Greetings!
I have successfully used a plain effector to fade up mograph type in other projects.
(Plain effector passes by, type fades up.)
see this tutorial here for example of technique: http://vimeo.com/55230430
But when I try to do the same thing to a title using CV-Artsmart object (made the title in .AI, imported using artsmart plugin) I cannot fade up the letters.
It’s either on or off, no in-between.
I can skip artsmart and use mograph only, but then I lose some of artsmarts capabilities.
EDIT: Scroll down, a stable solution is provided @ post #13/edit
Hi Bruce,
Please share the file with the problem, perhaps set up a simplified version (No lights no other stuff in it, plug-ins or so, etc, thank you very much).
Perhaps you check first how you have set up the scene: Is each of the letter a single clone? If not, it will not work as in MoText for example, where each letter is practically a single clone.
If the Ai file is used as a single object, you need to set this up with a gradient in the material directly.
I will go more into detail when I see your file, OK?
P.S.: Perhaps this file might help. Have an eye on the green and red pyramid (Null.start and Null.end). These two Nulls define the start and end point of the gradient set to work (via XPresso), no cycle.
The Fracture Object is only there to let you use the Effector as well, just as a hint, hopefully not to confuse the set up… ;o)
As a side note: while the effector is off, press the C key while the Fracture Object is active. The resulting objects can be then used as clones. [file ..._11.c4d]
Hi Dr S,
thanks for your reply and the helpful files. After doing much tinkering (and comparing to your files) it appears the solution was simply changing the color of the FRACTURE object from white to black.
Pardon the late reply, I did not receive any email warnings of your response. Have to check my cine settings.
cheers,
bruce w.
Yes of course that works! It has since the introduction of MoGraph in 2006.
Even by just flying thought that tutorial you have had linked, I saw that this was mentioned there.
It is something that is true as well for the Cloner Object, which we had discussed many times here in the forum.
Based on that, assuming that was followed, why would you otherwise link this tutorial here, so I looked for solutions beyond that.
My bad, I should stop answering stuff once ad for ever if not a scene file is provided, period. It just makes no sense to guess.
Nice that you got your solution
BTW, I did not got an e-mail even for this, I just checked in, as in the past days something seems broken, but I can’t find a pattern so far.
Hm, seems I spoke to soon. The transparency fade up works in the preview (command+R) but when I render the letters are not visible. Never seen that before. I will continue to dig, but do you have any thoughts?
I’ll post the scene file as well…
bw
Wow, very frustrating. Numerous reply attempts with file attached with zero results. Tried multiple browsers. Moved file to desktop in case it was too deep. Ridiculous.
In regards to your replies: thank you, yes, the effector driven fade up works great on simple extruded text. But not so well if you want to keep your imported .ai file in the Artsmart plugin. Looks good in the preview window (command R) but doesn’t actually render properly.
I’ll try and attach my file again.
thanks for your attempts,
bruce
ok, for whatever reason I am not capable of posting an attachment. just goes blank after I hit submit.
I’m going for a run to vent my frustrations.
sheesh.
bw
In the moment you have set up the scene, de-activate the CV-ArtSmart Object. Click on the green arrow to get the red “x” instead. Just for this object. If left on, it over-writes the settings in the Fracture Objects, and sets them back to white. Perhaps you check this information in the CV-ToolBox forum, as this is monitored by Rick who knows his stuff very well.
By doing so (shut off the Parent-object), I get my result stable. Perhaps I miss something and Rick will tell what is possible.
As alternative, you can pull the part under the CV-ArtSmart away from the Parent and it will leave it as is, but produce if left on the next set up instantly.
(Edit: I did more tests, and even if it stays on “black”, save and reopen the file: the setting is back to white. So, set the scene up, switch off and get stable results /edit)
I keep the software normally free of plug ins, partly to explore native solution and partly to keep my workflow native for tutorials. As a side effect, I’m not used to them, even if they are often more than useful. So I had to explore it. Sounds perhaps weird, not even the CV plugs. Well, based on my work in the ‘90s, where I had spend around $10K in plug ins, I was so dependent after a while, and that has harmed me of course. The only place I use Plugs these days, and very limited is in Ae and Ps. Not even a dozen, easy to keep up with and install where ever I am. Not that I suggest that to anyone else, but doing tutorials since over ten years made me very comfortable to stay native. Again, I certainly miss some stuff.
I hope you can get what you want, with that little switch-trick. I hope Rick has some ideas how to establish the plug with an option to store the settings somehow. Each time you switch it on, for some changes, you have to “reset things. Not nice. Again, I might miss something…
Stable Workaround - or even a one step fix for now.
IN SHORT: As the Fracture switches back to white (100%) each time the CV-ArtSmart “restarts”, the first effector used needs to be “negative 100%” to counteract this.
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Take a Shader Effector. In the shading tab, place first a Layer Shader in it. Inside of the Layer Shader two Color Shader (the standard—not the MoGraph Color shader!)
Set the top Color Shader to white—100%
Set the lower Color Shader to black—0%
Now set the top layer to Subtract.
Set the Shader Effector to Mode>Color Mode>On (Use Alpha/Strength to off)
This effector must be in any Fracture Object that switches back to white and the Effector must be in top position.
After that any other Effector starts with black as provided clone color and with that, the Effector works as if the Fracture would have been set to black in the first place.
Perhaps that might be included in an future update in the plug in, but for now, that is the my solution for now.
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Works as well with the MoGraph Color shader in the Alpha channel!
Enjoy
Sassi
File _01 is based on the explanation above
File _11 is an example for the alpha channel
Even if I repeat myself here, as I said it many times, to know MoGraph very well, one needs to know the flow of information (and with that—which kind of information is working in a set up).
