Lite Brite with Particular

Lite Brite.. I'm sure you had one. Now you can relive the good old days in After Effects using Particular.

This uses two Layer Grid emitters, each one producing ever other line and offset from each other in the X axis, to get the distinct pattern. Drop your own video in the "Source" comp and watch the Lite Brite magic.

Download the Lite Brite project
(AE 7)

Labels: After Effects, Trapcode Particular

posted by Harry @ 3/06/2007 09:15:00 AM | 1 comments links to this post  

Free Comp from LME! Amazing Video Walls & Displays

LME has graciously provided a freebie that is an extra bonus file from each of their sets of gorgeous comp files. These are Toolfarm exclusives and we'll be posting one per week until they're gone. Here is the first in the series. This sample is not included in the Amazing Video Walls & Photo Displays collection.

• Download the Free Comp (AE 6.5.1 and up)
• View sample movie
• View Amazing Video Walls & Photo Displays gallery - see what's included in the full collection
• Buy Amazing Video Walls & Photo Displays - Only $132 (Save 5%!). 101 comps and over 137 precomps in the collection. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination. No plug-ins needed. Works with After Effects 6.5 or higher for Mac and Win.

Labels: After Effects, LME

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 3/05/2007 12:49:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

Tutorial: Make Realistic Auto Gauges in After Effects

Make some photorealistic auto gauges that you can composite into your auto scene! Steve Audette, AE hobbyist and Documentary editor for the PBS Series FRONTLINE, created this project and tutorial for Toolfarm. It's a really a simple procedure but looks complex. There are a couple of wiggle expressions and a smattering of effects. Before you know it, you've created a beautiful set of gauges for an older muscle car.

Go to the Auto Gauges Tutorial

By the way, if you want an odometer, check out this tutorial.

Labels: After Effects, Tutorial

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 3/01/2007 09:07:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

AE Power User Tip

I dug this one up from the old AE Freemart.

To save time when you pitch your preferences, set up your settings exactly as you like them, duplicate your preference file and store it someplace safe. Then, when things get buggy, replace the bad preferences with your good copy. Be careful to rename it exactly the same.

Labels: After Effects, Tips

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/26/2007 10:40:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post  

Paint Tricks #1: Spray Paint Stencil

I'll be doing a series on tricks with paint and clone tools. Here is number one. A student asked me how to achieve this effect a few months back. It's very easy, but as you can see, I'm not much of a tagger.

If you don't have AE 7, here's the basic technique. Put your text or logo on a layer. Add a solid, we'll call it 'Paint Layer'. Make sure it's below your text layer. Use the Paint brush, with a big fat fluffy brush setting. If you have a tablet, even better! Set the pen pressure settings for roundness, flow, etc. Paint your strokes and make any adjustments. Then, apply Scatter to your layer. Adjust as necessary. Set the Track Matte of your 'Paint Layer' to Alpha Matte Inverted. If you don't have that option, your text layer is not above your 'Paint Layer'.

Watch Sample | Download AE Project (AE 7) (Link fixed)

Labels: After Effects, Paint, Project

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/23/2007 09:27:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

New Free Demos at Toolfarm!

We've added new demos to our Free Demo Downloads page.

• Silhouette FX Roto and Paint have been updated to 2.3
• Reflecmedia Mattenee has been updated to FxPlug for FCP
• Digital Trove PRIME is now available for Windows

Go to the Free Demos page now!

When you fill out the form, please make sure you check the box next to the demos you would like to try.

Labels: After Effects, Final Cut Pro, FxPlug

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/20/2007 11:51:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post  

New After Effects Tutorials from Damon Ledet

Damon Ledet is a certified Adobe, Macromedia, and Apple instructor. His main focus is video applications like Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple DVD Studio Pro, Adobe Premiere, and Adobe After Effects; however, he teaches a wide array of applications. He has created some terrific tutorials, just for you!

• Drop Shadow using Expressions
• 3D After Effects Text
• Premultiplied Alpha vs. Straight Alpha
• After Effects Magnifying Glass
• After Effects Parenting with a Null Object

Labels: Adobe, After Effects, Tutorial

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/14/2007 02:27:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

Heart wipe with Particular

This project contains two comps. The first, called Heart, uses a heart shape mask layer in the precomp with Hue/Sat applied. There are wiggle expressions on the Hue and Saturation to give some variance in the color.

The second, which is the main comp, has some text that wipes on using a linear wipe. The heart effect is Trapcode Particular. I modified one of the presets quite a bit and used the heart layer as my image. I timed the linear wipe and the movement of the heart wipe and voila! Love is in the air.

View movie sample

Download Preset

If you do not have Trapcode Particular, download a free demo.

Today is also my cat Charlotte's 15th birthday.

