I prefer doing the image in AE if its possible (so bring in an image, make it etc and work from there). If its more complex I go the AE route. User reference really
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
↧
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
If you get tunnel vision when you work on a compositing problem the solution can become very messy. It's best to step back and consider all your options.
If you use Corner Pin the replacement image must be a rectangle exactly the same size as the layer that was tracked. Any other approach will require a lot of fussing around.
A better option may have been to motion stabilize the shot so the sign does not move in the shot, add your masked replacement sign and line it up, animate any property you need to adjust to fix any fluctuations in size or perspective, then tie the anchor point, scale and rotation of the stabilized layer to the position, scale and rotation of a null, then parent the stabilized layer and the replacement layer to the null at the first frame of the comp. This will put the motion back in the shot and lock the replacement layer to the movement. Here's an animation preset I use all the time to put the motion back in a layer that has been stabilized. You just have to make sure the layer is named "stabilized," make sure a null is selected and then apply this preset: Dropbox - destabilize Rotation Scale.ffx
Another option, the one that I probably would have used, would be to take the replacement sign into Photoshop and free transform it so that it completely fills the frame of the layer, then use Mocha's corner pin tracking to replace the sign.
Another option may have been to use Track Camera and make the replacement sign a 3D layer, but that would involve removing the perspective from the replacement sign using the same basic approach required for corner pin to work.
A third option would be to use CC Power Pin, Corner Pin, and a pre-comp copy to fit the replacement sign to the original sign. Here's an old tutorial I did that explains the process. You can use the same technique in CC 2019 with the updated Mocha AE but getting the Corner Pin data applied is a little different.
WillBartlett wrote
Hey Mohamed, thanks for the suggestion. If I'm not mistaken, wouldn't it be the same thing? Either way I'm creating a sign using the existing still frame that ends up being smaller than the comp size, ultimately needing the sign to be scaled within the precomp to full comp size for it to work.
What are my options here? Again, I have completed the shot, it looks perfect, but it was messy, so I'm looking to see if there's a way to quickly scale a weird 4 sided shape to comp size (Distorting it is ok and is actually necessary).
The most efficient approach depends entirely on the shot. If we saw the actual shot and the replacement sign it would help us point you to an efficient solution.
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
For sure, but that's not really the issue here. What's your workflow for compositing something you've tracked within footage? I have a wide shot that includes a sign within the wideshot, so I used the wideshot and exported a still frame then used the sign within the wideshot to rebuild my own sign. In AE, I have a precomp that's the exact size of the tracking data, so that's all good. I just need whatever is in the precomp to be the exact size of the comp, but since the sign isn't the size of the comp it's not going to work properly(Because it was made from the still frame in the wideshot).
Any ideas or other workflows to complete this in a more efficient way than randomly adjusting parameters within the layer to skew/distort the image until it finally after a few hundred clicks fits the comp? haha
Thanks!
↧
After Effects Graph Editor
So, I have a Fortnite montage to edit. Since I want to have flow in it, I need to use After Effects. I don't have a problem with After Effects, but the thing is that you need to work with the Graph Editor to make it look good. I really didn't mind this, so I first started to place my time remapping keyframes where my character would shoot and land. I then synced those with the markers I placed to the song and then clicked on the graph editor. In the tutorial and every tutorial about having flow, you need to drag one line up and the other down and the lines should look bumpy. Here is the part where this person starts to do the graph editor part. The problem is that in my comp, the video keeps going back and forth. What I mean is it will reverse, then go normal, then go reverse again, over and over until the whole clip is done. I need help to make it look like the guy who did it in the tutorial. I've lifted one line a bit up, but not too high; maybe as high as his. Please help me fix this issue!
↧
Re: Resize Comp for Instagram
If you are changing the aspect ratio of the comp you should use Fit Horizontally or Fit Vertically, never FIt to comp. If the scale values are not equal when you resize anything it will be distorted.
↧
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
Thank you Rick for all of your suggestions and taking the time to help! I appreciate it!
This is basically what I ended up doing, but I did the resizing within AE on the precomp with a 3d layer/transform effect and it worked great, just took a while:
Another option, the one that I probably would have used, would be to take the replacement sign into Photoshop and free transform it so that it completely fills the frame of the layer, then use Mocha's corner pin tracking to replace the sign.
