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gregmaletic
gregmaletic
Inspiring
July 5, 2019
Question

Simulate a flip-dot board in After Effects?

  • July 5, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 6159 views

I want to simulate a flip dot board using After Effects (see here for an example Flipdot Tetris beta - YouTube ) I'd like to import a video, then have After Effects generate a flip-dot-like video for me based upon that input.

I have a vague sense that this can be done with a particle system, using little "flip dot" videos as particles… but I'm unsure beyond that. Can anyone ratify for me that this would be a good way to start? Any suggestions?

(This video Dot Pixels Plugin Demo - YouTube ​ seems like it possibly points the way, too. I'm happy to buy this plug-in if it'll help.)

Thanks very much.

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    2 replies

    Digital_Butcher
    Digital_Butcher
    Participant
    September 23, 2019

    Hey there! Please look for CC Ball Action in After Effects. That's the closest effect to Flip Dot. They're both pixel/dot base.

    Omar.Fathy
    Community Expert
    Omar.FathyCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 5, 2019

    You mean that you need to make something similar but without using the script ?!

    gregmaletic
    gregmaleticAuthor
    Inspiring
    July 5, 2019

    You mean the Dot Pixels Plug-In? I'd buy it if it would help. It's not precisely the effect I want: it has dots that pulse in size, and change color. I don't want that: I want dots of constant size that appear to flip from white to black and back again.

    I'm open to buying it if, with some modifications, I could make it do what I want. I'm just not sure if it does, or if there is a clean way to do this using built-in AE functionality.

    R
    Community Expert
    Rick GerardCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 6, 2019

    There are more plug-ins and UI Panels to do that even this one that is in your question has more options to edit the shape.


    No need for any 3rd party plug-ins.

    Create a dot matrix using a simple shape layer and a couple of repeaters. Use basic arithmetic to set up the pattern. Here's one with 50 dots in each line:

    Duplicate that layer, change the color, name it back.

    Add a 50% gray solid and a text layer with Black Text, add a text animator like Fade In Characters, then pre-compose the pair so they look like this and name the pre-comp Gradient:

    Turn off the back layer, apply Card Dance, set Y rotation to use the Gradient and adjust the number of rows and columns as you like and you'll get this:

    Any pattern that moves in the Gradient layer will cause the cards (the dots) to flip over. The more rows and columns you have the higher the resolution. The only hard part is lining up the animated graphics in the gradient layer so they line up with the rows and columns.

    Card Dance can also move the cards in 3D and use an AE camera so you can make things really interesting.

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