[Robert Paynter]

ok I think I got it. so I changed the position expression to move on the z and hooked up the values to sliders. I then used the roatation expression and hooked them up to the same sliders and added a damping slider.. it’s looking pretty good

position:
xAmp = thisComp.layer(“Null 10”).effect(“Amp”)(“Slider”); //height of undulations (pixels)
xFreq = thisComp.layer(“Null 10”).effect(“Freq”)(“Slider”); //undulations per second
xSpeed = thisComp.layer(“Null 10”).effect(“Speed”)(“Slider”); //speed of wave (pixels per second)

wl = xSpeed/xFreq; //wavelength (pixels)
phaseOffset = ((position[0]%wl)/wl)*2*Math.PI;
z = xAmp*Math.sin(2*Math.PI*xFreq*time + phaseOffset);
value + [0,1,z]

rotation:
xFreq = thisComp.layer(“Null 10”).effect(“Freq”)(“Slider”); //undulations per second
xSpeed = thisComp.layer(“Null 10”).effect(“Speed”)(“Slider”); //speed of wave (pixels per second)
damping = thisComp.layer(“Null 10”).effect(“Damp”)(“Slider”); //undulation damping factor

wl = xSpeed/xFreq; //wavelength (pixels)
phaseOffset = ((position[0]%wl)/wl)*2*Math.PI;
theta = Math.atan(Math.cos(2*Math.PI*xFreq*time + phaseOffset));
radiansToDegrees(theta)/damping;

[Robert Paynter]

Ahha it worked. Have to be looking through camera not front view.
Thanks

[Robert Paynter]

I have put adjustment layers between each of the layers. It is still not working. Not sure what I’m doing wrong,

[Robert Paynter]

what are you rendering out as? compression settings?
what specifically are the quality issues(stretched?, blurry?, pixelated?, compression artifacts?)?

[Robert Paynter]

Thanks for the tips. Real footage would have been nice. I was on a quick turn around. A picture of hot tub water with some turbulent displacement and some particular steam did the trick.

Again thanks for the responses.

[Robert Paynter]

Is motion blur on? Is it possible you need to open up the shutter angle on your camera? (Under the advanced tab in comp settings)

[Robert Paynter]

Perhaps tracking the sword in the same manner you would in the many light saber tutorials. Precomp the result and use that resulting layer as the emitter.

[Robert Paynter]

Perfect. Thanks Dan.

[Robert Paynter]

Perhaps I should simplify my question.
If I create a Motion File. Can I open it into quartz. Will that bring in
everything I did as patches? If so then I could manipulate it on the
deeper quartz composer level. This ultimately is what I want.

I’m a designer I want to design with a designers tool. I work with a
programmer that would like to take my work and integrate it with some
interactive stuff he is working on. Making this into a dynamic workflow
for both parties.

If Motion is my design interface, and quartz is his, and they work
together than we are in good shape. I’m trying to find out before
spending a lot of time and money learning Motion.

[Robert Paynter]

oh well