After effects question

[M Bruner]

And we mustn’t forget the trusty mascot. Now is that “Beaver Power “ or “Beaver Feaver” (note to Budwzr: Don’t forget to pay a visit to your client’s web site)? No matter, let’s do both. Thanks to PoisonDeathRay’s hi-res image, we can break out Blender 3D again. We simply create an object, add his image to it as a “bump map” texture, add the appropriate text, and rotate the object away from the camera animate it so it rotates back to the camera. And finally, have Blender record the video.

You should end up with something like this:

http://www.4shared.com/video/Z7qBqEBy/beaver.html

[ingeborgdot]

Cool stuff.

[budwzr]

Sorry, can't get it, I don't let scripts run. It's a .wmv? That's surprising, doesn't Blender do H.264?

[budwzr]

You can do other stuff too:http://youtu.be/pJ0vQLAK24Q?hd=1

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(note to Budwzr: Don’t forget to pay a visit to your client’s web site)?

What client? What website?

[ingeborgdot]

Man, too cool. I am jealous of your knowledge. I crave it for this stuff. I am sure you were not born with it and you did not learn it over night but I am still jealous. Nice stuff bud.

[budwzr]

Nice stuff bud.

Well, thanks for the kind words.

Actually, you can do this stuff too. Just keep fooling around and learn what tools do what, then try to think how to combine tools to make them do what you want.

It's kind of like a new camera, where you have to fumble with the controls at first, and you miss your shot. Most people will set their camera to auto so that never happens again, but a few, a select few, will master the controls, not wanting to give up their creative power.

It's up to you!

P.S. And a special shoutout for PDR, for fixing the graphics, so I could make the animation and receive all the kudos. And I'd like to thank my mom for believing in me, and another.......

[M Bruner]

You can do other stuff too:http://youtu.be/pJ0vQLAK24Q?hd=1

===============================================
(note to Budwzr: Don’t forget to pay a visit to your client’s web site)?

What client? What website?

I was speaking as if Ingeborgdot was your client, since you took the initiative to help him out.

[budwzr]

Meh, he was polite, and waiting patiently.

What website?

Did you make that tank with Blender 3D too?

[budwzr]

Vegas Baby! http://youtu.be/vadtBlWCHHw?hd=1

[ingeborgdot]

Wow. You guys make me sick.

[M Bruner]

Meh, he was polite, and waiting patiently.

What website?

Did you make that tank with Blender 3D too?

I know, he seems very polite.

Hey, leave my little tank alone . I created it with AE years ago, just to make an avatar. Anyway, to answer a previous post here's an MP4 version of the two videos I made for him:

http://www.4shared.com/video/UjHxB5hl/helmet_mp4.html

http://www.4shared.com/video/pwEA0JyX/beaver_mp4.html

P.S. Nice work on the You Tube video as well.

[budwzr]

Hey, I don't mind to take a look at your work. I always like to see original stuff, but I just don't allow scripts to run in my browser, for security purposes.

Why don't you post directly, or put on YT?

[M Bruner]

Sure, http://youtu.be/Hdirl8thA_g

[budwzr]

Yeah, that's pretty good.

I like working in 3D myself for motion graphics, but not so much for animations. I don't know, call me old fashioned.

[budwzr]

Oh, BTW, as far as Blender goes, I have tried to get familiar with it so many times, but with no luck. But I can tell by the interface that it has a LOT of goodies in there that I'm missing out on.

The problem is I'm so used to working with the usual Windows programs, and Blender is so different. It's like I don't have room in my head to learn it.

My brain is already geared to think a certain way.

[M Bruner]

That's what I thought when I first saw it, that it was way over my head as well. So when I decided to have another crack at it, I used the huge library of tutorials online. Then little by little, I began to pick things up. I know I just scratched the proverbial surface, but most of the things I see, I can do.

[ingeborgdot]

How does a person do something like this?
http://vimeo.com/19784533

[poisondeathray]

How does a person do something like this?

http://vimeo.com/19784533

Most elements were done in a 3D modelling program, e.g. cinema4d, 3dsmax. Although it should be possible with blender

Then it was likely exported with object mattes and brought into a compositing program like AE.

[ingeborgdot]

What kind of time frame are we talking for making this?

[poisondeathray]

What kind of time frame are we talking for making this?

Even if you're familiar with the programs, and re-use assets from older projects to save time, it would still take a few days

If you are a beginner, you would need a few weeks to months just to learn the basics

You can break it down into parts, but each "little thing" is a lesson in itself, from 3d matchmoving, corner pin tracking, lighting and animating a 3d rig - each lesson would take a few days just to learn the basics . It's a very polished piece. The little finishing touches are what distinguish it from similar work or somthing quickly put together

I believe there is contact info on the vimeo page. You can contact the author for more details

[ingeborgdot]

Hey bud or Mbruner? Until I get vegas 10 or 11 I can't download the one file you sent me bud. How can a person take the red helmet and make it orange and put a U on it? I still want to learn how to do what you did. Is there a video that shows how you did what you did? And what did you use again? Thanks. What kind of quality can a person get out of this?

[ingeborgdot]

Also, where did you get the song sports diddy? I like it.

[budwzr]

Also, where did you get the song sports diddy? I like it.

Hahaha, that's an old song from "The Alan Parsons Project" that the NFL picked up on. Like "The Hey Song" Chicago Bulls.

