THANKYOU HARRY N RG!!!! There are SOOOO MANY UA-cam videos stating they'll show how to do this, HOWEVER they simply animate an emitter along a path. THIS is EXACTLY what I've been needing THANKYOU THANKYOU!!!
Just quickly to add to this, as it's now a few years old. I think After Effects expressions have changed a bit as the script at ua-cam.com/video/a3ZfR4uJxNY/v-deo.htmlsi=mDkitf5NJze-gPVs&t=546 brings up an error. The correct way to write it now, needs some added braces: if(time==inPoint) {0} else {value;}
To anybody whose not getting the particle flow along the keyframed path after setting the motion path to 1, you have to have your first keyframe at the beginning of the composition for it to work. Just a heads up.
Thanks a lot. I took so much away from this tutorial. I appreciate the extra cinema 4d tip at end. I will also be trying to figure out how to get the particles to bounce off of cinema 4d geometry.
Great explanation of the expressions! Sure you can copy/paste expressions from online, but if you get to understanding them, you can make unique ones. So thanks! :)
That's exactly why I'm here. I try not to be too judgmental of people who need a quick effect to download, but unless you actually know how to create this stuff, you're never going to appreciate just how much power is at your finger tips and what you're truly capable of creating. There's a reason a basic pencil, despite an enormous amount of variety and technological innovations over the years, ultimately still boils down to being a stick of graphite rubbing off on a surface. The ability to create works of art comes from the techniques in how the pencil is used, not how many presets it can stamp on the paper for you.
For anyone struggling with getting the sprites to not all face random ways, I found that setting velocity to 0 fixed this, then just adjust as in the video
In newest Trapcode suite 16 the Particular interface is different. The motion path is now under Fast Physics section, and the Air controls are under Environment. Please update this tutorial, because it is confusing to new Trapcode users like myself.
The general premise is ultimately the same. It's very common for tutorials or training material to have been done on outdated versions of software unless the newer version offers an update, upgrade, or replacement of the feature the tutorial was about. Especially if they're nuanced changes like the options simply being relocated. Not to belittle your issue but if this is your first time learning new software from tutorials, I'm sympathetic to your struggle. Trust me, it gets much easier to adapt to changes in UI in older tutorials the more you do it. I personally was able to find it by just flipping through the menus in Particular. It becomes second nature, I promise. It's simply not worth it for developers to go back and update every single tutorial they make every time they release an update that relocates some settings, you know?
Do you have to set the path to the light before you make your keyframes? Because when I try to draw my path, then set it in particular, it doesn't follow it at all
Yes, the naming is important! Glad you figured it out. When we do updated training covering all of the new features, we'll be sure to make this part more clear.
How would I go about using trapcode to reveal a mask? For example if i have footage of a car and I want a futuristic look on a car and I want to highlight the wheel. How would I animate the particles to fly in and settle on the mask of the wheel? Such as the particles flying through my footage in a 3D way and then forming together at the end of the motion path to create mask shape of the rim of the car. I’m assuming I’d use a motion path and a mask layer but I can’t find much information about this at all on the internet. All the tutorials are mainly about how to emit from a location or how to animate particles full stop. I think doing a tutorial about this would be very useful as it’s a great “real world” example of how this plugin can be used on footage. Please answer my question if you get time I’d sincerely appreciate it.
You would emit from the location you want the particles to come to and then reverse them. Either, render them out and play that video in reverse or use the physics time factor to emit them out and then reverse them back into place. As to placing them, you could either emit them from a 3d model or from a mask. Here's a tutorial on emitting from masks: ua-cam.com/video/JBDioVoIc9c/v-deo.html&lc=Ugyf36cdbEVf1XwE3HN4AaABAg
Anytime i try to load Tracode Particular Cloud or Rocks presets and click apply i get an error saying the effects are incompatible or corrupt yet the preview in the plugin itself (not after effects) Loads and adjusts according to what I alter) What's the point if it wont load when I click "apply" in after effects
recently discovered this tuts series after downloading particular for the first time as a self-taught after effects user. great quality and great content, tho it does seem that some updates made in the latest release significantly puzzle some users, including me. Im trying to follow along with using feature in particular but things dont turn out just as demonstrated in the video. upon brooding on what I could have done wrong, i noticed there was this new item i have on my screen but doesnt appear in the version this video is based on, it's called . assuming that you still take questions via comments, can you help me out with using the new function i just discovered?
