Best way to make an object turn to misty smoke at DVinfo.net

Nathan Quattrini · March 18th, 2008, 04:18 PM

Are there any plugins built in to AE CS3 to do something like this? Think of Photoshop when you apply certain filters it applies it only to whats on a layer, so if a ball is on the layer you can make the ball melt, or drip blood or whatever without affecting the rest of the image. Mainly I know how to do the idea, just not sure how to make misty smoke in AE

Alex Sprinkle · March 18th, 2008, 08:50 PM

any shot you have the Trapcode Particular plug in?

Nathan Quattrini · March 18th, 2008, 09:08 PM

i don`t have any but what came with it. :\

Paolo Ciccone · March 19th, 2008, 12:50 AM

Follow a few of the videocopilot.net tutorials and check also the ones on lynda.com. A lot can be done with fractal noise and masks. fractal noise can generate all kind of pseudo-smoke patterns that can be animated. If you used it in conjunction with a mask to isolate the elements in the frame that you need to affect, it can be very effective.

Alex Sprinkle · March 19th, 2008, 02:36 AM

Toolfarm.com has a special that's like 50% off their red giant software(creators of Trapcode). I just got an e-mail from them, actually. If you're thinking you may get Particular (which I HIGHLY recommend), I'd get it while it's on sale. Half off is nice, and I wish I'd had that offer.

Particular can make this effect real simple.

Otherwise, stay with the fractal noise, motion track it, and keyframe it out

Nathan Quattrini · March 19th, 2008, 10:16 AM

Lets say I have a photoshop layer of a solid star. Can Particular use just that star and "explode" it into smoke? Not using an emitter or anything, just use what is in the layer to make it vanish into smoke? Keeping the shape is important. Thanks

Best way to describe what I mean is if you know shatter. You can use a custom image to shatter, rather than a whole layer. I want it to 'shatter ' from its shape...just into smoke

Alex Sprinkle · March 19th, 2008, 01:13 PM

I think I understand what you're asking, and YES it is an emitter. It leaves the layer intact.

Nathan Quattrini · March 20th, 2008, 09:41 AM

Yea like this video I made with shatter back in 2006

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MDkPWZoVFso

The both die using the same technique I want, only to turn to smoke instead

Alex Sprinkle · March 20th, 2008, 12:45 PM

Why not just use a feathered mask that quickly disappears from the emitted smoke? Use the smoke as an overlay?

Nathan Quattrini · March 20th, 2008, 12:58 PM

Well I need to find a good tutorial for the fractal noise smoke first and try some things, lynda.com is a pay site and I`m broke. So I need to find a free tutorial on it. Also the Particular sale was one day only :(

March 18th, 2008, 04:18 PM	#1
Nathan Quattrini Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Warwick, Rhode Island Posts: 740	Best way to make an object turn to misty smoke Are there any plugins built in to AE CS3 to do something like this? Think of Photoshop when you apply certain filters it applies it only to whats on a layer, so if a ball is on the layer you can make the ball melt, or drip blood or whatever without affecting the rest of the image. Mainly I know how to do the idea, just not sure how to make misty smoke in AE __________________ Cinematography Site

March 18th, 2008, 08:50 PM	#2
Alex Sprinkle Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Moore, Oklahoma Posts: 408	any shot you have the Trapcode Particular plug in? __________________ What if hand guns were really hand guns?

March 18th, 2008, 09:08 PM	#3
Nathan Quattrini Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Warwick, Rhode Island Posts: 740	i don`t have any but what came with it. :\ __________________ Cinematography Site

March 19th, 2008, 12:50 AM	#4
Paolo Ciccone Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 1,116	Follow a few of the videocopilot.net tutorials and check also the ones on lynda.com. A lot can be done with fractal noise and masks. fractal noise can generate all kind of pseudo-smoke patterns that can be animated. If you used it in conjunction with a mask to isolate the elements in the frame that you need to affect, it can be very effective. __________________ Paolo http://www.paolociccone.com Demo Reel

March 19th, 2008, 02:36 AM	#5
Alex Sprinkle Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Moore, Oklahoma Posts: 408	Toolfarm.com has a special that's like 50% off their red giant software(creators of Trapcode). I just got an e-mail from them, actually. If you're thinking you may get Particular (which I HIGHLY recommend), I'd get it while it's on sale. Half off is nice, and I wish I'd had that offer. Particular can make this effect real simple. Otherwise, stay with the fractal noise, motion track it, and keyframe it out __________________ What if hand guns were really hand guns?

March 19th, 2008, 10:16 AM	#6
Nathan Quattrini Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Warwick, Rhode Island Posts: 740	Lets say I have a photoshop layer of a solid star. Can Particular use just that star and "explode" it into smoke? Not using an emitter or anything, just use what is in the layer to make it vanish into smoke? Keeping the shape is important. Thanks Best way to describe what I mean is if you know shatter. You can use a custom image to shatter, rather than a whole layer. I want it to 'shatter ' from its shape...just into smoke __________________ Cinematography Site Last edited by Nathan Quattrini; March 19th, 2008 at 11:29 AM.

March 19th, 2008, 01:13 PM	#7
Alex Sprinkle Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Moore, Oklahoma Posts: 408	I think I understand what you're asking, and YES it is an emitter. It leaves the layer intact. __________________ What if hand guns were really hand guns?

March 20th, 2008, 09:41 AM	#8
Nathan Quattrini Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Warwick, Rhode Island Posts: 740	Yea like this video I made with shatter back in 2006 http://youtube.com/watch?v=MDkPWZoVFso The both die using the same technique I want, only to turn to smoke instead __________________ Cinematography Site

March 20th, 2008, 12:45 PM	#9
Alex Sprinkle Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Moore, Oklahoma Posts: 408	Why not just use a feathered mask that quickly disappears from the emitted smoke? Use the smoke as an overlay? __________________ What if hand guns were really hand guns?

March 20th, 2008, 12:58 PM	#10
Nathan Quattrini Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Warwick, Rhode Island Posts: 740	Well I need to find a good tutorial for the fractal noise smoke first and try some things, lynda.com is a pay site and I`m broke. So I need to find a free tutorial on it. Also the Particular sale was one day only :( __________________ Cinematography Site