Layer Space Transforms in After Effects, 6 Part Series!

Felt Tips gives a great presentation. He’s very articulate and explains it with great care and interesting graphics. Good stuff!

A1. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 1 of 6 – Introduction

A1. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 1 of 6 – Introduction from Felt Tips on Vimeo.

The first part of my 90 minute tutorial, Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects

A 2 minute introduction to the full tutorial, just to whet the appetite!

A2. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 2. The Principle

A2. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 2. The Principle from Felt Tips on Vimeo.

The second part of my 90 minute tutorial, Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions.

In this 6 minute section, I’ll be looking at the basic principles of the After Effects coordinate system. I’ll explore world space, layer space and (to a lesser extent) compostion space by using a simple demonstration. It’s essential to understand these coordinate systems, because the toWorld and fromWorld methods that I take a look at in a later part of this tutorial are used specifically to switch between world space and layer space.

A3. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 3 of 6 – Visualizing Layer Spaces

A3. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 3 of 6 – Visualizing Layer Spaces from Felt Tips on Vimeo.

The third part of my 90 minute tutorial, Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions.

In this 18 minute section, I’ll be setting up a simple system and using some expressions to help with intuitively visualizing how After Effects coordinates work, and to show the basics of how we can use expressions to measure a layer’s position in various different spaces.

A4. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 4 of 6 – Auto Focus Example

A4. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 4 of 6 – Auto Focus Example from Felt Tips on Vimeo.

The fourth part of my 90 minute tutorial, Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions.

In this 8 minute section, I’ll be setting using the stuff that I looked at in parts 1-3, to make a simple practical example, of automatically focussing a camera on a 3D object, regardless of the parenting set-up of the camera or the object.

A5. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 5. Example Showtime.

A5. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 5. Example Showtime. from Felt Tips on Vimeo.

The fifth part of my 90 minute tutorial, Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions.

In this 30 minute section, I’ll be looking at another real world example using the toWorld and fromWorld layer space transforms to make a system that uses nulls as targets for spotlights and camera – and in such a way that the system is completely robust – it works however you choose to change parent-child relationships after you’ve set it up.

A6. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 6. Example UFO

A6. Manipulating 3D Space with Expressions in After Effects – Part 6. Example UFO from Felt Tips on Vimeo.

This 30 minute tutorial is the sixth and final part (of the first volume) of my tutorial series on manipulating After Effects 3D space with expressions.

Here we use toWorld() and fromWorld() to create a retro 80s computer game kind of animation.

Related

• Try a free trial of Adobe After Effects
• Buy Adobe After Effects
• Thanks to Lester Banks for the great link!