In my latest tutorial on Creative Cow, we used the final shot from a recent project to demonstrate the basics of 2.5D tracking and rig removal using Photoshop, After Effects, and the Mocha AE tracker. You can view the completed edit here.
And while you’re on the site, be sure to check out our demo and what we’re all about. There is much more to come!
Project: If I should Die Before I Wake
Talent: Luke Bettendorf
Client: Joy Christian Center
In this tutorial, I show you how to build an expression-based vehicle rig that automatically calculates the rotation of its wheels based on the movement of the vehicle chassis. This is a great technique for animating anything with a wheel in it. Check it out!
If you’re looking for the expression code to add to your personal library, here it is:
d=width;
pi=Math.PI;
circ=d*pi;
rot=360/circ;
movex=thisComp.layer(”body”).transform.position[0];
scaler=thisComp.layer(”body”).transform.scale[0]/100;
rot*movex/scaler
Be sure to rename your vehicle chassis layer to “body” so that the expression works. Or, simply change the the two bits of code in the expression to match your parent layer’s name. Enjoy!
In this tutorial, I show you how to use the Pixel Bender Toolkit and the Droste plug-in to create a recursive image set in Adobe After Effects CS4.
Special thanks to Tom Beddard at Subblue for making such a great product. Visit his getting started page for more information about the effect.
This project requires Adobe After Effects CS4, the Pixel Bender Toolkit, Droste plug-in, and an appreciation for the historical signicance of hot cocoa in art.
In this tutorial, I show you how to use offset tracking to analyze the motion of an object over time. This effect, known as stromotion, was popularized by NBC during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Check it out.
EDIT: You can use any footage with a moving subject to practice on your own. Unfortunately, I can’t provide this specific clip per my agreement with Creative Cow *until* the podcast DVD comes out at the end of the season…at which point, I’m sure you’ll want to buy the DVD. Until then you could practice on this.
In this tutorial, I show you how to track a lens flare onto a 360 degree camera-aware environment using Trapcode Horizon. Check it out.
Personally, I found this tutorial to be the most rewarding one of the series. Once I got the expressions to work, it felt like I had just unraveled one of the great mysteries of the universe… Well, maybe not quite that extreme, but a guy has to start somewhere, right?
