Category: Thoughts & Ideas

How to set the ending or starting keyframe value in an Expression Control in After Effects?

To set ending keyframe value:

[code]

if (numKeys > 1){
newV2 = comp(“DECAY”).layer(“Grass Controls”).effect(“Wind Speed”)(“Angle”);
v1 = valueAtTime(key(1).time);
v2 = valueAtTime(key(2).time);
linear(value,v1,v2,v1,newV2);
}else{
value
}

[/code]

 

To set starting keyframe value:

[code]

if (numKeys > 1){
newV2 = comp(“DECAY”).layer(“Grass Controls”).effect(“Wind Speed”)(“Angle”);
v1 = valueAtTime(key(1).time);
v2 = valueAtTime(key(2).time);
linear(value,v2,v1,newV2,v1);
}else{
value
}

[/code]

 

Reference:

Expression to Control a Single Keyframe’s value

How to start or stop wiggle at specific time in After Effects?

Use time or frames to start i.e.:

frameToStart = 39;
if (timeToFrames() > frameToStart)
{ wiggle(2, 500);
} else {
value;
}

That starts at frame 39.

 

or

 

timeToStart = 1;
if (time > timeToStart)
{ wiggle(2, 500);
} else {
value;
}

 

that after 1st second.

Reference:

How To Start And Stop Wiggle In After Effects At Specific Time

 

How to pickwhip and position bulge center in After Effects to skinny legs?

  1. create a null layer
  2. then use motion tracker track 1 point
  3. apply X and Y to null layer
  4. Create new BULGE effect in a new Adjustment Layer
  5. alt+click the Bulge Center timer icon
  6. in the expression area, select the pickwhip icon, and select the Null’s position, that’s it!

Reference:

Help getting distort->bulge to follow motion tracking? from AfterEffects

How to fix or make a perspective image flat in Adobe Photoshop? And how to do a screen replacement in After Effects?

  1. Edit > Perspective Warp.
  2. Draw the plane/corners
  3. Switch to Warp
  4. Redraw a flat plane to map the image correctly.

Reference:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/perspective-warp.html

 

Screen replacement video:

How to quickly do a surface tracking and adding a picture onto the surface in After Effects using Mocha and planar tracking with corner pins?

  1. Track the surface as usual like tracking an area.
  2. Turn on planar tracking and draw and track the planes.
  3. Switch to the AdjustTracker tab in Mocha to work on the planar plane, this would create keyframes like the usual motion tracking. (See video below)
  4. When all the motion tracking, and planar plane tracking is close and correct, save and close Mocha.
  5. Back in AE, create a new composition of the same shape as the current video composition. So if it’s a wide-screen 1920×1080 video (parent comp), then create a new comp of 1920×1080 (surface comp).
  6. Add the picture to overlay in the surface comp, you can distort the shape to fill up the whole comp.
  7. Now add the surface comp into parent comp.
  8. Select the layer/surface you tracked in Step 1.
  9. In the Mocha effect, select Tracking data > Export Option > Corner Pin (support motion blur)
  10. Select the “surface comp” layer, in “Layer Export to”, and hit “Apply Export”

 

That’s it!

 

See:

 

 

How to quickly move tracks UP or DOWN fast in Cubase instead of dragging?

This has always bugged me too, but you can make a work around:

  1. Select the track at the bottom
  2. scroll to top using scroll bar
  3. CTRL+ click the track at the top (now both tracks are selected).
    Execute: Channel & Track Visibility/Agents: Show only selected tracks (Inspector | Visibilty column, choose Visibility > Right click on the tracks > Show only selected tracks)
  4. Move bottom track above top track
  5. Execute: Channel & Track Visibility/Agents: Show all tracks

This seems complicated and long, but if you make shot cut keys for the Visibility agents, it’s pretty fast. Not ideal I agree.