Illustrator
P=pen
A=white arrow
V=black arrow
After Effects
M=mask shape
MM=all mask properties
F=mask feather
ApY=New Solid
ApG=Go to Time
G=Pen Tool
Friday, September 26, 2008
ADV-Post: week 4 notes.
Masks
-Glorified AI paths.
-Paths with motion
path: line or curve between 2 points
Working in Illustrator
Draw in AI: using the path tool (pen tool)
-Triangle
-Square
-Star
-Circle (using 2 points only)
-Swiss Cheese
PS: based on pixel information
-Making stuff bigger here, makes it look bad...
AI: based on math
2x+1=y
-punchline: you can make stuff bigger in AE or AI that started as an AI file, and you won't lose quality.
-magic button: "continuously rasterize" button, must be clicked on all your AI layers for the math to look gooood.
AI:
you can scale up any object in AI unless it's based on a photo.
Illustrator method:
-Draw on a layer. Lock it.
Make a new layer. draw on that.
-To select stuff on a layer, use the black arrow tool, or you can click on the button on its layer.
From the toolbox, select Pen tool (P)
-Choose colors.
-Stroke color and a Fill Color
-Red slash=no color
Pen options:
-Choose the pen tool, it gives you options based on what's going on with your drawn shape.
-Pen X New Shape start
-Pen > change point to Curve point
-Pen + Add a point to a curve or line
-Pen - Delete current point
-Pen o Close shape
-Pen / (slash) Continue shape if you click this point.
Tools we use:
-Pen: draws or modifies shape
-Black arrow tool: selects, moves, scales, rotates a shape
-White arrow tool: lets you select or move a point
-Shape maker tools: create custom shapes
-Brush tools: for drawing on the fly
-Type tool: duh, type.
AE won't give you an accurate layer thumbnail
-it's a merged view of your AI or PS comp, or worse, a thumbnail of the "Ai" logo
-so what do you do? label everything
Drawing a star from a square...
-Duplicate your square layer
-Add 3 points top, 1 point on each side and bottom
-move points with white arrow tool
Try to draw your shapes with as few points as possible.
-Shape drawing tools are located under the square shape tool
-to work the polygon tool, start drawing with it and use
up and down arrows to increase or decrease the # of sides.
Making cheese
-Draw triangle and all circles on the same layer.
-select em all with black arrow tool
-go Window/Pathfinder
-Choose 2nd shape mode option
-to release, swivel open your layer and select all the circles.
-drag them above the "compound shape" layer.
Into After Effects
-Save your AI file
-Drag it from your Finder to your project window.
Use Composition/Layer Size as your import settings.
-try making a layer super-big (like 1200%)
-it will have bitmappy edges
-to keep this from happening, click the Continuously Rasterize button
(in Timeline, betw the Shy-guy and the Slash)
If something is already cut out, meaning it has a transparent background and clean edges, you can Auto-Trace.
-Select a layer
-Go to Layer/Auto-Trace
-Choose "current frame" and tolerance, and "apply to new layer"
Can make more than 1 mask on a layer
Can make mask on any kind of visual layer
Can animate those masks independent of 1
another, using the Mask Path property.
AE/Prefs/User interface colors
-Turn on "cycle mask colors"
Mask Animation
Layer/New/Solid
Make it comp size
Using the square shape tool,
draw a box
Hit M with layer selected, to show Mask Path property
-Click on the stopwatch to enable animation on the layer.
Go to Time 1:00
-Choose the Pen tool
-Add 3 points to the top edge of our sq
-Add 1 point to each of the other sides.
Mask drawing tips:
-double-click your layer to see it in the layer view. This keeps you from accidentally moving your layer!
-keyframe everything.
-you can turn off Render in your layer view to see all of the layer, not just the masked part.
-can add points over time, just don't delete them.
To copy an autotraced star to your animated one...
-Select the autotraced star
-Hit letter M
-Turn off stopwatch if you have too many keyframes, turn it back on and then you have 1 keyframe.
-copy one AutoTraced keyframe by hitting ApC
-Select your drawn mask path property
-Go to 2:00 time
-ApV to paste your Autotraced keyframe to the drawn mask path property.