Labels: After Effects, Trapcode Particular

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/14/2007 08:53:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post  

Troubleshooting After Effects 7

Jonas Hummelstrand's great blog, General Specialist, had these excellent tips for fixing problems with After Effects.

Here is an excerpt:

Having problems with After Effects? Here's a collection of tried and true remedies:

1. Check that your system harddrive and the harddrive where you store your After Effects project and footage aren't full, and then run a disk check to make sure they aren't damaged.

2. Uninstall QuickTime, restart your computer.

3. Uninstall any third-party video and audio codecs for QuickTime and Windows Media, such as XviD, DivX, FFDShow, BlackMagic, Aja, Avid, Flip4Mac, etcetera.

4. Reinstall the latest version of QuickTime.

Lots more great tips await you.

Labels: After Effects, Tips

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/13/2007 11:19:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post  

Tutorial: Obscure a logo, face, license plate in After Effects

Have you ever needed to blur out a logo or someone's face or even a license plate? Ever not gotten all of the releases you need for your documentary? It's easy to blur or create a mosaic effect to disguise something.

This Adobe After Effects tutorial explains the basic technique of motion tracking your object, then applying the effect to just that area.

Go to the tutorial

Labels: After Effects, Tutorial

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/12/2007 05:19:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

After Effects New York User Group's First meeting Feb 22

Adobe After Effects New York (AENY) first meeting is set for February 22. There is no fee for this event, thanks to sponsorship from Adobe and Pratt Manhattan. They are covering Maxon Cinema 4D 10 and After Effects Integration, as well as Mograph, Stephen Neary will present "Bigfoot's Eulogy" and Aharon Rabinowitz will be presenting some quick After Effects tips. I met Aharon at NAB NY.

They're giving away LOADS of door prizes including Red Giant Software: Magic Bullet Suite, MB Colorista and Trapcode Suite (all Trapcode Plug-ins), three Wondertouch particleIllusion licenses, GridIron Nucleo and Nucleo Pro, Cinema 4D and Mograph, Sorenson Squeeze Power Pack, Automatic Duck, Digital Anarchy PlasmaFX, Cycore FX and more. Wow.... good stuff, indeed.

Labels: Adobe, After Effects, Digital Anarchy, Maxon Cinema 4D, Red Giant Magic Bullet, Red Giant Software, Tips, Trapcode Particular

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/07/2007 07:46:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

Take After Effects Training with Harry Frank!

This was in my inbox today from a Michigan based film and video list that I subscribe to. Harry, is of course, the other half of the AE Freemart. Come to a 3-day INTENSIVE workshop, February 19-21 (9a-5p).

Labels: After Effects, Training

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 2/07/2007 01:14:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

After Effects Tip #10: Levels Quick Reference Guide

John Dickinson, one of the Toolfarm Forum Experts, has posted a Levels reference guide at his site.

Levels is a plug-in I've never had a problem with and my students seem to grasp it really well. Curves, however, is another animal. My students sometimes have a tough time figuring out how it works. Maybe we'll see a reference guide for curves? Heck, maybe I will make one.

Update: John tells me that he IS working on a Curves reference guide. Thanks, John! I know that will certainly be used in my classroom.

Labels: Adobe, After Effects, Photoshop, Tips

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 1/09/2007 01:55:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

Lava Lamp Project

Someone on the Toolfarm After Effects forum asked for some tips on making a lava lamp. I made a lava lamp preset a while back and for the life of me, I just can't seem to find it. I decided to redo it and came up with much more realistic results.

This is not a preset but a solid layer which uses Cell Pattern, Colorama and Turbulent Displace. I duplicated the layer, changed the settings a bit and used the Lighten Mode to give it some depth. I then used an adjustment layer with a lighting effect. The color and speed can easily be manipulated. This project gives out a big render hit, please note.

You will need After Effects 7 Professional because of the use of the Cycore FX effect.

Download Project File (link fixed)

View movie sample - The movie does seem a bit jittery, but it's the compression and frame rate that I used for the web. The project files are smooth and beautiful.

Labels: Adobe, After Effects, Project

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 1/05/2007 10:23:00 PM | 1 comments links to this post  

Add Light Edges with CC Light Sweep in After Effects

Erik Holsinger has a neat tutorial up at Studio Daily, Add Light Edges with CC Light Sweep in After Effects.

FYI, Studio Daily is put out by the same folks who publish the magazine Studio Monthly, which is filled with tips, tutorials, reviews ad more.

Labels: After Effects, Studio Daily, Tutorial

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 1/02/2007 02:09:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

Free After Effects video tutorial from Trish & Chris Meyer

Studio Daily is selling training from The Meyer's. Check out a couple of free clips.

