AE Flare Parenting
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- harlequino
Got some motion tracking data and various things parented to the Null in which the data resides.
Got a lens flare (Knoll Light Factory to be precise - doubt it makes a difference, just sayin) that I am using as a sun element. I want to parent the position of the flare source so that it looks like it too is moving with the camera shake.
I parented it to the main Null (with the tracking data), no workie obviously, just follows that Null's position. Tried parenting to ANOTHER Null which is parented to the first Null, still no workie.
What am I missing? Thx
- Meeklo0
I think you have to select the layer containing the glare inside the tracking tab/ window.
not parenting layers.I haven't done it in a while but that's how I remember it
- harlequino0
Found this expression, which sort of works, but not giving the look I want:
L = thisComp.layer("Null 1");
p = L.transform.position;
r = L.transform.rotation;
d = valueAtTime(0) - p.valueAtTime(0);
angle = degreesToRadians(r - r.valueAtTime(0));
s = Math.sin(angle);
c = Math.cos(angle);
x = d[0]*c - d[1]*s;
y = d[0]*s + d[1]*c;p + [x,y]
.....Some more info on this (don't laugh) Star Wars fan film message board:
http://boards.theforce.net/fan_f…But still not quite it. Gonna go with hand animated it I guess.
- <-- That would be attached to the flare position.harlequino
- cubanhaze0
Apply the lens flare to a Black solid and screen it, parent the solid to the null?
- harlequino0
^Tried that. The solid layer gets moved about, but that motion does not affect the flare's origin point. You have to animate the origin point within the effect to get animated lens distortions, etc.
- whereRI0
^ wot he says, pick whip the flare center to null position.
- invisiblechamber0
i had the same problem. admittedly i endet animating it manually frame by frame :-/
- harlequino0
Pick whipping the flare center would work in certain cases but not here. I also have some camera zooming in and out in the footage, so I had to track Scale as well, but that's neither here nor there, and is another reason for the better solution to hand animate in the end.
The only thing with the parenting the flare center to the Null is that you might have to duplicate the Null, and move ALL keyframes relative to the flare location. Here's why-
Your Tracked Null mostly likeley originates in the center of the screen, and then moves around according to the tracked motion. Flare is playing the role of Sun, and is up in the top left corner. Parenting the flare center to Null 1 will place the flare in the center of the screen. So you have to duplicate to Null 2, select all keyframes, and move the whole tracking bit to the location of the sun. Then you can parent. However, that is IF the screen motion jives with the resulting motion of background elements, like trees, mountains, clouds, etc.
- Ramanisky20
Maybe this might help
http://motionscript.com/masterin…
- Ramanisky20
any luck?
- BIGGESTDOGINTHEWORLD0
_
"The only thing with the parenting the flare center to the Null is that you might have to duplicate the Null, and move ALL keyframes relative to the flare location. Here's "
Your over complicating it, just write an expression that takes the flare centre x/y values then adds the tracking null x and y values to them, then you can move the flare centre to set the offset.
Makes more sense than using two nulls
- harlequino0
^I realize now. The first expression I posted up there sort of takes care of all that.
Ramanisky - haven't had a chance to try that out yet. The most timely solution was to hand animate. Cost an extra 30 minutes, no big deal.
But I am onto another project in which I think this will come up again, and will try that there.
- benr0ck0
should just be able to create an expression on the flare layers position and parent that to either the camera's position or the camera target. If it's harder than that then you probably could've constructed your scene better in the first place. Live and learn.
Option clicking anything with a keyframe icon allows you to pickwhip to other layers.