Another option may have been to use Track Camera and make the replacement sign a 3D layer, but that would involve removing the perspective from the replacement sign using the same basic approach required for corner pin to work.
Unfortunately, I can't share the footage as it includes client logos and they haven't cleared it yet, I understand this makes it more difficult to help, sorry.
The footage was shot on the MoVi moving right to left, while also panning left during the move, so there's perspective change. The sign starts big, then eventually changes perspective as well as shrinks in size as the camera moves away. So stabilizing the footage won't work for that option.
Your CC Power Pin workflow was really cool and interesting, thanks for sharing! The sign I'm working with isn't uniform in size like a comp is and it changes quite a bit, so I'm not sure if this will work, but I'll definitly check it out, so thanks again
I'm thinking the way I initially did it is about as easy as it gets.
Thanks everyone for the help
↧
Re: Resize Comp for Instagram
Of course, but in this case it is the fastest way "Fit to comp" because it has the same parameters in X and Y, both the original composition and the smallest are square.
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
Will I am glad all is sorted on your side.
Might workflow is slightly different.
We must chat some other time and I will share it with you.
In the video above I don't seem to understand why the entire table was splined if the tv screen was the only area which was to be replaced with footage. The TV screen was on the stand and it was not moving independently of the stand. So why not just track the tv itself.
Yup anyway. Each to his own I say
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
↧
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
The CC Power Pin solution works perfectly on shots that change perspective because it squares everything up, keeps it the same size, and lets you do things like roto and motion blur simulation. You end up with a much easier composite than you would get with a simple corner pin. It's nearly impossible to quickly do roto or set up a track matte on a corner pinned layer. The Advanced Corner Pin workflow gives you an enlarged, stabilized rectangular copy of the footage to work with. It makes positioning, roto, matching lighting, light wrap, reflections, shadows and just about everything else easier to work with.
When I get the new tutorial finished I will try and remember to post it in this thread. The footage comes from a Terra 4K on a MoVI Pro with a very similar camera move. Multiple signs with shadows, reflections, and people walking past will be replaced.
I just remembered I had a comp from a class I taught a few months ago. The scene: a UPS truck drives past the camera. The task, cover up the UPS Logo. The time required for the task: 30 minutes. Here is the original shot followed by the composite which fades out at the end of the shot:
Here is a look at the start of the shot where a reflection gives problems. The CC Power Pin/Corner Pin original footage layer is set as a guide layer but turned on so you can see how the side of the trailer was squared up to make the composite easier to adjust. I tracked the entire side of the truck so we could put a new logo anywhere we wanted. The original footage is a guide layer so I have the option of using blend modes in the main comp.
As the truck moves down the road a shadow from powerlines presents another problem that needs to be solved. This time the guide layer is turned off so you just see the corrected replacement logo with just the shadow.
The composite of the reflection (lens flare) and shadow (a time remapped copy of the original footage color corrected, masked by the circle, applied using the multiply blend mode, retimes the shadow perfectly so the composite is seamless. This would have been nearly impossible to do with just Corner Pin tracking.
I hope this helps.
↧
Re: Resize Comp for Instagram
I never use fit to comp.. No speed change, just the assurance that the layer will not be distorted. Shift + Alt/Option + Ctrl/Cmnd + h is just as fast as using Alt/Option + Ctrl/Cmnd + f.
↧
Re: After Effects Graph Editor
Well, I watched the tutorial and it's pretty lousy. You have an amateur that is not explaining anything, just flying through a sloppy way to do time remapping. You have to Vet your trainers. This guy did not explain that he was editing the speed graph. The controls look different. If you have handles you can't bend, you are editing the value graph.
Please spend some time learning how to use the Graph Editor by typing Graph Editor in the Search Help field at the top right corner of AE.
If all you are doing is retiming shots there's a lot easier way to do that. If your sequence is longer than a few seconds you'll be much better off and get done in a lot less time if you use Premiere Pro. AE is not an editing app. Trying to cut a thirty-second montage in AE that has 15 or 20 shots in it is going to get real messy real fast. I could duplicate the example project in Premiere Pro in just a few minutes including a bunch of time changes.
↧
Black Particles Appearing
Hi Forum.
I'm using Trapcode particular in my composition and I noticed that the particles are emitting some vague black particles as well. Where are these
emitting from?
Thank you.
↧
↧
Re: Black Particles Appearing
Without details, it's impossible to tell what's going on. There are no bugs I know of.
