

Be smart and use the tools as designed. Create your outputs from AE and use Flash for controlling your interactions.

Be well and prosper…

Rob

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com

[Rob Dahl]

—- oh, cannot resist…..

I am a PC and you are a MAC….

The only thing magic mice are good for is helping Cinderella get to the ball….

(creaping back into woodwork…. to lurk some more….)

R

[Rob Dahl]

Well…

See code for one way to do it.
I created a Comp with two objects on it.
Object 1 is Dark Blue Solid 1 50 px square.
Object 2 what a White solid 50px square.
On the While box I added a Gaussian Blur.
Below was the code I created for the Blurriness control.

I am sure others will provide another way.

loc_obj1=thisComp.layer("Dark Blue Solid 1").transform.position[0]; // get object 1 X location
loc_obj2=transform.position[0]; //get object 2 X location
delta_Objs=loc_obj2-loc_obj1; // Determine the distance between Object 2 and 1
Cntr_space=2748-1064; // The controlled space defined for blur
Multiplier=51/Cntr_space; // The controlled space linearly divided for 0-50
delta_Blur=Multiplier*(delta_Objs-1064); // The point at which the blur starts. Final line - The blur effect applied until 50, then blur is constant.
if(delta_Blur<=50){delta_Blur}else{50}

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com

[Rob Dahl]

Well that would depend on your footage and scene setup.

You could:

Set up a blocker that is animated like the dancer in PI.

You could rotoscope the dancer and place the effect behind the roto’s layer.

If the dancer is filmed on a chromascreen, use layers to control the effect… similar to rotoscoping.

Other please weigh in… if there is a better route to take.

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com

[Rob Dahl]

Here is one of my that works.
See if it does on your system.
https://www.transparentalchemy.com/CounterExample.aep

Rob

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com

[Rob Dahl]

I created a new comp with 1000 frames using CS3 and CS4.
Created a text layer.
Selected the text, and added
Animations Preset/Text/Expressions/Frame Number.
Opended in the timeline the text and selected:
Text/Source Text and held the alt-key and clicked the stopwatch to get the expression line. Replaced the existing code with yours.

Ram tested the code…
From frame 0 to 25 the display showed 0, then at 26, 1 was displayed all the way to 32. Then the remainder of the frame still only displayed 32.

I could chaged vartargetValue=32; to 0 or 1000. all numerals worked including -1.

I cannot get a syntax error. What version do you have?

Rob Dahl
Transparent Alchemy
Boulder City, NV 89005
http://www.transparentalchemy.com