Is there an updated version of this tutorial. It seems some of these features changed or disappeared in the latest version of Trapcode Particular? Thanks
Whenever I do what you did at 2:57, I get the particles to follow the path, but every single time, half of the particles end up "piling up" into a circle at the end of the path. This also happens when I draw the path on a null (w/ pen tool), copy+paste the mask path to the position of the null, and then pick whip the position of the Particular layer (in "Emitter" tab) to the null. I have no idea why this happens, but it always does... I even redownloaded AE. Please help, this is killing me!
First of all, thank you for your tutorial, it has helped me a lot, but I have a small problem. In 18.1, the directional motion does not work (the direction of the object does not fit the direction of the motion path), how can I solve it?
Depending on how offset your emitter is from the motion path or the rotations involved, things can appear different than you expect. Check those things and make sure your emitter size is small. If things still aren't working, ping us elsewhere where we can be of more help.
my nulls are going by the comp camera, i have text and nulls. the text is in the right place but when i turn off the camera the text goes to where the nulls are thats how i know its the after effects / comp view. why would the nulls not stay with the text in after effects as they are in c4d?
so im using version 18, and tried doing this and adding second system to make trail. the problem is after the "trail" being emitted they dont follow the path. i have set all velocities for the trail to 0, but they are still "drifting". what do i do?
Are you saying you want the particles to not follow the motion path or you do want them to follow it? If you want them not to, you need to put in a blank block in the second emitter where the motion path is so that they don't inherit the settings from the main system.
I seem to be having the same issue as several people where my particles do not follow the path after I rename the light layer to Motion Path 1 and follow the exact procedure demonstrate in the video...anyone has a clue how to fix it? I'm also on the latest AE.
@@MaxonRedgiant yes that project worked but when I copy exactly the same settings it doesn't. See my project file drive.google.com/file/d/1p6TjsKJp68r8bHqpMLiX-lNiF85UrFMM/view?usp=sharing
@@csu2360 The problem in your example is that your light path is moving over nearly 40 seconds, but your particles are only alive for three seconds. They're following the path, but only the first few seconds of it. If you select all of your path keyframes, hold alt, and drag the far right one to three seconds (so the light does its full motion over three seconds), your particles follow the full light path.
I'd like to use 2 systems on 1 instance of Particular 3 with 2 different motion paths helix'ing each other. System 2 -> Physics -> Air doesn't have an option for motion path???? Can 1 instance of Particular 3 not have 2 systems referencing different Motion Paths? Thanks for your help.
this dosent work with element 3d object - you should reupdate this tutorial for the audience ! where are you all ? all we can find is 2 videos of Z depth in AE with Trapcode, and one of them is with element 3D text, but with objects this doesnt work. also the video with chandelier - in my case the trapcode ignoring the 3D mask in space.so useles to fligh fast - no one learn something here, all are wondering and stunishing...but 0% knowldege
There are potentially a number of ways to do that - it kind of depends on what you're trying to do. You can use a spherical field in negative values to pull particles into a space.
That's correct! The old "physics" section (that wasn't really physics) has been moved to the Displace section. We now have an actual simulation system that offers more organic and realistic behavior - you can check it out under the Environment section.
@@Marco-hz8vv There's an all new (actual) air physics system in place. The Displace section contains the old controls (like turbulence, Drift [which is the old "wind"], and more). The Environment section has the new air physics in it. You can set the air density and much more there.
There is a missing link in this tutorial and that's why so many of you didn't succeed. (me included) This is well explained with text instructions at 2:05 in this other tutorial: ua-cam.com/video/X6XicAMJeHs/v-deo.html
@@MegaFrederike keep in mind that the particles don't exactly follow the light's path. They follow the motion of the light path relative to the position of the emitter.
@Red Giant I am having the same issue where once I rename the light to Motion Path 1 and choose "1" under the Motion Path, the particles don't follow the light position when I move it
@@Willopo100 If you are in the Particular Designer, Motion Paths are under the Displace category in the Motion Effects block. If you are in the After Effects Effect Control Panel, Motion Paths are under the Displace twirldown.
z white dosent work and z black dont mmake this result we all want, man this tutorial explains nothing, just click here and there and make this object but how this is working no one explain, we know z depth from 3d software but HOW it has to manage to work with element 3d object - man this leak of knowledge is struggeling all newcomer - no one will buy your products because no one know how to use...wtf ? this logic is going dead
Thanks Harry, that last bit of baking motion to a spline in C4D was exactly the info I needed. Bless ya:)
THANKYOU HARRY N RG!!!! There are SOOOO MANY UA-cam videos stating they'll show how to do this, HOWEVER they simply animate an emitter along a path. THIS is EXACTLY what I've been needing THANKYOU THANKYOU!!!
Just quickly to add to this, as it's now a few years old. I think After Effects expressions have changed a bit as the script at ua-cam.com/video/a3ZfR4uJxNY/v-deo.htmlsi=mDkitf5NJze-gPVs&t=546 brings up an error. The correct way to write it now, needs some added braces: if(time==inPoint) {0} else {value;}
To anybody whose not getting the particle flow along the keyframed path after setting the motion path to 1, you have to have your first keyframe at the beginning of the composition for it to work. Just a heads up.
thank you sooo much!
Thanks a lot. I took so much away from this tutorial. I appreciate the extra cinema 4d tip at end. I will also be trying to figure out how to get the particles to bounce off of cinema 4d geometry.
You are the master of After effects, It has solved a big challenge in my project, Thanks Sir
Great explanation of the expressions! Sure you can copy/paste expressions from online, but if you get to understanding them, you can make unique ones. So thanks! :)
That's exactly why I'm here. I try not to be too judgmental of people who need a quick effect to download, but unless you actually know how to create this stuff, you're never going to appreciate just how much power is at your finger tips and what you're truly capable of creating. There's a reason a basic pencil, despite an enormous amount of variety and technological innovations over the years, ultimately still boils down to being a stick of graphite rubbing off on a surface. The ability to create works of art comes from the techniques in how the pencil is used, not how many presets it can stamp on the paper for you.
most useful particular tutorial in the entire youtube!
Nice! Helps a lot thanks for making these tutorials
These videos are great thanks. Your explanations are precise and economical and easy to follow.
For anyone struggling with getting the sprites to not all face random ways, I found that setting velocity to 0 fixed this, then just adjust as in the video
In newest Trapcode suite 16 the Particular interface is different. The motion path is now under Fast Physics section, and the Air controls are under Environment. Please update this tutorial, because it is confusing to new Trapcode users like myself.
The general premise is ultimately the same. It's very common for tutorials or training material to have been done on outdated versions of software unless the newer version offers an update, upgrade, or replacement of the feature the tutorial was about. Especially if they're nuanced changes like the options simply being relocated. Not to belittle your issue but if this is your first time learning new software from tutorials, I'm sympathetic to your struggle. Trust me, it gets much easier to adapt to changes in UI in older tutorials the more you do it. I personally was able to find it by just flipping through the menus in Particular. It becomes second nature, I promise.
It's simply not worth it for developers to go back and update every single tutorial they make every time they release an update that relocates some settings, you know?
Thanks a lot!
Mine just doesnt work like 75% of the time...
My Particles do not follow the path, I named the light Motion Path 1 and selected under Air and still nothing
have you done it
Same
For me the same Particles does'nt follow Motion Path 1
I have the same problem...How did you fix that?
For some reason this only works like half the time for me.
Do you have to set the path to the light before you make your keyframes? Because when I try to draw my path, then set it in particular, it doesn't follow it at all
Me, too, I am struggling, as well? I can't figure it out within the application. I can get it to animate on the motion path .
@@traviswinn make sure when you create a light that its a "point" light not a spotlight or cone!! THAts what my issue was.
Hi. Great Tutorial and great plug-in, may I ask what do you press on the keyboard at minute 22 to move the value up and down in the z-buffer?
Ctrl + Up (arrow up or down) - will change at 1 value. If add Shift - will change at 100 value per press.
If Alt + Up/Down - will change at 10 value
Thank you so much for this tutorial
Great Tut! Great Feature!
This is so helpful
Sehr gutes Tutorial! Thanks a lot!
Thank you!
You have to call it "Motion Path 1" otherwise it doesn't work! The "1" is important. I was stuck not understanding why it didn't work for a while..
Yes, the naming is important! Glad you figured it out. When we do updated training covering all of the new features, we'll be sure to make this part more clear.
How would I go about using trapcode to reveal a mask? For example if i have footage of a car and I want a futuristic look on a car and I want to highlight the wheel. How would I animate the particles to fly in and settle on the mask of the wheel?
Such as the particles flying through my footage in a 3D way and then forming together at the end of the motion path to create mask shape of the rim of the car.
I’m assuming I’d use a motion path and a mask layer but I can’t find much information about this at all on the internet. All the tutorials are mainly about how to emit from a location or how to animate particles full stop. I think doing a tutorial about this would be very useful as it’s a great “real world” example of how this plugin can be used on footage.
Please answer my question if you get time I’d sincerely appreciate it.
