Some time ago when I was working on a project I had to manage a huge amount of different render passes that came out of 3D Studio Max VRay renderer. Since they were all rendering to the same folder and for some reason there was no way to make each render pass go to it’s own folder. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it was really annoying to work with all those files in one folder. When importing those sequences to After Effects I had to dig through thousands of files just to find the right sequence. So I made a tool that sorted the files for me and putted them in proper folders, but at that time it could only deal with certain cases.

Now the time has come to improve on my solution. Today I give you: File Sequence Detector 1.0.

You can download the file using the download button below. In the ZIP package you will find an executable file (no installation required), and the source code (au3). I developed this script using a free automation tool, AutoIt v3, which I like very much and use quite often. Make sure to check the readme.txt for instructions. Enjoy.

Download: File Sequence Detector 1.0 (Windows)

Have you ever felt that theres something wrong with this world? Have you ever felt you know something, and that what you know you can’t explain? Now you can. Sort off…

Click here to watch the video tutorial

Some time ago I needed to create the raining code look as seen in “The Matrix” movie, so I started to google for ready to use projects, but found nothing of value that I could use in my work… So I had to create my own. Watch this tutorial to learn all about it.

My first instinct was to use Trapcode Particular along with some custom particles to create the look I was after, but I quickly found out, that it’s just not going to cut it. The raining code has some very distinct look to it and the key to making it look good was to really pinpoint what was happening with the falling letters. Here’s what I found out after watching the original design as seen in the movie:

• There are two types of letters: leading, and following (after vision letters)
• The leading letters are brighter than the others
• The letters fall down in columns at different speeds
• One column can have multiple leading letters falling at different speeds
• Both leading and following letters change chars at random points in time (out of sync)
• The amount of the following letters is random (tail length)
• The letters always move a given amount of pixels (letter height)

As far as everything on the list above could probably be achieved using Particular to create the look, the last point would be really hard to do. In theory all of the points above could be done, however it would take a lot of calculation to get the parameters of Particular just right, so I figured to change the approach a bit, and instead of having a “leading letter particle” spawn “after vision particles”, I decided to build a grid of letters, and then use Particular and Mosaic effect to reveal them. That way I could focus on the look, speed, timing and other “artistic” aspects of the work, and not think about how to set up Particular.

At the end of the tutorial you will also see how to change the color of the leading letters using the Threshold effect. What I forgot to mention is that you can of course play with the Threshold parameter changing the range of letters that are being treated as “leading letters”. Give it a try. It can create some really awesome looks.

Download: Tutorial project file (After Effects CS4)

If you ever struggled with your After Effects 3D camera than this tutorial is for you. Learn to rig your camera in seconds or buy a my script that will do it for you.

Click here to watch the video tutorial

Get Simple Camera Rig Script 1.0 (CS3) for only 14.90 USD

I don’t know about you my friends, but each time I’m thinking about using After Effects camera I get the shivers. It’s good for panning and zooming, but once you start to make a more classy and smooth motion, or you want to sex it up a bit with some curves you get into trouble. You need to keep track of zoom, point of interest, position, orientation and rotation keyframes all at once. We should be very grateful for Separate Dimensions feature in After Effects CS4, but it does not solve all the problems.

In this tutorial I will show you a technique that is widely used in camera animation by many artists that work in 3D Studio Max, Cinema 4D, or any other 3d application. I hope it will open your eyes on the subject of camera animation, and that you’ll start making your own more complex rigs. Good luck. Enjoy the tutorial.

And for those of you who don’t have time to build the rig each time you need to use it here’s a handy script that will set up the camera and the rig for you. Enjoy!

Get Simple Camera Rig 1.0 (CS3) for only 14.90 USD

Collision detection and audio triggering. Learn how to build a radar that actually works using only four keyframes! This one is a must-see!

Click here to watch the video tutorial

This tutorial is no different from the others. It’s not creating a certain effect. Oh no. It’s about solving common and uncommon problems, and about finding solutions to situations that might occur in the future. All to help you work more efficiently by saving huge amounts of time. It’s not about the final visual result, but the way to get there.

So… what is this tutorial really about? We’re going to create a radar that really works! Draw the radar, animate the target over it, and watch how the radar detects the object by itself, marks it on the grid and even makes a beeping sound.

This whole project consists of only four keyframes, and few expressions, that will detect the collision between the target and the scanning line. When the collision occurs, the target will become visible, and a beep sound will be generated.

You must see this one! I hope you’ll like it. Enjoy!

Update
There is an update for this tutorial. If you’re using After Effects CS3 than you should check out the CE PixelSampler tutorial, where you can learn how to use my CustomEffect to detect collisions.

Download: Tutorial project file (After Effects CS2)

Avoid common problems when creating a signature effect by customizing your brush tip, and learn how to create the effect itself.

Click here to watch the video tutorial

If you ever tried to animate a signature than you probably know, that when it’s more complex shape than just a simple line, you can run into some troubles. This tutorial will show you, how you can avoid them by customizing the brush tip. The whole idea is to use Paint effect instead of Stroke.

And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, just see the tutorial and learn how to create a signature effect. Enjoy.

Download: Tutorial project file (After Effects CS2)

When you’re creating background for a DVD project, website, or a TV commercial it’s always good to know how to loop your animation.

Click here to watch the video tutorial

Maybe this tutorial isn’t something very unique, but I’ve seen a lot of people asking questions about creating a loopable backgrounds, so here we are. Learn how to use blending modes and very powerful and often unappreciated fractal noise filter. Make a loop out of your background animation and make it look even more exciting by applying textures and lights to create a final look.

Download: Tutorial project file (After Effects CS2)