A few people liked Hotel trip, both because it’s funny and because of Goran‘s nice illustration and taste for colors.
First of all, I made some wallpapers out of the video, you can download them here.
The original illustration colors are the first one’s! ;)
I’ve been asked how I made some of the smooth moves in that one animation that I then color shifted and repeated until seizure.
Now, let me take this one into pieces: one for each tool I used.
Ease and Wizz
First of all, if you haven’t this in you After Effects scripts, please, do yourself a favour and download it now.
This fabolous script will help you ease the property you choosed from the timeline.
This means the movement from one point to another will be much more smoother.
You can chose from 6 degrees of smoothness (actual trigonometric formulas) and 3 different movements, plus a few other options, to choose wich part of the whole animation to smooth.
Note that it will override any “hourglass” or “circle” keyframe you previously made or you will make, even curves will be ignored, but it will help you make really nice tweening in various ways.
Time Displacement
This one is a built in effect in After Effects, it will shift the time alignment of the pixels of the composition you’ll apply it to, evaluating the time shifting through a gresycale.
Sounds complicated? Well… it kinda is, but once you try it gets easier.
Just precompose a simple BW ramp, apply the time displacement on an animated comp and use the ramp comp on it.
Voilà!
This triangles might explain this thing a little better.
The first triangle is the basic animation, the second one has time displacement applied and uses the linear ramp to shift pixels, the third triangle uses the circular ramp.
A quick note: keep the time resolution lower until you render, it’s really processor intensive.
The “max displacement time” will raise or lower the time gap between white and black pixels.
Duik tools
You can download Duik tools straight from the website.
This will provide you a great set of different tools, but now, I’ll only have a look at the spring one.
This is as simple as it sounds: pick a property, click the “spring” button and you’re done.
In this one I just animated the rotation with two keyframes, all the “springness” is automated thanks to Duik.
Nulls
You wouldn’t believe how much I use nulls… :)
If you need a new pivot for the rotation of your object, if you want to scale X and Y independently, group objects together, or let’s say you want to rotate the object with a springy movement while move it with an exponential tween… well, just create a new null and use it as new parent and you’re done!
Hope you found this interesting, and maybe you’re already having fun, playing with this, as much as I had in making Hotel Trip.
Please, send me a link to whatever you do using these techniques, I’d love to see it!
Have fun!!! :)
Awesome tips, Rocket Panda! When I did everything in Flash, I used to do all my ease in and outs frame by frame, each one. This is a time saver. :-)
When I worked in Flash I did like you, a lot of easings and frame by frame works.
After effects scripts rock by the way and there’s plenty around the web! :D
Hope you had fun reading this! ;)
Great little resource, thanks for sharing Rick!
You’re welcome! :)
Interested in using the time displacer, cannot quite get it to work though…I am have animated a shape layers position and rotation, and also have a precomped ramp in the scene.
I then apply the TD to the shape layer…and set the time displacer layer to the ramp….nothing seems to happen…any suggestions?
Adam
Try precomposing the shape layer and applying the TD to that comp! ;)
I’m sure that will solve it.
Ohh, thanks for getting back to me….
Yeah, I alreay tried that….still no dice…strange…
http://tinypic.com/r/zv7o1g/5
send me the project :)
I have solved the problem precomposing both the shape layer and the ramp, this way it should work
Just want to say, already these tips are having a impact on my work. There are lots of great cinema recourses on the web. But after effects tips about how to make things look better as they move are pretty much none existent.
Thanks Adam… Lovely comment, I appreciate it so much!
Lovely little tutorial. Was actually afraid to ask you what your secret was with the “floppy shape” animations but you explained such great tips in this one tut. Most of the tools I actually have on my computer as well so what a relief. Many thanks! Don’t want to be a bother, but was wondering if you plan to do tuts on effects and cinema4d or tools used? Your show reel is astounding. Really itching to know though how you came about the TV effects on the intro and end, as well as that animation about 1:00 in (so sleek so cool so shiny portion). All in all keep up the excellent work, you’re truly in your element.
Cheers!
Sorry mate, I probalby forgot to reply, do you have a mail? :)
ty so much!! Rick!, really great tutorial, that tools are so interesting! and very helpful!
your work is amazing, and u are a great man! :)
cheers from Colombia!
Hi Rafatoon! :) Glad you liked them, I hope to see some stuff you’ll make with these! ;)
thanks riccardo this is gold! (sei un benefattore!!)
Cheers mate! ;) Lavori a Milano?
Hey Ricky,
Sorry for the late reply as well (irony lawl)
Anyway, my email is xjgold(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Cheers! Xavier
Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Many thanks, However
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