You would emit from the location you want the particles to come to and then reverse them. Either, render them out and play that video in reverse or use the physics time factor to emit them out and then reverse them back into place.
As to placing them, you could either emit them from a 3d model or from a mask. Here's a tutorial on emitting from masks: ua-cam.com/video/JBDioVoIc9c/v-deo.html&lc=Ugyf36cdbEVf1XwE3HN4AaABAg
It says syntax error for me in after effects if(time==inPoint)0 else value
use: if(time==inPoint) {0} else {value}
Adobe changed the requirements for if/else recently
Anytime i try to load Tracode Particular Cloud or Rocks presets and click apply i get an error saying the effects are incompatible or corrupt yet the preview in the plugin itself (not after effects) Loads and adjusts according to what I alter) What's the point if it wont load when I click "apply" in after effects
recently discovered this tuts series after downloading particular for the first time as a self-taught after effects user. great quality and great content, tho it does seem that some updates made in the latest release significantly puzzle some users, including me. Im trying to follow along with using feature in particular but things dont turn out just as demonstrated in the video. upon brooding on what I could have done wrong, i noticed there was this new item i have on my screen but doesnt appear in the version this video is based on, it's called . assuming that you still take questions via comments, can you help me out with using the new function i just discovered?
Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram - somewhere where you can share images so we can try to help.
Is there an updated version of this tutorial. It seems some of these features changed or disappeared in the latest version of Trapcode Particular? Thanks
Most of the features are just rearranged with the all-new physics system now in place. What parts are you having trouble finding?
Whenever I do what you did at 2:57, I get the particles to follow the path, but every single time, half of the particles end up "piling up" into a circle at the end of the path. This also happens when I draw the path on a null (w/ pen tool), copy+paste the mask path to the position of the null, and then pick whip the position of the Particular layer (in "Emitter" tab) to the null. I have no idea why this happens, but it always does... I even redownloaded AE. Please help, this is killing me!
This might be because particle life is too long, I think
First of all, thank you for your tutorial, it has helped me a lot, but I have a small problem. In 18.1, the directional motion does not work (the direction of the object does not fit the direction of the motion path), how can I solve it?
Depending on how offset your emitter is from the motion path or the rotations involved, things can appear different than you expect. Check those things and make sure your emitter size is small. If things still aren't working, ping us elsewhere where we can be of more help.
thanks for your help
hi guys, there are not showing "Spirit colorize and choose spirit" please guide to me, Thanks
Is there a limit to the number of motion paths ?
25:16 - The Functions dropdown in C4D Lite doesn't have a Bake Objects option for me. Anyone know where it is?
my nulls are going by the comp camera, i have text and nulls. the text is in the right place but when i turn off the camera the text goes to where the nulls are thats how i know its the after effects / comp view. why would the nulls not stay with the text in after effects as they are in c4d?
so im using version 18, and tried doing this and adding second system to make trail. the problem is after the "trail" being emitted they dont follow the path. i have set all velocities for the trail to 0, but they are still "drifting". what do i do?
Are you saying you want the particles to not follow the motion path or you do want them to follow it? If you want them not to, you need to put in a blank block in the second emitter where the motion path is so that they don't inherit the settings from the main system.
Im struggling to find the motion path option in the latest version! any ideas would be welcome!
Motion Path has been moved under the Displace section in newer versions of Trapcode Particular.
Love it thnq!
I seem to be having the same issue as several people where my particles do not follow the path after I rename the light layer to Motion Path 1 and follow the exact procedure demonstrate in the video...anyone has a clue how to fix it? I'm also on the latest AE.
Is there a chance that any of your layers are moved in time?
Does this project work for you? www.dropbox.com/s/dise9zx8o1mk9s4/Motion%20Path%20Test.aep?dl=0
@@MaxonRedgiant yes that project worked but when I copy exactly the same settings it doesn't. See my project file drive.google.com/file/d/1p6TjsKJp68r8bHqpMLiX-lNiF85UrFMM/view?usp=sharing
@@csu2360 The problem in your example is that your light path is moving over nearly 40 seconds, but your particles are only alive for three seconds. They're following the path, but only the first few seconds of it. If you select all of your path keyframes, hold alt, and drag the far right one to three seconds (so the light does its full motion over three seconds), your particles follow the full light path.
@@MaxonRedgiant Thanks (Cue open palm slap to my forehead......)
