PhotoFlow like Effect

Moderators: Disciple, zlovatt

ccf
Posts: 16
Joined: August 21st, 2008, 8:41 am

Hi all:

This is my first post in this wonderful forum.
I´m After Effects user, not an specialist, and a begineer in relation with expressions.
I liked the posts about the Photoflow effect, even both proposals, from Paul and from Atomic.
I was playing with these projects and I have some questions about them:

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It is fairly easy to extend as well. Simply duplicate expression layers as needed and do a CTRL-ALT-/ to replace solid with footage.
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For me this commands does not work at all : CTR+ALT+/ I tested in both projects and without any results. So one of my questions goes around:

1.- Taking several duplicated layers from only one white solid, as the project, how can I replace anyone with a footage individually??? or do I have to create new solids, and copy from the existing one and paste all the effects in my new solids? In the case of the Reflection composition, do I have to do the same as before to get the reflections of my new ones??

2.- Using one of these projects, after replacing the solids with my videos, how can I get at the bottom of every layer the same image , in order, that with I fly with the camera around the composition, I could see the same image at the front and at the back of every layer, the same as a mirror or something like that, and not to get a black image at the back, do I have to use another type of expression to get this?

3.-Why I could orbit with the camera only in the Reflection composition and not creating a new one in the main comp ? or do I have to create another comp to do this?

These were my doubts.
Thanks for your time and your support for the whole community.
Again thanks mainly to Paul and also the second work from Atomic.

Carlos
Paul Tuersley
Posts: 704
Joined: June 5th, 2004, 7:59 am
Location: London, UK

Sorry for not replying sooner....been a bit busy.

1. It's actually CMD+ALT+/ (select layer in comp, then select footage in project window). Or you can hold the ALT key while dragging footage into the comp (with a layer selected).

2. This is a bit tricky so I'll get back to you on this. I believe Dan Ebberts has posted expressions that will do this by turning on one of two layers depending on which is front facing the camera.

3. I created a new camera in the main comp and animated it and it worked fine, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Any camera in the reflection comp will be ignored because the reflection layer has the "collapse transformations" button turned on which means it's using the main comp's camera, not the one in the reflection comp.

Paul
ccf
Posts: 16
Joined: August 21st, 2008, 8:41 am

Paul:

I played again with a camera and was fine this time, I don´t know what happened in my first test, sorry.

Thanks for your support
Paul Tuersley
Posts: 704
Joined: June 5th, 2004, 7:59 am
Location: London, UK

ccf wrote: 2.- Using one of these projects, after replacing the solids with my videos, how can I get at the bottom of every layer the same image , in order, that with I fly with the camera around the composition, I could see the same image at the front and at the back of every layer, the same as a mirror or something like that, and not to get a black image at the back, do I have to use another type of expression to get this?
On reading your question again, I realised the problem of the back sides being black is just because there's only one light in the comp and the backs are in shadow. If you turn off the lights you'll see there is a reversed image on the back. It gets trickier if you don't want a reversed image.
JimInWoodstock2
Posts: 2
Joined: June 25th, 2010, 6:42 am

I am trying to use the original Pictureflow project in AE CS5. The project opens (and requires conversion to CS5) in AE. However, when I scrub the
timeline, nothing happens. I can move the control layer and see the effects, but when I scrub with the current time indicator, nothing happens.
I tried rendering the project out and the resulting avi file just displayed the static video. Nothing moving.
I also downloaded and opened the circular version done by kobyg and it works. Scrubbing the timeline does show me the layers moving, etc. I would
like to use the original project. Any ideas?
Paul Tuersley
Posts: 704
Joined: June 5th, 2004, 7:59 am
Location: London, UK

I'm not sure which project you mean, but I'm guessing you need to add keyframes to animate the control layer if you want something you can render out.
JimInWoodstock2
Posts: 2
Joined: June 25th, 2010, 6:42 am

I am using the script from the following URL

http://www.paul.tuersley.btinternet.co. ... ow.aep.zip

I have it working but I would like to change it.

I would like for the picture to come to the center, stop motion for about 8 seconds, and then continue. I adjusted the keyframes on the control layer
and got the motion to stop in the middle basically like I want. However, the first image layer pauses(stops), but the next image layer starts it's motion
after around 1 second and goes behind the first. This process continues until the last. I need a way to control when each layer's movement starts.
So to summarize.
I need the above project modified to start the movement of each layer (except the first) about 8 seconds after the previous one.
Thanks
kobyg
Posts: 128
Joined: December 7th, 2007, 10:11 am

Hi Jim,
You could achieve slower animations by spacing the keyframes of the "Slider Control" in the control layer further from one another and with closer values (for example: put at time 0 value of -40, and at time 16sec value of 0, and you will get movement with a cycle time of about 8 seconds).

This will give you a long PAUSE, but it will also give you a long transition movement time (in the above example you would get about 4 sec of PAUSE and 4 sec of TRANSITION movement). If you want a faster transition movement you will have to change the "control layer" Position and Y-Rotation keyframes according to the next directions:
Position and Y-Rotation keyframes comes in pairs. you will have to make each SECOND keyframe in a pair closer the the FIRST one, without changing the FIRST (see attached picture).

Be carefull to move all SECOND keyframes exactly the same amount!
This way the PAUSE time will be longer and the TRANSITION times will be shorter, while maintaining the same cycle time of about 8 seconds.

Enjoy,
Koby.
Attachments
keyframes.jpg
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