[Rowan De geus]

SOLUTION:

Create an extra mask on Saber layer (e.g. Mask 2), but put it off screen so it’s not visible. Check on the traced mask (Mask 1) if the opacity is 0, and parent it’s position to the offscreen mask.

expression:

if (mask(“Mask 1”).maskOpacity == 0) {mask(“Mask 2”).maskPath} else {value}

[Rowan De geus]

Ah, found the culprit I guess. Saber ignores mask opacity, so while Ae is switching off masks with opacity, Saber keeps on using them. Need to manually remove these masks.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AfterEffects/comments/4acbpn/using_the_alpha_channel_for_saber/

So a fast way of handling this, would be an expression that checks if a mask’s opacity is 0, then move it off screen or something..

[Rowan De geus]

I’m running into the same issue, with Auto-Trace leaving a lot of “old” masks freezed in place, while the PNG animation has moved on.

Did you find a workaround?

[Rowan De geus]

Got it:

pos = transform.position;
x = effect(“X Movement”)(1);
z = effect(“Z Movement”)(1);
y = effect(“Y Movement”)(1);
a1 = 190;
a2 = 40;
[x + z + pos[0], -x*Math.tan(degreesToRadians(a1)) + z*Math.tan(degreesToRadians(a2)) + y + pos[1]];

[Rowan De geus]

Thanks Cassius! This looks really simple, combining this afterwards with Ae should be a breeze ☺

Cheers to you

[Rowan De geus]

That looks very good, I’d VERY MUCH like to know how to build that!

[Rowan De geus]

Hi Cassius,

Not per se Ae, so if you know an automated way of distributing these circles radially in C4D I’m listening 🙂

[Rowan De geus]

Hi Steve, thanks for your reply.

I am looking for automated distribution, so Cloners+Effectors is out of the question since I’d have to manually distribute each ring. Also it slows down my system pretty fast (i7 4770, 16GB RAM). For Ae shapelayers: they kill my system from about 1000+ layers…

I have to be able to animate the scale of every circle in the grid individually, hence I am using Trapcode Form with gradient maps…

Could you elaborate a bit further on how you achieved this by even using millions?

Thanks, greets!

[Rowan De geus]

@Jamie
Thanks, I will look into Stardust and Element. Regarding Form and vertex points, I am aware of that, but I am looking for automated distribution ☺

@joe
So it seems…

@Richard & Steve
Thanks, but shapes are unfortunately not an option. After Effects crashes when using 2350 shapes, otherwise I could just push my Illustrator drawing to Ae and be done ☺ This is why I am using particles.

[Rowan De geus]

Anyone?