Creating Emailable QT's! in FCP or QT Pro
-In FCP file/export./using QT conversion
-In QT pro it's just File/Export
Format QT movie, Use Broadband Medium
Click the options button
-change the size (optional)
-turn off streaming.
In the finder, select the movie, and go to
File/Create Archive (makes a .zip)
Email that file (the .zip) in your email program
Make sure that someone can open a QT
If they can't, download Flip4Mac
Homework
Animate 1 shape changing into another using masks
-Glorified AI paths.
-Paths with motion
path: line or curve between 2 points
Working in Illustrator
Draw in AI: using the path tool (pen tool)
-Triangle
-Square
-Star
-Circle (using 2 points only)
-Swiss Cheese
PS: based on pixel information
-Making stuff bigger here, makes it look bad...
AI: based on math
2x+1=y
-punchline: you can make stuff bigger in AE or AI that started as an AI file, and you won't lose quality.
-magic button: "continuously rasterize" button, must be clicked on all your AI layers for the math to look gooood.
AI:
you can scale up any object in AI unless it's based on a photo.
Illustrator method:
-Draw on a layer. Lock it.
Make a new layer. draw on that.
-To select stuff on a layer, use the black arrow tool, or you can click on the button on its layer.
From the toolbox, select Pen tool (P)
-Choose colors.
-Stroke color and a Fill Color
-Red slash=no color
Pen options:
-Choose the pen tool, it gives you options based on what's going on with your drawn shape.
-Pen X New Shape start
-Pen > change point to Curve point
-Pen + Add a point to a curve or line
-Pen - Delete current point
-Pen o Close shape
-Pen / (slash) Continue shape if you click this point.
Tools we use:
-Pen: draws or modifies shape
-Black arrow tool: selects, moves, scales, rotates a shape
-White arrow tool: lets you select or move a point
-Shape maker tools: create custom shapes
-Brush tools: for drawing on the fly
-Type tool: duh, type.
AE won't give you an accurate layer thumbnail
-it's a merged view of your AI or PS comp, or worse, a thumbnail of the "Ai" logo
-so what do you do? label everything
Drawing a star from a square...
-Duplicate your square layer
-Add 3 points top, 1 point on each side and bottom
-move points with white arrow tool
Try to draw your shapes with as few points as possible.
-Shape drawing tools are located under the square shape tool
-to work the polygon tool, start drawing with it and use
up and down arrows to increase or decrease the # of sides.
Making cheese
-Draw triangle and all circles on the same layer.
-select em all with black arrow tool
-go Window/Pathfinder
-Choose 2nd shape mode option
-to release, swivel open your layer and select all the circles.
-drag them above the "compound shape" layer.
Into After Effects
-Save your AI file
-Drag it from your Finder to your project window.
Use Composition/Layer Size as your import settings.
-try making a layer super-big (like 1200%)
-it will have bitmappy edges
-to keep this from happening, click the Continuously Rasterize button
(in Timeline, betw the Shy-guy and the Slash)
If something is already cut out, meaning it has a transparent background and clean edges, you can Auto-Trace.
-Select a layer
-Go to Layer/Auto-Trace
-Choose "current frame" and tolerance, and "apply to new layer"
Can make more than 1 mask on a layer
Can make mask on any kind of visual layer
Can animate those masks independent of 1
another, using the Mask Path property.
AE/Prefs/User interface colors
-Turn on "cycle mask colors"
Mask Animation
Layer/New/Solid
Make it comp size
Using the square shape tool,
draw a box
Hit M with layer selected, to show Mask Path property
-Click on the stopwatch to enable animation on the layer.
Go to Time 1:00
-Choose the Pen tool
-Add 3 points to the top edge of our sq
-Add 1 point to each of the other sides.
Mask drawing tips:
-double-click your layer to see it in the layer view. This keeps you from accidentally moving your layer!
-keyframe everything.
-you can turn off Render in your layer view to see all of the layer, not just the masked part.
-can add points over time, just don't delete them.
To copy an autotraced star to your animated one...
-Select the autotraced star
-Hit letter M
-Turn off stopwatch if you have too many keyframes, turn it back on and then you have 1 keyframe.
-copy one AutoTraced keyframe by hitting ApC
-Select your drawn mask path property
-Go to 2:00 time
-ApV to paste your Autotraced keyframe to the drawn mask path property.