I'd like to use 2 systems on 1 instance of Particular 3 with 2 different motion paths helix'ing each other. System 2 -> Physics -> Air doesn't have an option for motion path???? Can 1 instance of Particular 3 not have 2 systems referencing different Motion Paths? Thanks for your help.
thank you sir
If you animate the camera the Zbuffer will become useless it can't keep up even if you key it !!!
this dosent work with element 3d object - you should reupdate this tutorial for the audience ! where are you all ? all we can find is 2 videos of Z depth in AE with Trapcode, and one of them is with element 3D text, but with objects this doesnt work. also the video with chandelier - in my case the trapcode ignoring the 3D mask in space.so useles to fligh fast - no one learn something here, all are wondering and stunishing...but 0% knowldege
Is there a way to taper the path? Like if I want the the particles to converge at a certain point.
There are potentially a number of ways to do that - it kind of depends on what you're trying to do. You can use a spherical field in negative values to pull particles into a space.
@@MaxonRedgiant Awesome! That worked. Thanks a lot!
@@kaunikc Glad to hear it!
Why 'Orient to Motion' doesn't work?
We just fired up After Effects and tried - it's working for us. Can you please go into a little more detail about what's not working for you?
@ 16:57 When I am creating motion path (Point light), my scene gets lit. But yours remain the same. Why?
just hide the light source in the comp
i cant find physics air option in new particular 6
That's correct! The old "physics" section (that wasn't really physics) has been moved to the Displace section. We now have an actual simulation system that offers more organic and realistic behavior - you can check it out under the Environment section.
How did you get the lights to follow the emitter? Every time I try to animate it doesn't create a path
i think you have the same issue like me. recreate the light by putting the name Emitter.
@@rathnakrin3178 Make sure to use keyframes
@@shinecreativeagency I have been using the keyframes, still won't do it on the Motion path, but does it on the other one.
update this asap
Wich version of particular is?
This tutorial is using an older version of Particular. Motion Paths are now in the Displace section in the current version of Particular.
@@MaxonRedgiant Many thanks
@@MaxonRedgiant Excuse me, another question, in the newer version there Is not "Physics Model Air", what can i use?
@@Marco-hz8vv There's an all new (actual) air physics system in place. The Displace section contains the old controls (like turbulence, Drift [which is the old "wind"], and more). The Environment section has the new air physics in it. You can set the air density and much more there.
The cinema 4d section does not work!
What part of it doesn't work for you?
Thank you , the Expression throws up an error on After Effects 2021
You may need to switch your project to using the Legacy expressions engine.
There is a missing link in this tutorial and that's why so many of you didn't succeed. (me included) This is well explained with text instructions at 2:05 in this other tutorial: ua-cam.com/video/X6XicAMJeHs/v-deo.html
this workflow no longer works
My Particles do not follow the path, I named the light Motion Path 1
Did you choose 1 under the motion path options?
@@MaxonRedgiant yes , and I also tried 1 HQ , and also named it Motion Path 2 and tried option 2 With light Emitter there are no problems
@@MegaFrederike keep in mind that the particles don't exactly follow the light's path. They follow the motion of the light path relative to the position of the emitter.
@@MaxonRedgiant I I understand that indeed, but my particles remain at 1 point and do not take a path Exactly the same when you start
@Red Giant I am having the same issue where once I rename the light to Motion Path 1 and choose "1" under the Motion Path, the particles don't follow the light position when I move it
Someone should make a tutorial making use of Blender3D instead of Cinema4D
true! blender is far better than Cinema4D and a lot easy
hay wa vedy doog
if(time==inPoint) 0 else value
There you go...
There is no "Physics"... my window shows Physic Simulation...
The old "physics" weren't really physical simulations at all, so they've been moved to the Displace category.
@@MaxonRedgiant nope. nothing in displace category that helps
This tutorial is now useless as everything has changed. I can't find any up to date info online explaining how motion paths now work.
Motion Paths work pretty much the same as they have in the past. The difference is they're now located in the Displace section.
@@MaxonRedgiant it is not located in Displace section at all...
@@Willopo100 If you are in the Particular Designer, Motion Paths are under the Displace category in the Motion Effects block.
If you are in the After Effects Effect Control Panel, Motion Paths are under the Displace twirldown.
I hate math. I guess I won´t do FX then....
i hate your cursor moving, very annoying
z white dosent work and z black dont mmake this result we all want, man this tutorial explains nothing, just click here and there and make this object but how this is working no one explain, we know z depth from 3d software but HOW it has to manage to work with element 3d object - man this leak of knowledge is struggeling all newcomer - no one will buy your products because no one know how to use...wtf ? this logic is going dead
really difficult to understand. not helpful
Its not its easy and very well produced.
Its not its easy and very well produced.