Select the particular layer, press UU, Print Screen and Paste the screenshot to the forum so we can see everything you changed in Particular.
It's also important to know that the only way you can judge a video is when it is paying back in real time and full resolution. Pixel Peeping will drive you crazy.
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
Thanks for sharing your workflow Rick
On the main comp, the precomp layer is a perfect track of the entire sign (In your case, the entire truck side), so within the precomp, my sign needs to be stretched/distorted to the full comp size. However, it's difficult to get the 4 sides to stretch and fill the full precomp). How can I do this better?
My issue isn't with the tracking. it's with the sign needing to be stretched to the full height and width of the precomp, but like shown above, the sign is a weird shape (Left side is taller than right side), so it makes it difficult to stretch to fill the comp. What would you do to complete this, is there a better way to complete this project?
In your precomp, the new logo is stretched tall (So that it composites perfectly on the main comp). How did you set it up so that it's stretched like that within the precomp at the right size? Did you stretch it? Or within your workflow, when you made the precomp, was it automatically added and stretched to the right side?
My workflow has been; I paste my corner pin tracking data to a new Solid layer, then precompose and leave the tracking data on the precomp (Leave all attributes), then inside the precomp, I add my painted sign layer, but as explained above, it's not full comp size, and it needs to be.
Thanks!
↧
Re: Black Particles Appearing
Hi Rick, Here's a screenshot with the settings.
↧
Re: After Effects Graph Editor
Oh dear that video was to say the least not very good,
It will confuse you more than assist you.
As Rick mentioned learn as much about the Graph Editor as you can from reliable experts and not some child who assumes he understands what he's doing.
Let us know if theres anything else you need
Mo
↧
↧
Re: After Effects Graph Editor
Post a screengrab of your graph editor as it looks with the animation done.
↧
Re: How do I scale a masked image smaller than the comp to fit the comp fully?
I think you are pasting the corner pin data to the wrong layer. If you apply corner pin to the new logo it will move it into the right shape to fit the boundaries of the original sign. My Circle and Text was scale was just estimated and adjusted so the new logo looked round when it was on the truck.
If the original sign you tracked was 11 X 20 inches and you want the new logo to be centered on the sign then start a new comp the same size as your original footage, add a solid or create a rectangle shape layer to use as a guide that is exactly in an 11 by 8 ratio. You could just double-click the Rectangle tool, reveal the modified properties by pressing UU, unlink the size, type 11 for X and 8 for Y, relink the size then enter the Y value for the comp (1080). This will give you a reference for the sign that is centered in the comp. Make the shape layer a guide layer, drop in your logo and position it properly, then nest Logo comp in the main comp and apply corner pin. If your Mocha Track is accurate and the frame precisely fits the sign you'll get the new logo in the main comp perfectly positioned over the sign.
Did you follow that? If that doesn't work then I don't understand your workflow and I need more details.
This is what your logo comp should look like:
Corner pin is the only effect applied to the Logo Comp. The shape layer is just a reference for the sign you are going to replace. The logo Comp is the same size as the original footage.
↧
Maintaining brush stroke quality when zooming in and panning around a picture?
Hello! I've been using AE for a while, but I'm not sure how to do this.
So say, for example, I have a image file of a city's map as a location for a movie. Basically, I would like to create a video showing where everyone should be at certain times, and where they should move. Kind of like these types of army movement maps:
I would want to represent people/movements with the brush tool, using dots and arrows.
But then this is where I have an issue. I want to be able to pan and zoom about the map of the city, WITHOUT loss of brush quality. E.g., the video starts with the map full size on the screen, showing everyone's starting locations, but then it zooms into certain spots, and pans around, panning and zooming to follow the focus of the characters' movements (keyframed brush strokes) so that the small movements are easier to see, rather than staying on the huge map the entire time.
My issue right now is that the brush strokes lose quality when I zoom in. I believe brush strokes are vector-based, but I can't really zoom in because the I can only paint in the layer window, where it goes back to the entire map. Zooming the composition in and then pre-comping doesn't work either, because I can't zoom out.
Feel free to lay out as detailed suggestions as you want. I'll of course gladly answer any questions about what I'm trying to do.
I did try searching for a solution, and the only thing I could find was this:
https://forums.adobe.com/message/10318784#10318784
which I wasn't able to get any working solutions from. Maybe the solution there would help with suggestions, though.
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