Creating Emailable QT's! in FCP or QT Pro
-In FCP file/export./using QT conversion
-In QT pro it's just File/Export
Format QT movie, Use Broadband Medium
Click the options button
-change the size (optional)
-turn off streaming.
In the finder, select the movie, and go to
File/Create Archive (makes a .zip)
Email that file (the .zip) in your email program
Make sure that someone can open a QT
If they can't, download Flip4Mac
Homework
Animate 1 shape changing into another using masks
Kickitupanotch (make it more challenging)
-Change shape several times instead of just 1ce
-Change color, too
-Made out of more than 1 mask shape
-Add sound
-Add a background
-Do several mask animations in a row.
Edit them together in FCP and make a short film.
-Change shape several times instead of just 1ce
-Change color, too
-Made out of more than 1 mask shape
-Add sound
-Add a background
-Do several mask animations in a row.
Edit them together in FCP and make a short film.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Link: AFX tutorials
By Andrew Kramer, there's like 60 of them! For both Motion Graphics and Compositing. Some require specialty plugins, contact your local hacker for details.
Here you go.
Here you go.
FCP/shooting tip: Avoiding timecode breaks
Any chicken who uses Final Cut or is shooting DV should receive this important information.
1. Run tape before your first shot, or add bars and tone
2. When taping, make sure you record a few seconds after all the action you want captured has stopped
3. If you stop or take out the tape, make sure you roll back a couple of seconds and record over that extra few seconds of footage instead of blank tape. Recording over blank tape will cause your timecode to break.
4. Look in the viewfinder before shooting. If it says this: --:--:--;-- you're going to have a timecode break. If it has numbers, you're fine.
5. Some people like blacking out a tape before recording (recording through a whole tape with lens cap on to stamp timecode). I think it just wears the heads and wastes time - but it's an option
6. If you already have a problem tape, import the scenes in chunks into your editing system or you can turn off "Abort capture on timecode break" on Final Cut Pro
7. If it still refuses to import, get another camera and make a clone of your tape by playing on one and recording on another. This will give the new tape a fresh timecode
Excerpted from the DV guru's How to Avoid Timecode Breaks, http://www.dvguru.com/2005/11/08/tip-how-to-avoid-timecode-breaks/
1. Run tape before your first shot, or add bars and tone
2. When taping, make sure you record a few seconds after all the action you want captured has stopped
3. If you stop or take out the tape, make sure you roll back a couple of seconds and record over that extra few seconds of footage instead of blank tape. Recording over blank tape will cause your timecode to break.
4. Look in the viewfinder before shooting. If it says this: --:--:--;-- you're going to have a timecode break. If it has numbers, you're fine.
5. Some people like blacking out a tape before recording (recording through a whole tape with lens cap on to stamp timecode). I think it just wears the heads and wastes time - but it's an option
6. If you already have a problem tape, import the scenes in chunks into your editing system or you can turn off "Abort capture on timecode break" on Final Cut Pro
7. If it still refuses to import, get another camera and make a clone of your tape by playing on one and recording on another. This will give the new tape a fresh timecode
Excerpted from the DV guru's How to Avoid Timecode Breaks, http://www.dvguru.com/2005/11/08/tip-how-to-avoid-timecode-breaks/
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Links: Shake Tutorials
3D Multipass Compositing in Shake
Download the files used in the 3D Multipass comping Tutorial here
Advanced 3D & Shake
A whole page of Tutorials here
http://www.fxphd.com
Keying Tutorial Download
Shake Tutorials for purchase here
Download the files used in the 3D Multipass comping Tutorial here
Advanced 3D & Shake
A whole page of Tutorials here
http://www.fxphd.com
Keying Tutorial Download
Shake Tutorials for purchase here
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Links: Free greenscreen footage!
look what i found! free greenscreen footage!!
http://timelinegfx.com/freegreenscreen.html
you just have to email them at FREE@TIMELINEGFX.COM to get a link to the downloads, which are huge. please use the ones that are not pre-keyed to practice your keying skills.
xo,
TeacherPants
http://timelinegfx.com/freegreenscreen.html
you just have to email them at FREE@TIMELINEGFX.COM to get a link to the downloads, which are huge. please use the ones that are not pre-keyed to practice your keying skills.
xo,
TeacherPants
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