Known Participant

Question

Cinema 4D and After Effects animation problem (object null for light not synchronized to the center) only if I use camera

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
May 9, 2017
5 replies
9086 views

Software: Cinema 4D R18 e After Effects cc 2017.1

With Cinema 4D I made the car.

With After Effects I want to apply a realistic light to the front light.

In Cinema 4D, the machine is animated in a null object.

Then I created a null object (for the light in After Effects) that I put as a child to the null object of the animation and it follows perfectly the animated path.

The problem arises when I use a camera.

If I do not use any camera, when I open the .c4d project in After Effects, the null object follows perfectly the center of the front light.

If instead I use a camera, the null object is not at the center of the lighthouse and does not follow the animation perfectly, why?

How can I fix it? I absolutely need to use the camera. Thank you.

Kevin-Monahan

Community Manager

Hi SanchezMusics,

What did you do to solve this issue? Any advice you can give other users? Did anyone's advice help you here? Let us know.

Thanks,
Kevin

Kevin Monahan - Sr. Community & Engagement Strategist – Pro Video and Audio

SanchezMusicsAuthor

Known Participant

Thank you very much for your availability.

Unfortunately, it is not good, I like to do things with utmost precision.

This is and serious lack of after effects.

It's really ugly limitation not be able to can use the crane camera in after effects.

We hope Adobe tries to do something to solve this serious problem.

Cinema 4d It is extraordinary. After effects It is extraordinary. Combined with cineware is fantastic, but there must be a full support.

Playing with limitations is sad. It passes almost the urge to use it know that it is limited and we can not do everything we would like.

And it's a very important thing I hope adobe does not underestimate. For example, making realistic lights car as in this example of the topic is fundamental that they communicate perfectly even with a crane chamber.

A

Aaron Ecthelion

Inspiring

I don't think Adobe will do anything for this. After Effects is a compositing program, not 3D. So the camera in AE is much limited, not mimicking real camera, which cinema4d camera does.No programs are perfect.

If you want precision, manually keyframing is a way to go. But it's painful.

Cheers

Aaron

SanchezMusicsAuthor

Known Participant

We are in 2017 and after effects has made a lot of progress over the years, I think now obviously there is a need to think about better integrating 3d in the true sense of the word and not just fictitious.

Io penso che per adobe sia giunto il momento di avvicinarsi un pò più seriamente al mondo del 3d che si sta espandendo sempre di più ogni giorno. O lo integra in after effects un vero spazio 3d, oppure sviluppano un nuovo software. Suite Adobe ha tutto, ma manca una componente importante nel 2017, il vero 3D, not the fictitious one with 2D planes.

Imagine with a real integration between after effects and 4d cinema what can you create. Even just a real 3d camera will suffice. I'm sure if they want to do it, they find a way to solve this serious limitation.

Force Adobe, you're immense and you can do it succeed !

Will be a success with those beautiful minds of engineers working in adobe.

SanchezMusicsAuthor

Known Participant

It's been three days that I'm looking for solutions and doing a thousand tests, but I still can not solve it.

This morning I found this solution that should work very well.

The problem is that from the eight o'clock this morning I try, but I'm not able to do it.

The problem is also why google translator use and translation is not fine. And I do not understand good the steps to do.

Any person corteous can help me and apply this technique to my sample file I have attached?

I would be really grateful to you.

This is the solution I found for to have offset in after effects.

For mother-tongue people it takes only a few minutes to understand and apply the steps to be done.

Brother, can you devote please five minutes of your precious time?

This can also help many other people. It's a serious lack of offset in after effects.

SOLUTION:

So, I got off my lazy butt, and nailed it.

here's the zipped file, with C4D file including the expresso, the .aep file and a final AE project.

I am using a simple expression in AE to get the 2D shift data from the "shift_corrector" null.

So the procedure is the following:

1. make a null and assign the expresso. Make sure you input the correct output resolution in the 2 "constant" operators in Expresso (I used 640x480 resolution)

2. export that as you usually do in AE.

3. in AE, import the .aep project and duplicate the Comp. Name one "3D-elements" and the other "MAIN comp".

4. in the "3D-elements" comp, leave all the 3D data containers and the camera, solids and lights but remove the "shift-corrector" and the rendered image.

5. in the MAIN comp, leave the rendered movie and the "shift-corrector".

6. drop your "3D-elements" comp into the MAIN comp and apply the little script to the "position" value of the "3D-elements". You can do that with the "whip" BUT don't forget to adjust the values to reflect an added offset of half your X and Y resolution (look at the script and you will understand). e.g. the last part of the script reads: [temp+320, 240]

I added the "+320" and 240. The whip gives you: [temp,temp]

and that's that.

Works like a charm!

FILE:

My new file: whait moment please

Example author's file loaded by him: Example author's file loaded by himhttp://noseman.org/cg_talk/camera_shift_2_AE_test_01.zip

A

Aaron Ecthelion

Inspiring

Waiting for your new file

SanchezMusicsAuthor

Known Participant

Here's my new file: https://www.sendspace.com/file/0mxiyn

Thanks brother.

A

Aaron Ecthelion

Inspiring

You open .c4d file right inside After Effects via Cineware plug-in?

I have encountered this kind of problem before. My camera animation in C4D could not be imported into After Effects properly through Cineware plug-in. Then I baked my animation, and saved an .AEC file. Finally my animation was correct.

So, you can try the aec workflow, which I like a lot.

Cheers

Aaron

SanchezMusicsAuthor

Known Participant

I open directly the .c4d file and without camera there works well.

The problem is when you use a camera.

I've also tried your method, but not i managed to make it work.

Anyway, whatever the method solves the problem, I have prepared two sample files, so as to be as clear as possible.

The room is that of the final scene with bake, the machine I made cubes to have the small file.

Nel file scene_1 - with camera.c4d Null objects do not follow the animation perfectly.

Nel file scene_2 - not camera.c4d Instead the objects follow perfectly the animation because there is not camera.

scene_1 - with camera:https://www.sendspace.com/file/8vey7c

scene_2 - not camera: https://www.sendspace.com/file/ii5484

Thank you very much for your help.

SanchezMusicsAuthor

Known Participant

Please anyone help me solve somehow the camera problem that does not properly follow the null object?

Sorry for my english use google translator.

Thanks.

Mylenium

Legend

You may need to bake the keyframes in Cinema 4D. These are weird bugs in the C4D keyframing stuff.

Mylenium

SanchezMusicsAuthor

Known Participant

I've cooked the animation, and I even cooked the camera (I tried both with fixed objects and with the Nitrobrake plugin), but the problem did not disappear. What else can I try?

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded