Sharpen Depth of Field with One Click [updated]

If you missed them, Digieffect released tutorials for its Depth plug-in awhile back. According to Mark Christiansen, Depth, a filter found in the old Buena Depth Cue package, "does just what the name implies, easily extracting 3D depth data for use with Digieffects plug-ins such as Camera Mapper, Atmosphere and Falloff Lighting ... I especially like it for lens effects that can use depth information to create beautiful cinematic bokeh blurs."

For other approaches, tutorials, and tools check out previous posts tagged focus and AE camera. For example, Mathew Fuller covers techniques for extracting depth from 2D still images in his video tutorial Advanced 2.5D Animation in AE.

Here are a few tutorials for Depth:

Digieffects Depth Spot from digieffects on Vimeo.

Digieffects Depth Intro Tutorial from digieffects on Vimeo.

Vangogh Depth+Camera Mapper Tutorial from digieffects on Vimeo.


Update: see these also,

• Projection is an AE script that does camera mapping onto 3D planes in AE
• Camera Projection – After Effects from VFX Bro
• Camera Mapping in After Effects from Andrew Devis (below):

After Effects Rack Focus: tutorial and preset

Michael Eggert of PixelphileTV posted a tutorial and free preset in After Effects Rack Focus (via Lester Banks):

"We take a look at how to add a digital rack focus to any existing footage. This will add production value to shots that were made on video cameras that don't have a shallow depth of field. You will also learn how to make your own custom presets.

iRack 1.0 is a Rack Focus preset for After Effects CS3/CS4/CS5. With this preset you can add the look of a professional focus pull to any existing footage."

For similar tutorials and tools check out previous posts tagged focus, blur, and AE camera.

Note: Very different approaches include the use of Lens Blur (a Video Copilot tutorial is just one of many) and related filters like the Sapphire RackDefocus effect, which defocuses using an iris shape convolution to simulate a real camera defocus,

3D from 2D using Freeform displacement

In 3D from 2D Image Using Displacement Maps Tudor "Ted" Jelescu shows how to create 3D movement that rotates around the subject from a 2D image using displacement maps and the FreeForm filter in After Effects. He uses similar techniques and the same image as another recent Creative Cow tutorial, Advanced 2.5D Animation in AE by Mathew Fuller. It might be good to look at that one first.

Similar work and tools (Vanishing Point, camera mapping, scripts for AE 3D, etc.) are mentioned in posts tagged multiplane animation, camera mapping, and the AE camera. See also Animate the Splash Using Photoshop and After Effects by Corey Barker (up to the end anyway).

Mostly as a note-to-self, here's the demo of a script from Paul Tuersley, pt_Multiplane:

Update: here's some of real time slices with 52 DSLRs and some Macs,

Depth with Camera Mapper tutorial

Via @lesterbanks on the Vimeo beat is a new After Effects tutorial video from Digieffects, Depth+Camera Mapper Tutorial (below).

There's more info on Depth (a newish filter) and CamerMapper on the Digieffects website, including projects and tutorials. Similar work and tools (Vanishing Point, scripts for AE 3D, etc.) are mentioned in posts tagged multiplane animation, camera mapping, and the AE camera.

Update: Mathew Fuller covers something similar, with techniques for extracting depth from 2D still images in his video tutorial Advanced 2.5D Animation in AE.

Vangogh Depth+Camera Mapper Tutorial from digieffects on Vimeo.

Camera mapping tutorial

Lester Banks notes a Camera Projection technique Tutorial by Zen, which looks to help you use 2D stills to create spaces.



Note: Additional resources on camera mapping and the AE camera can be found by clicking on those tags.

How to suck less in Vanishing Point

Lester Banks has a tutorial, in depth with vanishing point exchange:

'In starting a new series jokingly entitled “how to suck less”, this represents the first tutorial which explores photoshop’s vanishing point for export and its strength and weaknesses in the animation production pipeline. There are also some handy tips on how to get some control on a vanishing point export so that it remains effective in after effects, as well as some tips on using vanishing point to generate a quick camera with scene-correct settings that can be used as the start of camera mapping projections in after effects, maya or your 3D program of choice.'

To see previous AEP posts on Vanishing Point or the click on the tags; the ones by Ko Maruyama are fondly remembered.

Submerged: VCP camera mapping techniques

Videocopilot has a new tutorial, Submerged, in which you animate a camera through one set of 3D surfaces to more below and combine camera mapping techniques with real textures.

Let's hope some pundit -- or pandit -- compares the recent AE filter from Digieffects Camera Mapper (replacing DepthCue; here's 2 tutorials) and various techniques from Mark Christiansen (scripts are in his book), another (actually tuts #37, 38, 39) from Andrew Kramer, Light Transmission video tutorials by Trish and Chris Meyer (PDF excerpt on Artbeats), and the use of Photoshop's Vanishing Point in AE. And maybe include talk of Panoramas in After Effects too.

