BENDING LIGHT WITH BEZIER WARP

	SUBSCRIBE COW Library : Adobe After Effects Tutorials : Bill O'Neil : BENDING LIGHT WITH BEZIER WARP (print friendly)

Bill O'Neil www.chicagospots.com Chicago, Illinois, USA ©2002 by Bill O'Neil and CreativeCow.net. All rights are reserved.

Article Focus: Bezier Warp under the distort menu is a great tool for bending objects. In this third section of our light storm tutorial, Bill O'Neil demonstrates the use of Bezier warp to precisely bend the light storm to fit the scene.

Download Movie

Project file

Download Stuffit Expander for Windows

Bezier Warp under the distort menu is a great tool for bending objects. In this third section of our light storm tutorial, we will use Bezier warp to precisely bend the light storm to fit the scene. You can even key frame the motion to follow an object or figure. If you need to change the direction of the light storm, set the width scale to (minus) -100%. You can also rotate the light storm into an optimal start position for bezier warp to take over. Bezier warp is simple to use. There are four corner points that each have two tangent handles. Move all of the vertex and tangent handles into position to achieve the desired bend. The image can get a little chunky when tangents are crossed in an abnormal way. It takes some practice but I have had no trouble bending the image 180 degrees (although I might have trouble twisting it into a pretzel). To keep the light storm from appearing too static, try setting keyframes at the beginning and end of the clip for each of the 12 bezier points. Even a little bit of motion will bring it alive. Bezier warp is a render hog but the results are worth it. I keep the elasticity setting to the default “stiff”. The normal, loose and liquid settings will increase render times even further without much difference in appearance for this exercise. A soft edge mask with feathering set around 50 may be needed to soften the ends if your light storm finishes in the middle of frame as in the hockey puck illustration. You’ll note that I also used the light storm for a background element behind the puck. I slowed it down using time stretch and colored it blue with colorama. (I told you it was versatile!) As always, use transfer modes to taste. You can also use your new light storm clip as a displacement map, track matte or as a compound blur element. Did you miss one of the sections? View: Part One: Using Vector Paint to create a color wall of splotches Part Two: Motion Blur with Shutter Angle and Phase Settings Bill O’Neil www.chicagospots.com Would you like to see some examples of how I used this technique? Click here Discuss this technique or others in the After Effects forum at CreativeCOW.net. Here's how some of the other AE COWs made use of Bill's tutorial: Click on the name to see the movie. We'll add more names if more people submit their links. Greg Mulvey

---

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 Creating an After Effects Sunrise   Play Video Rob Mize shows how to create the effect of a sunrise using only After Effects and a background graphic. This project employs techniques using masks, solids, shapes and effects that can be useful for a variety of projects. Whether creating this effect or some other, After Effects is a great way to start the day. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects What's new in After Effects CS6: Shapes from Vector Layers   Play Video In this tutorial, Kevin P McAuliffe shows you how, using the great new "Create Shapes from Vector Layers" command in After Effects CS6, you can create 3D extruded client logos in minutes, as opposed to having to wait hours for a 3D application to render it out. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects AE Basics 44: Shaping Text And Advanced Options   Play Video AE Basics - A Creative COW series for new users of Adobe After Effects. Lesson 44: In this (more advanced) tutorial, Andrew Devis shows the options to change the way text moves through its range and explains how to change this from the default smooth animation to a much more 'digital' or abrupt instant change. Andrew then goes on to demonstrate more of the advanced options in the timeline to 'shape' your text so that it can have a more interesting or dramatic look allowing for the type of animation that would be very difficult to achieve otherwise. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects Create a Rotating Counter TWO: Adding & Adjusting a Bounce   Play Video In the second part of this 2 part tutorial, Andrew Devis shows how to animate the rotation of this group of layers as well as how use and adjust an expression that ships with After Effects to have the layers bounce in place as they stop which can give the sense of the counter having some real mechanical properties rather than just a linear of easy-ease keyframe approach. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects Create a Rotating Counter ONE: Positioning 3D Layers   Play Video In the first part of this 2 part tutorial, Andrew Devis shows how to create and place layers in 3d space such that they can be rotated as a single group to be used for a rotating counter. Andrew shows how to create and place the layers using both the math function of AE as well as a handy and simple expression that places layers a fixed distance or rotation from the previous layer. He then goes on the show how to create and use a controller for the multiple layers so that they act as a single group. In the next tutorial, Andrew will show how to animate the rotation of this group of layers as well as how use and adjust an expression that ships with After Effects to have the layers bounce in place as they stop which can give the sense of the counter having some real mechanical properties rather than just a linear of easy-ease keyframe approach. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects Confessions of a Creative Maniac: Keys to Getting It In In the history of computing, including the extension to the notion of what actually falls under the guise of history - let's face it, smartphones are really just diminutive computers in a somewhat flimsy disguise - an often overlooked aspect of the entire discussion is something absolutely core to the idea of how these communications devices interface with us - the venerable keyboard. Editorial Adobe After Effects Introducing After Effects CS6 - Extruded Text and Shapes   Play Video In this introductory tutorial to the new 3D capabilities of After Effects CS6, Kevin P McAuliffe shows the basics of how to extrude text and shapes inside of After Effects CS6, and also shows how tight integration with Adobe's Illustrator will have you creating powerful client logos in minutes, instead of in separate 3D applications. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects Adobe After Effects: Compositing Actors in Virtual 3D Sets   Play Video Rob Mize follows up his Creating Virtual 3D Sets tutorial with this demonstration of how to composite real-life actors into these 3 dimensional environments. Learn how to create an effective sense of interaction between your actors and their virtual environment using only your green screened footage and AE's 3D capabilities. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects FreeForm Pro and Aqua Pack: Basic introductory series Part 2   Play Video The second tutorial from the series describes techniques for manipulating the depth map and texture map that can be used for a logo reveal. Tutorial, Video Tutorial Adobe After Effects Panning Large Scenes Using Target Layers in 3D   Play Video In this follow-on tutorial to his short series on working in 3D space, Andrew Devis shows how to use this simple technique to quickly and accurately pan around large layers/compositions to zoom in to the exact point required each time. You'll use target layers to get the exact coordinates needed for accurate panning - simple but effective! Tutorial, Video Tutorial

MORE