Attaching a "Pin" to a rotating Globe

[kobyg]

Hi guys !
I'm trying to create an effects where I attach a "Pin", or any other object/layer to a specific point on a "Globe" created by CC Sphere effect, and I want that while I rotate the Globe Sphere (using the effect's Rotation X/Y parameters) and change it's Radius (which seems like getting closer or further from the Globe's surface), the "Pin" layer would move exactly with the movement of the Globe, and will seems as if it is fixed to a specific location on the Globe's surface.

I have the Globe 2-D map in a Pre-Comp, so I can add there a NULL object to the point I want to track, but the question is how on earth (...) can I track a point that is transformed by the CC Sphere effect to a different point on screen ??!

Is it possible ?

TNX,
koby.

[Mylenium]

I have the Globe 2-D map in a Pre-Comp, so I can add there a NULL object to the point I want to track, but the question is how on earth (...) can I track a point that is transformed by the CC Sphere effect to a different point on screen ??!

Wrong approach. Place the pin using long/lat in the comp where yoou use CC sphere. All you need is some simpel Math.sin and Math.cos to recreate the sphere logic.

Mylenium

[Atomic]

It is much easier to do that kind of work in a true 3D app.

Sphere's are one of the simplest primitives to work with in any 3D app. You can use the same 2D globe map in a 3D app as well. Then create a plane, use the pin image as an image map for the plane, parent the plane to the sphere and make the plane always face the camera. Render it out as footage an you are done!

Blender is a great 3D app that is free.
http://www.blender.org

If you want to dig into the math, however, this site may help.
http://www.motionscript.com/mastering-e ... tents.html