Animating A 3D Path. Trapcode TAO

[lucasTomahawk]

     Hi, I'm working on a project in After effects with Trapcode Tao. I'm basically creating a (kind of abstract looking) creature using Tao on top a video that will have a small amount of camera movement. The character needs to remain tethered to the 3D track... But I also must be able to make some simple adjustments to whatever path Tao is following (i.e. A leg taking a step).

     I guess my big question is ... What is the best method of creating a 3d path, that can be adjusted throughout the scene, and be followed by Tao. I'm pretty new to AE so any help is much appreciated! Thanks for your Time!!!

[Rick Gerard]

I would start by going through at least the Getting Started with TAO tutorials on the Red Giant tutorials page. Do a search for TAO to find them all. TAO is extremely complex and you'll need at least a couple of hours going through tutorials to get things to work properly.

As far as the motion path, the easiest thing to do is to is to create a solid layer, make it 3D, rotate it 90º in X and draw a path for your motion. The path can be drawn using other views so you don't have to stick with Active Camera and can extend beyond the solid layer placeholder. When you have the motion path drawn you can press Alt/Option + m to set a path keyframe, then Ctrl/Cmnd + x to cut the path keyframe, then create a new null layer, press Alt/Option + p to set the first position keyframe and then Ctrl/Cmnd + v to paste the keyframe. This will create a Motion Path for the null in the X, Y plane. Add another null to the timeline, make both nulls 3D, select the new null as the parent of the null with the motion path, rotate the new null, the parent, 90º in X, then delete the rotated null. Your null will now move in the X Z plane and you can use that path info for whatever you need to move in the comp.

I hope this helps. If I had a little more time I'd throw together a short tutorial that shows how to do this. The steps I gave are foolproof for turning a mask path to a motion path. How you utilize that information in TAO depends entirely on how you have set TAO and it will involve some really simple expressions that you can create entirely with the PickWhip.

[Mylenium]

Getting TAO to regenerate a path that is constantly changing would be extremely tricky, being that it cannot be both based on a mask and at the same time be 3D in the scene. You'd probably end up using Nulls and lights to define the actual path and then simply animate the positions of those elements.

Mylenium

[lucasTomahawk]

Thanks for the help and fast reply guys! I dont think i will be able to use paths in the way I planned. I wanted to us a path because TAO can inhabit the path as if it were just a line. The problem is... a path (at least as I understand it) is a point animated with keyframes to move throughout the course of the video. I dont think i can move a point of my line... because its not really a line. Or am i wrong?

I would like to use null objects do define my "joints"... but i still need something that TAO can follow and be connected to the null objects.

Any thoughts?

Thanks again

  -Lucas

[Rick Gerard]

Other than digging through all of the TAO tutorials on the Red Giant site I don't know exactly what might work for you. I admit that I have not fully explored the plug-in. If I were trying to do something like this I would start by looking at the TAO tutorials because there is a lot hidden in the ECP's UI that I don't fully understand.

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Lucas,

Are you still struggling to complete this task? What did you end up doing?

Let us know!

Kevin

[lucasTomahawk]

I am still working on it. Ive discovered an add on that will alow me to edit and keyframe vertice (BAO Mask Avenger). I havent messed with it much but i don't think i will be able to link any single point to a null object though.

I should have good control over the shape of my mask, but now im having trouble working with it in 3D space. I can daw my shape and edit its position... but the original mask seams to stay put.

I appreciate all the help. I am active duty military and currently stranded on a floating bridge with 3 blown out boat engine's... otherwise I'd send screen shots!

Thanks again

-Lucas