Peggy Lynn
Level 4 (2,478 points)
Video

Q: Need to keep icon aligned with end of line in Write On behavior

Need to keep icon aligned with end of line in Motion 5's Write On behavior

 

I used custom speed in the Write On behavior to keep the time between waypoints proportionately accurate relative to the actual satellite data times. However, I can't figure out a straightforward way to get the icons to move at the same speed as the Write On behavior.

 

This video shows how they sometimes move ahead and sometimes lag.

https://youtu.be/jVz9aGIwnEE

 

For D24 I used the Motion Path behavior with geometry selected and the bezier path I used for the Write On behavior in the well. I used markers for the correct waypoint times. Then I used custom timing to get the end of the drawn line for the Write On behavior to hit the waypoints at the the correct times.

 

For D25 I just used keyframes at the waypoints. I can add intermediate keyframe to make things align OK but it is very tedious to do.

 

 

Is there a simpler way to get the icons and Write On behavior to align properly or some other behavior or method I should be using to do this? I have precious little experience with video editing so I could well be doing something very basic the wrong way.

Mac mini, 2.7 GHz i7, SSD, 750GB HD

Posted on Aug 2, 2016 7:45 PM

by Karsten Schlüter,Solvedanswer
Karsten Schlüter Karsten Schlüter
Level 7 (32,656 points)
Video
A:

I made you a Generator plug-in,dl >>here<< look:

 

Bildschirmfoto 2016-08-03 um 20.48.37.png

 

after dl, drag it into ~/Movies/Motion Templates/Generator.

 

In FCPX, drag the generator over your clip/photo.

You'll notice an OnScreenController, to position the 'birdie'.

Set playhead to position, hit the Keyframe button, next time position, keyframe, move, keyframe ...

 

when done, on playback, it looks like that:

trailz_mov.gif

 

In the Inspector, you can change a few things, color, contour and size of birdie, color of trail - done.

 

Feel free to modify to your needs ..

 

Enjoy Movie Making!

Posted on Aug 4, 2016 7:58 PM

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Peggy Lynn

Q: Need to keep icon aligned with end of line in Write On behavior

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  • by Karsten Schlüter,Helpful

    Karsten Schlüter Karsten Schlüter Aug 4, 2016 7:57 PM in response to Peggy Lynn
    Level 7 (32,656 points)
    Video
    Aug 4, 2016 7:57 PM in response to Peggy Lynn

    may I suggest a different approach?

     

    Start with your icon (somehow remembers me to a Klingon Bird of Pray, sorry )

     

    Animate it: hit REC, set playhead to time-index, move icon into position...

    Bildschirmfoto 2016-08-03 um 08.50.26.png

    so, the bird/icon moves exactly to each x/y and precise in time...

     

    Now, create a new group 'Trail', paint a tiny circle, make it a particle

    Bildschirmfoto 2016-08-03 um 09.06.40.png

     

    now, Magic part1:

    set Birth Rate high, 300, 500, 1000 ... determines the 'smoothness' of trail-line

    set Life to max

    set Speed to zero  - we don't want a cloud of points....

     

    Finally,  Magic pt 2:

    Link (Behaviour) the Position of the Trail group to your birdie ...

     

    Bildschirmfoto 2016-08-03 um 08.59.31.png

    Doing so, the Emitter follows the Bird - and leaves a trail behind it:

    trailmov.gif

     

    How's that for a start?

  • by Karsten Schlüter,Solvedanswer

    Karsten Schlüter Karsten Schlüter Aug 4, 2016 7:58 PM in response to Peggy Lynn
    Level 7 (32,656 points)
    Video
    Aug 4, 2016 7:58 PM in response to Peggy Lynn

    I made you a Generator plug-in,dl >>here<< look:

     

    Bildschirmfoto 2016-08-03 um 20.48.37.png

     

    after dl, drag it into ~/Movies/Motion Templates/Generator.

     

    In FCPX, drag the generator over your clip/photo.

    You'll notice an OnScreenController, to position the 'birdie'.

    Set playhead to position, hit the Keyframe button, next time position, keyframe, move, keyframe ...

     

    when done, on playback, it looks like that:

    trailz_mov.gif

     

    In the Inspector, you can change a few things, color, contour and size of birdie, color of trail - done.

     

    Feel free to modify to your needs ..

     

    Enjoy Movie Making!

  • by Peggy Lynn,

    Peggy Lynn Peggy Lynn Aug 4, 2016 7:59 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter
    Level 4 (2,478 points)
    Video
    Aug 4, 2016 7:59 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

    The icons represent two first year Bald Eagles that have been outfitted with backpack satellite transmitters by a researcher. The juvenile Bald Eagles would be very flattered to be considered to be as lethal as a Klingon Bird of Prey.

     

    It took me awhile to realize that I needed to choose the parameters for the Link behavior because I got totally lost in the weeds trying to figure out why Behaviors are only showing in the Timeline layers and not in the top Layers display on both of my Macs. Still haven't figured that out after using Option Command to delete prefs.

     

    I got everything working fine but the file brings my poor little Mac Mini to it's knees even with the small sample number of 8 waypoints. My mid 2015 maxed out 15" MBP didn't even do well with the file. It took 4 minutes 16 seconds to play 45 seconds of footage. Things start out OK at first but go downhill speed-wise pretty much exponentially after that.

     

    There are eight waypoints sent per day for each juvenile which adds up to 112 for the week and 480 for the month. I don't think my hardware would be close to being up to that using an emitter and link.

     

    That said, I think your approach to linking a line to the specific movement of an object seems a sensible way of thinking about the issue when times between waypoints are irregular. Fortunately, unlike the first data posted, the new data that was posted by the non profit organization sponsoring the research has had regular 3 hr intervals between waypoints. This means I should be able to use the less resource intensive write on and follow motion behaviors and just use the generator when/if data reporting gets spotty.

     

    It was ever so kind and thoughtful of you to make a plug-in for me. Thank you so much for all your help and the plug-in. I very much appreciate it.

     

    Thank you ever so much for all your help.

  • by Karsten Schlüter,

    Karsten Schlüter Karsten Schlüter Aug 4, 2016 11:40 PM in response to Peggy Lynn
    Level 7 (32,656 points)
    Video
    Aug 4, 2016 11:40 PM in response to Peggy Lynn

    Peggy Lynn wrote:

    … the juvenile Bald Eagles would be very flattered to be considered to be as lethal as a Klingon Bird of Prey....

    hmm, you haven't seen, what your Bald Eagles do when in Cloak Mode LOL!!

    (Germans and humor... an untold story )

     

    to get serious:

    the computation-thingie in that Generator is the Birth Rate of the Emitter - I set it to 500, to create a real, solid 'line' made of dots...

    when you lower this number…

     

    Bildschirmfoto 2016-08-05 um 08.33.39.png

    (for test purposes, I published the birth rate in the plugin)

     

    … less number-crunching - but a dotted line, no solid line.. And the faster Baldi flies the more 'dotty' the line...

     

    And: those stutter is only ony playback in Motion!! On export the playback is smooth! And switch off background rendering when using the generator in FCPX!!

     

    Fun, you observe Bald Eagles - a friend of mine is bird photographer in Canada - he has some awesome pics of those beasts!