[Roland R. kahlenberg]

[Mylenium] “Particle systems are dynamic, you cannot really control when a particle is born.”

Using Particle Playground’s Cannon parameter, you can actually emit particles outside of a layer’s boundaries PLUS control the number of particles emitted using the Particles per Second parameter.

To ensure that emitted particles are directed where they should be, you should be looking at the Cannon’s Direction. As long as the Cannon’s Direction is pointed towards center (or slightly off – depending on your taste – via a random/wiggle Expression method) using a Null Layer you shold be fine.

I’m a lot short of time get an Expression going but hopefully Dan will drop by and sort things out. It’s not that difficult really. You just need to randomize your Cannon’s position so that it does not intrude into the layer’s boundaries (taking into account of the particle’s pixel size) and to ensure that the direction of the particles are centered, regardless of the Cannon’s position (but targeted towards an object, the Null Layer, centered in the composition).

Hope all this makes sense.

Best of Luck
RoRK

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

[Mylenium] “Particle systems are dynamic, you cannot really control when a particle is born.”

Using Particle Playground’s Cannon parameter, you can actually emit particles outside of a layer’s boundaries PLUS control the number of particles emitted using the Particles per Second parameter.

To ensure that emitted particles are directed where they should be, you should be looking at the Cannon’s Direction. As long as the Cannon’s Direction is pointed towards center (or slightly off – depending on your taste – via a random/wiggle Expression method) using a Null Layer you shold be fine.

I’m a lot short of time get an Expression going but hopefully Dan will drop by and sort things out. It’s not that difficult really. You just need to randomize your Cannon’s position so that it does not intrude into the layer’s boundaries (taking into account of the particle’s pixel size) and to ensure that the direction of the particles are centered, regardless of the Cannon’s position (but targeted towards an object, the Null Layer, centered in the composition).

Hope all this makes sense.

Best of Luck
RoRK

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

[Filip Vandueren] “try the ‘glow’ effect 8-)”

Yes! And set the Glow’s Threshold parameter so that the glow happens only on the lighter areas – would be nice to glow only on the darker areas but that’s another issue.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

You will need multiple instances coupled with mask shapes (on precomposed layers) and position offsets to do what you want. A little more work but nothing too difficult.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

You will need multiple instances coupled with mask shapes (on precomposed layers) and position offsets to do what you want. A little more work but nothing too difficult.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

Looks like you do not understand AE’s Render Pipeline. Mask’s render prior to effects. What you should do is to apply the offset in one comp. Then precompose/nest it into another comp. Then apply a mask shape.
Breaking up the processes this way ensure that mask is applied/calculated after offset.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

There’s a ScaleComp script that you may want to look into. I haven’t had any experience with it but it looks like something that should work for you.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

The problem is that your water is not seamless across the right/left edges. I suggest that you use Fractal Noise to create the watery look.

Start by creating a Solid that is twice as wide as your final comp’s size.
Apply Fractal Noise to the Solid and set parameters to achieve the desired look. Now use the Quick Mask Rectangular Tool to slice up the layer right in the middle. Duplicate the same layer and set this layer’s mask mode to Subtract. Select both layers and precompose.

Apply CCSphere the the precomposed layer. Set parameters to taste.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

This looks like a job outside of AE’s abilities. At best, you can have someone create the 3D model for you and then use Invigorator Pro to do the animation.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg

broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

[Roland R. kahlenberg]

The 3D Ride was a tutorial written by Bjorn Sjostrom. You can find it here.

The Cop Lights thingy you alluded was done up by George Polevoy. It’s not a full fledged tutorial, but there’s an AEP included within this link.

HTH
Roland Kahlenberg