Thanks heaps Phil and thanks to Dan too..

 

All I can say is

D’oh!!

 

It’s simple!  Don’t you hate it when you over-think things… J

 

 

There is the second part to my dilemma though…

 

As all the images are from different angles, the light and exposure is also different from each camera.

Is there a way to analyze the light (maybe based on the white) and then automatically adjust the individual clips to have them meet at an average exposure? (in a script that is, or is there a plugin I am unaware of..)

 

I have seen the HDRI plugin in AEsripts:

http://aescripts.com/efx-hdri-comp/

 

It doesn seem to do what I am after but would that be of any help?

 

Thanks in advance (again)

 

Pat

 

From: After Effects Mail List [mailto:AE-List@media-motion.tv] On Behalf Of Phil Spitler
Sent: Friday, 13 January 2012 11:53 AM
To: After Effects Mail List
Subject: Re: [AE] *** DESPERATELY SEEKING AE SCRIPTING GURU*** Bullet time arrangement of footage

 

You  might be able to do this another way without scripting.

 

Line up your layers as you are doing now so that the clapper is at frame zero.

 

Go to Frame 0 and select all your layers then press alt and open bracket to trim all the layers in points.

 

then go to frame 5, select all layers and trim the out points using alt close bracket.

 

Select all you clips, right click and choose "keyframe assistants" then choose "sequence layers".

 

That should do exactly what you want in a matter of minutes.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Phil

 

 

Phil Spitler |   Associate Creative Director  |  Bonfire  Labs  |  t : 415.394.8200  |  c : 415.571.3139  |  Bonfirelabs.com

 

On Jan 12, 2012, at 4:40 PM, Patrick Taylor (MEL) wrote:

Hi guys. 

 

I have a project that is needing a script in order to reduce hours of manual work time.  I think it can be done but I am not talented in this area of AE as many of you are.  If someone is able to help me, I would be most appreciative. I have a small budget that I could afford to pay something if I can get this right. 

 

Here is the issue:

 

I am bringing 50 clips into AE, lay them on the timeline lining up the matching start point of each clip at 00:00:00:00 on the timeline by matching the clapper and then proceed to use time remap from the point I want the arc to begin to work in 5 frame increments to:

 

create a freeze frame: (time remap, mark keyframe, toggle hold keyframe),

move forward 5 frames, 

trim the footage: ( Alt + close bracket ), 

move to next layer, 

 

I then repeat the process:

freeze, move 5 frames,cut layer, move to next layer 

freeze, move 5 frames,cut layer, move to next layer 

freeze, move 5 frames,cut layer, move to next layer 

freeze, move 5 frames,cut layer, move to next layer 

freeze, move 5 frames,cut layer, move to next layer 

freeze, move 5 frames,cut layer, move to next layer 

 

and so on…  this creates a low budget bullet time effect.

 

I am using hot keys where I can but it is taking forever .  This is a rig I have built myself and I am learning every step of the way.

 

I honestly think it could be scripted somehow… cant it?

Basically, I see it as this:

 

I manually load the footage in and lay it on the timeline.

I manually slip the shots to match up at 00:00:00:00 by using a clapper

 

I line up the time marker to where I want the arc to begin

Run script

 

Script does this:

create a freeze frame

moves forward 5 frames, 

trims the footage

moves to next layer

repeat process till all layers are trimmed and done.

 

Also, there is slight exposure differences between cameras.

Is there a way I can adjust them all at once to find a medium exposure over all the shots in a script??

 

As I said before, this is not my area at all.  If this is being way to presumptuous about AE's capabilities, please let me know.  

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  

Please email me at:

 

PMTV@optusnet.com.au

 

Thank you in advance

 

Patrick Taylor

 

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