Tutorials for Digieffects AE filter Camera Mapper

Digieffects has video tutorials for its new Camera Mapper AE filter, mentioned earlier in New AE filters Camera Mapper and Mojo. There's an intro, plus tutorials by Matt Silverman and Mark Christiansen. They also posted a short comparison with the Photoshop Extended to After Effects format Vanishing Point Exchange (AE Help has more).

Toolfarm later posted the latest one by Mark Christiansen:



By the way, Motionworks has a video explaining Photoshop Extended: A workflow with After Effects.

New AE filters Camera Mapper and Mojo

Digieffects announced Camera Mapper, an After Effects filter developed in collaboration with Mark Christiansen that "allows you to simulate a 3D scene from 2D stills or footage. It allows you to isolate one or several objects in your footage, project these objects on a separate layer and pull that layer out of the background, creating the visual illusion of the object floating in front of the original footage."

Also, Red Giant announced Magic Bullet Mojo, a filter that acts like a magic button to give you a blockbuster-type film look "often use a subtle coloring effect to warm up actors’ skin tones while backgrounds and shadows get a cool blue treatment" (don't worry, there's a Warm slider to mix up the look). For background see the AEP post on a discussion of examples of Blockbuster Film Look and the Stu Maschwitz note.

Update: David Torno had comments on camera mapping (once championed by ex-ILMer Alex Lindsay for Electric Image) the AE-List, "The [Camera Mapper] plugin simplifies a method Andrew Kramer showed back in 2007... I wouldn't compare it to Photoshop vpe though. With vpe you create an actual connected 3d grid layout for the still image environment and panels are created and placed based on the grid.

The projection method allows the image to be projected onto any shape long as they fall within the projection bounds. They don't even have to be on the right plane. This can produce some interesting looks, where the background is warped by various solids. You still have to build the environment though.

Camera Projector would have been a better name. Since mapper implies that the image is stuck to the object. Obviously that is not the case as soon as you move any object in the scene."

Update 2: see VisualFXtuts.com for a Digieffects Aged Film & CameraMapper Review and Giveaway!

Panoramas in After Effects

Paul Tuersley's script pt_Panorama (was makePanorama) appeared recently in Recreating a Lexus commercial and now appears in a Video Copilot demo project of an Oval Office. Actually Video Copilot recommended this script over a year ago; see 3D Panorama AE script. Anyway, you can see the weakness of this approach (when close to the AE camera) in the oval molding, but it's mostly likely easier than building a panorama in Photoshop and using a Distort filter in AE.

Alternatives by Russell Brown can be found in his tutorials for Photoshop CS4 Extended at The Russell Brown Show: Spherical Panorama (at AdobeTV) and Advanced Spherical Panorama Stitching Techniques.

Last and not least, see Carl Larsen's a nice 4-part tutorial on Building a Cube World in After Effects, and his Horizon replacement with Mocha for AE v2 at Toolfarm.

Oh, and of course the camera-aware Trapcode Horizon was built for this purpose (video tutorial).

Update: a few more resources that popped up covering the various wrinkles in general subject...

• Mark Christiansen explains some in After Effects Script of the Week: pt Panorama.
• The options have improved in Photoshop by CS5.5; see info in Help (1, 2) and various resources from Richard Harrington.
• Also, AE Scripts released Edge blending, a solution by erLab to build up panoramic projections with 2 or more projectors. This script will create the necessary comps for you render and be able to create this using standard video projectors.

AE CS4 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques

Mark Christiansen says that "soon After Effects CS4 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques will be on its way from the printer to warehouses and then out to the world." Apparently it's just in time for Christmas pre-orders on Amazon!

New stuff includes guidance from scripting gurus Dan Ebberts and Jeff Almasol (including light wrap and camera mapping), tracking in Mocha AE, and more.

Note: you can get a flavor of camera mapping but no script in a Peachpit excerpt from a previous version of the book.

Vanishing Point to map a 3D environment

Adobe Design Center announced some new video tutorials including these by Ko Maruyama:

Working with Vanishing Point in Photoshop and After Effects and the cool Using Vanishing Point to map a 3D environment.

Update: Aharon Rabinowitz has a current tutorial too; see After Effects CS3: Vanishing Point. More can be found on Adobe Video Workshop, or in other AEP posts for Vanishing Point.

Enhanced photogrammetry

Mark Christiansen posted a great video and background info on high-res photogrammetry applied to enhance video resolution and exposure (as shown above), as well as object touch-ups and removal. It would be great to see these sort of advances in further versions of Photoshop's Vanishing Point tool, along with camera mapping and other 3D features.

You can view additional examples of photogrammetry used today at Studio Daily on Zodiac, Paul Devebec's site (PDF), RealViz, and DV Garage's Brain Dump Series: Photogrammetry.