Simulate a Flip Dot board in Apple Motion

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Simulate a Flip Dot board in Apple Motion

I want to simulate a flip dot board using Motion (see here for an example Flipdot Tetris beta - YouTube ) I'd like to import a video, then have Motion 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 confirm 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. That's After Effects, but I'm assuming a similar effect can be achieved in Motion.)

Thanks very much.

Posted on Jul 5, 2019 11:34 AM

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Answer 1

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fox_m

Level 6

13,378 points

Jul 7, 2019 10:32 AM in response to GregM

No — one of the Replicator Shape options is Image. When selected, Motion will provide an Image Source well for you to drop your media into:

The Object Source is the "particle" the Replicator uses to create the replicated shapes. In this particular case, the Replicator "paints" each source object with a piece of the image at the location the replicated object appears.

This is the easiest way to do this effect in Motion. If you need to make this work in FCPX, you may need to go a slightly different route. Let me know.

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Answer 2

fox_m

Level 6

13,378 points

Jul 5, 2019 7:36 PM in response to GregM

Draw a small Rectangle Shape, say 16x16. You can opt to set the Roundness to make the more or less "dot-like".

Create a Replicator from the Rectangle.

Set the Shape type to Image.

In the Image Source Well, drag and drop your video.

Set the Columns to about 130 (for 16x16) and the rows to about 78.

That's pretty much it.

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Answer 3

GregM Author

Level 2

205 points

Jul 8, 2019 7:48 PM in response to fox_m

Ah, it worked! It took a bit of fiddling: what made it finally work was setting the Replicator -> Cell Controls -> Color Mode to "Take Image Color".

Thank you very much!

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Answer 4

GregM Author

Level 2

205 points

Jul 7, 2019 10:19 AM in response to fox_m

Thanks! This seems to get me part way there… but the "Image Source Well" you refer to: where is that? (You're not talking about the Object Source field at the bottom of the attached image, are you?

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Simulate a Flip Dot board in Apple Motion

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