[Trent Armstrong]

Are you putting this movie into another application to see it with the transparency or just looking at it in quicktime?

In AE, it will import in with the alpha. In Final Cut Pro, you might need to select the clip then select Modify and tell FCP to turn the alpha channel on.

Trent

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

This should get you moving in the right direction!

https://www.motionscript.com/design-guide/obscuration.html

Trent

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

https://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2008/12/544/

Check out that free project from Andrew Kramer!

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

There is a good tutorial on a way to use AE 3D objects in Particular here: https://www.graymachine.com/v3/07-particle-orientation-in-trapcode-particular.html

When I use 3D particles, I typically create a looping animation and use that in Particular Set the particle to loop with a random start time. Just keep your precomp size pretty small so AE doesn’t bog down.

Trent

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

It might be best for you to use valueAtTime() for the cars that follow. You can put layers in numerical order and use the index of the previous layer to link through valueAtTime().

Have the Engine layer Align to Path.

You would need to adjust the (time – #) to get the right offset. This can be done easily across all the layers with an Expression Slider.

LAYER 2 Position Expression: thisComp.layer(index – 1).position.valueAtTime(time – 1)

Then duplicate Layer 2 for the number of cars you need and replace them if you need to.

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

I think this would involve the camera being parented to a Null object that used something like ease() to get itself positioned at the appropriate layer. Then you might be able to use the ease() function to have the Null take on the rotation of the layer. This would position the camera using the Null rotation which is taken from the layer’s rotation thereby making it directly in front of the layer.

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

temp = thisComp.layer("TEXT").text.sourceText;
s = temp.length;

x = 100 * (s * .175);
[x, value[1]]

I have goofy HACK that might need some tweaking.

Either call your text layer “TEXT” or change the name in the expression. And apply the expression to the Scale of your solid.

I tested it a few times and it seemed to work okay. You’ll probably have to adjust the number you multiply “s” by to go with your particular font and tracking.

(Dan, can you make this more elegant?)

Trent

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

I believe there is a way with a script to do some mask things, but I think it eventually involves keyframes created by the script.

The only real Mask Expressions I know of are linking one mask to another with the pick whip.

That can be helpful if doing something that involves changing masks in the same way on multiple layers at once.

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

If you think you could get by creating your particles not in Trapcode Particular but by hand, I have an idea that uses the toWorld() expression to hook up your particles with 3D Stroke.

Let me know if you would like more info. pxlguy[at]me[dot]com

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com

[Trent Armstrong]

unlimit = [2000, -1000]; // Using this to give clamp some freedom
null1 = thisComp.layer("Null 1").transform.position + value; // The value in here is 0, 270
ground = [207, 630]; // This is the left/right and up/down barrier

clamp(null1, unlimit, ground)

You might try using a clamp() expression.

You could read the position (and other attributes) of the Null into your leg layers instead of parenting them.

Then give them limits.

I built a sample comp with a Null 1 and a solid. You’ll need to adjust your settings, but it should be fairly obvious what the constraints need to be.

Trent Armstrong – Creative Cow Leader
https://www.dallasaeug.com