Labels: After Effects, Tutorial

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 12/20/2006 12:10:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

After Effects Tutorial: Reflection

Image courtesy of istockphoto.com

Author: Michele Yamazaki, Toolfarm, Inc. Skill Level: Easy Application: Adobe After Effects Version: AE 7.0 Project Files: Download Project File Movie Sample: View Quicktime Plug-ins Used: None

I've been seeing this reflected look everywhere these days... from Apple.com to software to jewelry print ads.

This look is very easy to create in Adobe Photoshop or After Effects.

Note: The image is not included with the project file because it is a stock image. The image is replaced with a solid blue placeholder. If you replace the solid with your own image, it may not line up properly because of size differences. You'll need to reposition your image.

Instructions:

1. Import your image into After Effects. Scale it to the size that you wish it to be.
2. Make the image layer a 3D layer. We will be animating a camera later in the tutorial.
3. Duplicate your image layer.
4. On the duplicate layer, scale the X & Y values to -20.0. Scale the Z value to -100%.
5. On the duplicate layer, set the Y rotation to 180°.
   
6. Line up the bottom of the duplicate image to the bottom of the original image.
7. Double click the duplicate image to open the image in layer editing mode.
8. Draw a mask around the bottom portion of the image.
9. Tap the F key to bring up the Mask Feather settings. Set yours to 175 or higher... whatever looks good to you.
   
10. Close the layer window and go back to the comp window.
11. Select your reflection layer. Apply Levels. Effect > Color Correction > Levels.
    
    The idea is to make the reflection light without completely blowing it out or turning down transparency. I adjusted Output Black to 214 and left the remaining settings alone.
    
12. Apply a camera to the comp. Layer > New > Camera. Set it to whatever size you like.
13. Keyframe the Y rotation of the camera. I set it so that it rotates from 13° to 0° over 3 seconds. Do whatever looks right to you.

Other options: Use video or animate shapes or images using this method.

Labels: After Effects, Tutorial

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 12/19/2006 06:03:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post  

AE Expressions Blog

Have you seen Harry's Expressions Blog? He has 6 lessons up there now. Good stuff!

Labels: After Effects, Expressions

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 12/18/2006 09:36:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post  

Aurora Borealis

I really enjoy astronomy and keep an eye to the sky. This week is the Geminid meteor shower and today Space Weather is reporting that a "coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth today at approximately 1400 UT, and the impact may cause strong geomagnetic storms." You know what that means? Auroras!

Sadly, I've lived in Michigan my entire life and have never seen an aurora. We're known for our cloudy and overcast conditions and cold winters, so that does inhibit one from going out and seeing the real deal. Plus, I live in the city and the light polution often kills the experience. In other words, I've only seen video of auroras, so this is my interpretation of the beauty of an aurora.

I've created a preset for an aurora which uses Trapcode Particular and Fast Blur, as well as a crazy expression that uses some advanced geometry. I'm still learning expressions and I tend to keep modifying the values until I get what I like. I wanted a large wavy movement that moved from left to right across the screen, in a somewhat random manner. I'm sure the expression could've been done a bit more neatly, but it gets the job done and it's very easy to modify.

The following was applied to Particular's X,Y Position.

a=Math.sin(time*5)*50;
b=Math.sin(time*400)*20;
y=a*b;
x=random(y,a);
[x, y]

Download preset (AE 7)

View Sample Movie

If you need a demo of Particular, you can download the full Trapcode Suite here (Shine, 3D Stroke, Echospace, Sound Keys, Starglow, Lux, Echospace and Particular)

Mac
Windows

Labels: After Effects, Preset, Trapcode Particular

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 12/14/2006 10:33:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post  

After Effects 7.0.1 Update is now available

Adobe has fixed a lot of bugs, including the unable to unhide.

Adobe After Effects 7.0.1 update for Mac

Adobe After Effects 7.0.1 update for Windows

Also, Jonas Hummelstrands great blog, The General Specialist has an article on Avoiding the "After Effects error: could not create image buffer".

Labels: After Effects

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 12/11/2006 10:40:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post  

Free Preset from Stu Maschwicz: filmBurn.ffx

filmBurn.ffx is an After Effects 7.0 Animation Preset that automatically creates the overexposed "roll-out" effect, where the tail (and the head if you want) of a clip flickers into overexposure. It's aware of the in- and out-points of your footage layers in the After Effects timeline, so you can experiment with different effects just by trimming your layers differently.

Stu also says "This effect works really well with Magic Bullet. Just apply Look Suite to an Adjustment Layer over top of all your trimmed layers, and select the preset of your choice!"

He also has a link to his podcast.

Download and read more: filmBurn.ffx

Labels: After Effects, Preset, Red Giant Magic Bullet

posted by Michele Yamazaki @ 12/11/2006 10:35:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post