Creative COW SIGN IN :: SPONSORS :: ADVERTISING :: ABOUT US :: CONTACT US
Creative COW's LinkedIn GroupCreative COW's Facebook PageCreative COW on Twitter
LIBRARY:TutorialsVideo TutorialsReviewsInterviewsEditorialsFeaturesBusinessAuthorsRSS FeedTraining DVDs

Transparency Maps & Custom Edges in Zaxwerks Invigorator Pro AE

COW Library : Adobe After Effects Tutorials : Jon Okerstrom : Transparency Maps & Custom Edges in Zaxwerks Invigorator Pro AE
Transparency Maps & Custom Edges in Zaxwerks Invigorator Pro AE
A CreativeCOW Zaxwerks Invigorator Tutorial

Transparency Maps & Custom Edges in Zaxwerks Invigorator Pro AE
Jon Okerstrom Jon Okerstrom,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA


©2003 Jon Okerstrom and Creativecow.net. All rights reserved.

Article Focus:
Invigorator is known around the world as the king of ''flying logo'' animations. No one does it better or faster. But Invigorator is capable of a lot more than that. A question posed by a user in the COW’s Invigorator forum proves the point. The challenge: how to create a 3D crown. The solution: Use a custom edge and a transparency map. Jon Okerstrom shows you how in this project. Download the files and follow along. You'll need Zaxwerk's Invigorator.


Project file: .sit Project file: zip Download Invigorator Pro Demo
Crown

Custom edges allow Invigorator Pro AE to create all kinds of shapes, from bottles to martini glasses and beyond. Take a look at the set that comes with Invigorator Pro AE to see how they work and notice the guidelines. In this project, we'll create the general profile of the crown as a custom edge. Think of the general shape of a short, wide vase, from which we’ll use transparency to cut away material and reveal the crown.


In my Illustrator document, I’ve created two layers: one for the crown shape, the second for the rim that runs around the bottom. I’ve labeled them “crown vase shape” and “crown bottom.” The distance from the point where the guidelines meet determines the ratio of the radius of the crown to the height. The art looks like this in Adobe Illustrator:

Bevel shape in Illustrator

Place this Illustrator document in the “Custom Edges” folder. You’ll find that folder nested inside the Invigorator folder, which is in AE’s plug-ins folder.

We need to create two more Illustrator documents, before the fun starts in After Effects.

The first document represents the general shape of the crown, as if it were unwrapped. This document will be used as a transparency map -- the black parts will be seen, the rest will not. In this example, I've added some cut-out details. The shape is a compound path. I've called this "crownmask.ai." We'll rely on the alpha channel created by this artwork in After Effects to accomplish our transparency. The color you assign to the crown shape in Illustrator doesn't matter.

You could create a transparency map with Photoshop, but using Illustrator
gives more resolution flexibility in AE. If you choose to use a conventional
pict or tga image as your transparency map, you would create a white crown
shape on a black background. That's because in the absence of an alpha
channel, Invigorator treats white as opaque, black as transparent and gray
as semi-transparent.

Crown Mask
Our last Illustrator document amounts to two very small filled circles. One will become the crown -- the other will become the rim once Invigorator does its magic. I’ve labeled the layers “crown” and “bottom rim.” Call this document “circle.ai.” (One reminder -- all Illustrator art must be saved as Version 8 or earlier, because Adobe changed the file format in versions 9 and 10.)

Now, we’re ready to begin our work in Adobe After Effects. You’ll need Invigorator Pro AE or the demo version. Add a layer to your comp and apply the Invigorator Effect to that layer. When prompted to open an Illustrator document, open circle.ai and check the “open by layers” box. Then, in the Invigorator effect window, choose the crown object and apply the custom Edge “crown vase shape.” Choose the rim object and apply the custom bevel “crown bottom.” Uncheck all but the “outside edges” faces and you’ll see the beginnings of our crown in the Invigorator Set-up window. In this screen shot, I’ve changed the rotation of the Invigorator camera so you can see it in the correct orientation.

Custom bevel

Now, we’ll work on the transparency map and adding the Creative Cow logo. Import both Illustrator documents and put them in their own precomps. You can turn off their visibility in the main comp while you’re at it.

timeline

The resolution of your transparency and texture maps plays a role in how smooth they appear in the final product. In this case, I’ve made both precomps very high resolution -- you will probably be able to get away with lower resolution and gain rendering speed in the process. The screen shot here shows the transparency map precomp. It contains two copies of crownmask.ai. Wanting to avoid being longwinded, let’s just say that they’re placed in this position because of how Invigorator wraps textures around the edges of objects.

transparent mask

In the COW logo precomp, I’ve placed the COW logo artwork so it lines up between the two “squiggles” in the Transparency precomp.

The next step is to assign the Transparency Precomp to Layermap 1 in the Invigorator Effect control window. Assign the COW logo precomp to Layermap 2 in the Invigorator Effect control window.

