3d flip cardboard

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madli
Posts: 7
Joined: March 12th, 2007, 3:37 am

hi to all,

I am trying to create a mosaic wall of tiles that creates one big picture, then each tile flips at a little bit different time to reveal a different mosaic on the "back" of the tiles.

I've already figured out how to make a pretty decent faux-3D tile flip, but need help on how to re-create this action like 100 times; that is recreate it faster than doing it one by one.....

Is this simply a parenting issue or is there a better way? I fooled around with the parenting and couldn't get it to work but perhaps I was doing it wrong. Also, is there a "quick and dirty" way to split images up into equal square sections (Photoshop?), like a grid...?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
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Atomic
Posts: 157
Joined: April 30th, 2007, 5:55 am
Location: United States, Ohio

That is what the card dance effect is all about.

Read up on it.

Here is my workflow.

Go into photoshop and create a 320x240 document.
Drop all your images into that document as layers.
Create a lot of layers, like around 32 or more. Make all the layers the same size as the document (320x240 or pick your own resolution)
Then import the PSD file in After Effects as a composition.
Rename this new composition image_grid_8x8. Press CTRL-K to set it's size to 2560x1920 (320*8 x 240*8 ) Once again, adjust your math to match your needed resolution.
Select layer 1 and set it's position to 160x120 (320/2 x 240/2)
Select the second layer and ALT-CLICK on the position keyframe to set an expression.
Use this code in the expression:

Code: Select all

grid_x = 1;
grid_y = 1;
x =(320*grid_x) +thisComp.layer("Name Of Layer 1").transform.position[0];
y =(240*grid_y)+thisComp.layer("Name Of Layer 1").transform.position[1];
[x, y];
This will move the second layer to grid position 1,1. Once again, you see the magic number 320x240. Adjust these numbers to match your resolution.

Make sure you change "Name Of Layer 1" to the actual name of layer one. Yes you need the name in double quotes.

Add this expression to all other layers in the comp. Change grid_x and grid_y to lay the images out where you want them.

Create a new comp 720x480 (or whatever your target destination size is) and drop the image_grid_8x8 into this new comp. Apply the card dance to this layer. Found under Simulation/CardDance in the effects menu.

Set the Backlayer to be the image_grid_8x8 that you have applied the effect to. Then create a gradient in your comp and turn off the eyeball/visibility. Set the Gradient Layer 2 to the gradient layer you just created. Animate the Mulltiplier, X,Y position, Z position, and or rotation as desired.

This is a very common effect and is quite overused.
madli
Posts: 7
Joined: March 12th, 2007, 3:37 am

hi Atomic, thanks for ur reply.

here is something i wanted to make. i hope it explain my problem. im not good expression.. but i tried to make it happen flip side by side manually with my simple script ..hehe... and im thinking if i have lots of splited images.. it take time to arrange n parenting. if there any solution recreate it faster than doing it one by one.

http://www.madlistudio.com/flipcardboard.aep

thanks again.
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