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DigitL2001.jpg

01 A composition placed inside other compositions is called a ‘nested’ composition (or sometimes a pre comp). There are many reasons to do this. In this case, breaking the animation into two compositions will simplify the management of the project.

 

Create a new standard definition composition called ‘Main’. Place comps Scene 1 and Scene 2 into ‘Main’. Then, click the 3D switch on both layers. Select the layer for Scene 2, and type ‘P’ to isolate the position property. Set the position of this layer to be 2,500, 300, 3,000 in X, Y & Z. Then press Shift-R to view the Rotation property and orient the layer 45-degrees in the Y axis.

DigitL2002.jpg

02 Go to Layer>New Camera (default settings). At this point, hit the C key, or go to the tools and select the Orbit Camera tool. Move your mouse around a bit in the comp window. This will change the position of the camera, but not the point of interest. Notice how flat the Scene 1 appears to be, despite the fact the layers are in various locations in 3D space. This is how nested compositions behave, by default.

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03 Click the Collapse Transformations Switch for both layers.

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04 This switch ensures the 3D properties of the layers inside the composition will be retained. Now, orbit the camera around. You’ll see how the layers retain their 3D properties. In the images above, the top image shows before Collapse Transformations – the layers are flat and cropped.

 

The bottom image shows after Collapse Transformations – layers are uncropped and in 3D space. You can see multiple scenes could be nested into one main composition. This method keeps projects organized, and easy to manage.

DigitL2005.jpg

05 Next, you’ll move a camera between the scenes. Use the Undo command to reset the camera to the original position, or delete it and create another camera. Hit the v key to access the Selection Tool. Create a Null by going to Layer>New>Null Object. By default, it will be called Null followed by an integer.

 

I prefer to rename the Null in accordance with how it is being used. With the Null selected, go to Layer>Solid Settings and name the Null to be called Camera Null. Make the Null a 3D layer. This is critical. A 3D camera cannot be controlled in a useful manner by a 2D Null. Make sure the Parent column is visible by right-clicking the Column header in the comp window, and selecting the Columns> Parent option.

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06 Parent the Camera layer to ‘Camera Null’.

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07 Now the Camera will do everything that the Null does: move, rotate, scale, etc. One thing I like about this is that it gives the user a convenient camera controller in the middle of the comp window.

 

Because the Camera is parented to the Null, the Null will not appear to move in the Active Camera view. Click-&-drag the Null, and the camera’s position and point of interest will follow.

 

Rotate the Null, the camera will rotate around the Null’s anchor point. Notice, however, that moving the Null will, most likely, feel a little odd at first. Dragging the Null to the right moves the camera to the right, which makes the objects in the scene move to the left.

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08 We’ll now animate the camera. Select the Comps ‘Scene 1’ and ‘Scene 2’. Switch to the Top view, and zoom to 6.25 per cent. You’ll be able to select and see the positions of Scene 1 and Scene 2.

DigitL2009.jpg

09 Select the Null, and hit p to show its position, and Shift-R to add Rotation. Place your Time Indicator at three seconds and create keyframes for position and Y rotation of Camera Null. Move to 4 seconds. Set the Null’s Y orientation to -45º and set its position to 2,500, 200, 300, just like Scene 2.

 

10 Switch back to the camera view to preview your animation. You can now see how it can be quite easy to divide scenes into compositions, nest them into one comp, and create camera moves between them. Using a Null makes camera movement between the nested comps much easier.

 

A special thanks to Andrew Kramer of videocopilot.net for providing images from his new Riot Gear collection, a collection of high-definition organic stock footage

 

 

Credits: Digital Art

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