At this point, we’ll build the texture for the crown. I started with a metalic golden texture. Then I assigned Layermap 2 to the texture pop-up, and Layermap 1 to the Transparency popup. Apply the texture to the crown. Apply a different texture to the crown base.

Texture

When you switch to “best quality” rendering in the timeline, you should see a crown like the one at the start of this tutorial. If not, stop by the Zaxwerks forum and ask a question. We’re glad to give you the royal treatment.

---Jon Okerstrom


Please visit our forums and view other articles at CreativeCOW.net if you found this page from a direct link.


  Adobe After Effects Tutorials   •   Adobe After Effects Forum
Reply   Like  


Related Articles / Tutorials:
Adobe After Effects
Virtual 3D Sets with After Effects

Virtual 3D Sets with After Effects
  Play Video
Rob Mize demonstrates techniques for creating a virtual set in 3D space. He shows how you can build sophisticated, detailed environments, where your actors appear to interact with their 3 dimensional surroundings. Build the set of your dreams using nothing more than After Effects, a few textures and your creativity.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Lite Bite for After Effects: The Tilt Shift Effect

Lite Bite for After Effects: The Tilt Shift Effect
  Play Video
In this tutorial, Martin Ainsworth will demonstrate the "Tilt Shift" effect also known as "Toy Town Look" using Abobe After Effect. This simple yet very power technique can add an extra dimension to an opening introduction.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Lite Bite for After Effects: How do I use 8 or 16 bpc effects on 16 or 32 pbc projects?

Lite Bite for After Effects: How do I use 8 or 16 bpc effects on 16 or 32 pbc projects?
  Play Video
"Lite Bites" are short no-frills tutorials giving quick answers for busy people. In this next AE Lite Bite tutorial, Andrew Devis shows how to use 8 or 16 bpc effects safely on 16 or 32 bpc projects.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Lite Bite for After Effects: How do I animate Text on a Path?

Lite Bite for After Effects: How do I animate Text on a Path?
  Play Video
"Lite Bites" are short no-frills tutorials giving quick answers for busy people. In this next AE Lite Bite tutorial, Andrew Devis shows how to quickly and easily animate text on a path.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
You Ask....I Answer: Masking vs Track Matting Part 2: Adobe After Effects

You Ask....I Answer: Masking vs Track Matting Part 2: Adobe After Effects
  Play Video
In this tutorial, Kevin P McAuliffe takes a look at doing the same viewer requested track matting technique he showed in Motion 5, but the time he demonstrates the technique inside of Adobe After Effects.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Lite Bite for After Effects: How do I create a simple Light Wrap?

Lite Bite for After Effects: How do I create a simple Light Wrap?
  Play Video
"Lite Bites" are short no-frills tutorials giving quick answers for busy people. In this first AE Lite Bite tutorial, Andrew Devis shows how to make a quick 'light wrap' effect for a keyed item so that the edge or alpha channel of the keyed item includes some of the pixels from the background element so that it starts to look as if the two items really belong together.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Weißabgleich nachträglich ändern ein Quicktip in Adobe After Effects

Weißabgleich nachträglich ändern ein Quicktip in Adobe After Effects
  Play Video
Weißabgleich nachträglich ändern ein Quicktip in Adobe After Effects von Lucas Pfaff: lernen die Grundlagen der Weißabgleich.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Using the Scribble & Stroke Effects

Using the Scribble & Stroke Effects
  Play Video
The "Scribble" and the "Stroke" effects are often overlooked due to the fact that it isn't immediately obvious how they work as they won't work unless applied in a very particular way. In this in-depth tutorial, Andrew Devis explains how to apply these effects and then goes through the many options in each effect which can make them very powerful and able to produce a surprisingly large variety of results.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Character Design and Animation in AE: Part One

Character Design and Animation in AE: Part One
  Play Video
Rob Mize demonstrates the process of designing, creating and animating a character entirely in After Effects. Part 1 focuses on the design and creation of the character using nothing more than AE shapes.

Tutorial, Video Tutorial
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Creative Cloud Offers Applications, Services, Community

Adobe Creative Cloud Offers Applications, Services, Community

With Creative Cloud, Adobe is switching from a model of software as a product to Software as a Service (SaS). By early 2012, Adobe Creative Cloud is expected to include such applications as After Effects, Premiere and Photoshop. Creative Cloud includes a hub for viewing, sharing and syncing of files, and a subscription with 20GB of cloud storage.

Feature, People / Interview
MORE


FORUMSTUTORIALSMAGAZINESTOCKYARDVIDEOSPODCASTSEVENTSSERVICESNEWSLETTERNEWSBLOGS

Creative COW LinkedIn Group Creative COW Facebook Page Creative COW on Twitter
© 2012 CreativeCOW.net All rights are reserved. - Privacy Policy

[Top]