Legal Disclaimer:I don't think it's copyright anymore, but if it is, I'll have to delete it from this post. So if you download it, and it's copyright, you must delete it too. I do not support or commit copyright infringement. Also, I think under Fair Use, so long as it's just a sample, not the entire work, and not used for commercial gain, we're OK.

[poisondeathray]

How can a person take the red helmet and make it orange and put a U on it?

It's better to start with the real thing, so if this is a real team, download their helmet .

I found a bunch of helments here . You might find the exact one you want under high school => kansas (or maybe a different state)
http://www.mghelmets.com/

But for learning purposes, you can change the color of objects by using "secondary color correction" in vegas or after effects .There are tutorials on youtube, it's very basic. It's the same idea as changing someone's shirt color etc...

I still want to learn how to do what you did. Is there a video that shows how you did what you did? And what did you use again?

I did the upscale in avisynth, but you can do it all in AE or Vegas. NNEDI3 in avisynth tends to upscale a bit better with less aliasing (more crisp, fewer jaggies or aliasing), but the image you're starting with isn't the greatest. GI = GO

To do it in avisynth you would use this for a 2x upscale . You may have to convert to .png in an image program (e.g. gimp, photoshop), because ImageSource() doesn't accept .gif

ImageSource()
nnedi3_rpow2(qual=2,nsize=0,rfactor=2,cshift="spli ne36resize")

To do it in vegas or AE, import the image, set the scale to whatever (e.g. 200%) . If it's imported without alpha channel (no transparency), you can key out the background with a color key or similar filter (I think it's called chroma key in vegas) . You can feather the edges so it looks softer

To add the "U" or anything just type with whatever font you want , or even import something from photoshop or illustrator. Then rotate it, stick it on. You might want to warp it slightly so it looks like it "bends" around the helmet because this is a 2d layer in a supposedly 3d object (there are several warp deformers to choose from in AE) . You also probably want to add a slight blur to that layer, otherwise it will be too sharp.

If you haven't figured out already, to flip the image just unlock the chain link and scale it -100% in the horizontal axis (maybe you want the helmets to face each other) . This won't work for non -symmetrical letters (you would have to apply the letter or logo with the helmet flipped in the first place; for example the "U" I selected below has the first part thicker than the 2nd part)

I took the "muleskinners" team from that Kansas HS football webpage , and attached a "blank" helment as well. You can tidy up the edges or replace the logo if you want

Note this is just one way to do this, there are multiple ways you can do it in photoshop as well or other programs

[budwzr]

Hey bud or Mbruner? Until I get vegas 10 or 11 I can't download the one file you sent me bud. How can a person take the red helmet and make it orange and put a U on it? I still want to learn how to do what you did. Is there a video that shows how you did what you did? And what did you use again? Thanks. What kind of quality can a person get out of this?

We use totally different software, with different concepts and terminology.

"Brune" uses 3D modeling and I use an NLE (Non-Linear Editor), or video editor. You can find some buzzwords in bold-italic below to look for tutorials on YT.

The first clip I made was a "keyframe animation" simply sliding the two helmets together. Each helmet was on a separate track, and they end up together when you make the final output.

The explosion was something prebuilt I collected from the internet somewhere. I had that on another track and "composited" it as an "add function" or I suppose an "overlay function" would have worked too.

The second clip was done with a still PNG with "alpha transparency" used as a track "mask".

[poisondeathray]

Also, where did you get the song sports diddy? I like it.

Hahaha, that's an old song from "The Alan Parsons Project" that the NFL picked up on. Like "The Hey Song" Chicago Bulls.

Damn I thought you did that... I though pretty cool... I was going to tune into the guya musik station

I was working on a fun little football animation too and I was trying to time it to your little jingle

[budwzr]

Damn I thought you did that... I though pretty cool... I was going to tune into the guya musik station

I was working on a fun little football animation too and I was trying to time it to your little jingle

I'm surprised you guys never heard that before.

The "Guya Musik Station" hasn't launched yet, Hahaha. The whole "Guya" brand comes from a joke between my wife and I. It has to do with how my last name translates out in Mandarin. I have a "Guya Art Gallery" too in the hallway, hahaha.

I'm trying to carve an early niche, basically! It's FREE, why not?

If you need audio, I've got a really eclectic collection, mostly home brew. Royalty Free. Just give a holler.

[budwzr]

Hmmm....you're working on a little football animation?

Why don't you post it.

[poisondeathray]

so you're a Guy-Eh ? (I'm from Canada) . What does GUYA mean in Mandarin ?

You should register the internet domain name (before some scum does, and tries to sell it back to you for some inordinate sum of $ when you become famous)

Yeah I'll post some the rough animations in a bit, feel free to change the music or sound fx because I suck . All I did was stretch or shrink the jingle to fit and found some free explosions on the net. I started with a red helmet, but I just noticed today he Inge wanted an orange one now DOH.

I don't use blender, but I use C4D, but I found that I could import the football helmet model that MBruner pointed out

[M Bruner]

Hey bud or Mbruner? Until I get vegas 10 or 11 I can't download the one file you sent me bud. How can a person take the red helmet and make it orange and put a U on it? I still want to learn how to do what you did. Is there a video that shows how you did what you did? And what did you use again? Thanks. What kind of quality can a person get out of this?

Can you use one of the video formats I created with the red helmet changed to orange an a "U" added?