Steve Roberts
Forum Replies Created
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AE will collect the entire linked Quicktime file. It will not create a new, shorter, QT file trimmed according to its usage in the comp.
This is why it’s often a good idea to trim footage first, then import the trimmed footage into a comp. In your case, I’d trim the footage in AE, render it as Animation codec and reimport it. Dupe the layer, then alt-drag the new one over the dupe to replace it. To match up the footage, set the transfer mode of the layer above to “difference”, then slide it along in time until the screen goes black. Make the mode normal again. Make sure all keys are in their proper place, then delete the old layer and old footage.
Hope that helped,
Steve -
Perhaps it would be better if you knew what your goal is, rather than articulating what it is not.
Specifically, what do you want to know how to do? You say you want to achieve your vision. What is your vision?
1. Read the manual. It will give you an idea of AE’s vocabulary. For example, you’ll know that to make a sliding square, you can mask a solid then set keyframes for its x-position. Knowing the terms helps you search the help.
2. Write down the events in your DVD. For example, “a bunch of boxes flies across the screen, get really dense, thin out, and when the last one has passed, we see that they have revealed the Main title”.
3. Make thumbnail sketches of the events to keep them straight in your mind and avoid wasting time on the wrong approach.
4. Based on your study of the manual, you might have learned a few search terms. Search the help to see if there is a way to achieve what you want.
5. Buy Trish and Chris Meyer’s Creating Motion Graphics books.
6. If you’re stuck, write to the COW, or go to https://www.xtreme-is-back.com/ or https://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e.html or https://www.tutorialfind.com/tutorials/ . If you need help on Ayato, search the COW. Much ink has been split here on his tuts.
Basically, I’m advising you to clarify your vision, learn the program’s vocabulary and look for the tutorials that serve your needs. That should help you, but keep in mind that AE isn’t a program that rewards the impatient. it’s rather complex.
Steve
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1. Dupe the butterfly layer (in a comp) twice, so you have three butterfly layers.
2. Draw a mask around one so you just have the body.
(Solo each layer as you work to avoid confusion.)
3. Draw a mask around each of the other layers to only show one wing: left for one layer, right for the other. You should have a body on one layer, and a different wing on each of the other two.
4. Make all three layers 3D.
5. Use the Pan Behind tool to move the anchor point of each wing layer so it is where the wing hinges at the body.
6. Animate the Y-rotation of each wing to your taste.You might also want to parent both wings to the body, then move the body where you want, and the wings will follow.
Hope that helps,
Steve -
Hmm … the camera tool doesn’t do that sort of thing. It’s more like a positionable eye that happens to use camera-like numbers for focal length and DOF.
You could search the COW for “camera flash” or download the demo of Effect Essentials. It includes a Camera Flash plugin which should be enabled, unlike the rest of the plugs in the demo, which are disabled in some way.
Steve
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Ink effects are usually practical (shot), and this one looks to me as if it were shot.
Steve
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De link, she no work for me. How to find clip?
Steve
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Aharon, you’re too fast on the copy and paste! Beat me to it!
But I’ll try to add something useful … uh … here’s one use for a null: if you want a 3D camera to orbit around a point, you place a null at that point, parent the camera to the null, aim the camera at the null and rotate the null.
You could do it with any kind of layer, but nulls don’t render and show up as an-easy-to-work-with little cross in the comp window.
Try searching the COW for “null” and you’ll find a few uses.
Steve
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1. Free alternatives to AE? I don’t know. Not likely. Cheaper alternatives? Don’t know. Sorry. Maybe Roxio’s Videowave offers simple motion graphics. You could contact Maxon and try to get Cinema4D CE+ for $99 if you have the time to get up to speed on 3D.
2. Beginner tutorial? Not too many people write tutorials for demo users. That said, you could search the COW for “beginner” and “tutorial” or “newbie” and “tutorial”. I think something was posted recently.
3. AE imports transparency as an alpha channel. If the image contained an alpha channel, it should survive import into AE. If not, select the file in the project window and select file>interpret footage>main, and see if you have any alpha channel options in the dialog. Try straight. If it looks bad, try premultiplied. If those options are grayed out, AE can’t read the alpha.
Steve
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