Learn how to use Illustrator to break up a layer into pieces. Use expressions to automatically make the pieces move randomly into place. Click here to view the expression used.
Reverse Shatter
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Stellar tut! Love all the expression work, and what a great find in slicing things up inside Illustrator!
I second that! I had no idea about that tool!
Great great great !
Thx for this very nice tut !
Honestly, it was a random discovery that it even worked in the right order with outlined type. Bummer that it doesn’t work with logos. I am setting up a template that uses masks in AE so one can drop any object in AE and have it work.
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This looks really sweet! I will try this when I get sometime. Thanks a million!
wow that’s really cool! I really appreciated the expressions’ use on this. And I must admit it’s been about a week I’ve been trying to figure out how to create this reverse shatter text effect, as I’m a Fringe fan and there is something like that on it.
By the way I tried spending few hours using the built in shatter effect to get this but I actually can’t get it reversed! What parameters am I supposed to animate to reverse this? The only thing that came to me has been reversing clip’s time, but then the control is not that good…what do you suggest?
thanks and keep it up with this great tutorials!
nice~!!!!!
What change did you make to it? I’m still on CS3, so it makes it difficult for me to troubleshoot CS4 problems, but perhaps someone else has some input?
I am freelancing in a facility running CS4 right now. I just ran a quick test.
1. In AI CS4 I typed the word “test”.
2. Created outlines.
3. Knifed the layer as I did in the tutorial.
4. Released to layers.
5. Moved the layers out of the group as I did in the tutorial.
6. Saved.
7. Imported into AE CS4.
All layers are in tact, and are proper layer size. You are right in the fact that CS4 now does not retain the original dimensions from the AI document. However, the layers are proper dimensions as in the tutorial.
If you’d like, email your AI document and I can take a look at it. harry at graymachine.com
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damn it looks like transformers
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Oh my… I am truly astounded.
Ever since Video Copilot’s Meteor tutorial, most of the training sessions there have been pretty bland (Kramer, love you man! I feel like a real jerk for even thinking that!). In comparison, this is a breath of beautiful, fresh air. THANK YOU!
nice, werd! finished the tut. and i must say this back with ur expression series has truely got me open, expression series is a fantastic purchase, can’t believe i did this with no keyframes, now heres a question, i viewed ur afx w/external document tut., tryin to figure out how i would be able to dynamically change the property attributes like u mentioned in the tutorial? a lil help??
thanks sensei!!!
thanks!!
when i import to after effects, i get only 1 layer..and i did every thing you said!!
what to do?
thanks again
Cody, a number of Windows users frequent this site, and i know that a few of them (at least) have gone through the tutorial.
Can you specify where you are running into a problem? This technique should work on both platforms going back several versions. I’d email you, but you offered up a fake email address.
With out seeing it, I can’t say much more than it works for everyone else. Can you send the project files to me? I’ll take a look at it. harry (at) graymachine . com
Im using CS4 for both Illustrator and AE, when I import the comp I cant get AE to recognize the video preset I used in Illustrator. I did however modify the video preset. Does this nullify AE ability to automatically recognize the comp size?
Ive figured out that it is something Im doing wrong in AI but I cant for the life of me figure it out. Importing PSD into AE works fine but not AI files. Anybody else using CS4 having this problem?
Does not work on Windows unfortunately, I don’t know why Adobe decide to make the Mac version actually work properly and then remove all the options from the Windows version.
I have owned CS3 PP since its release and I have touched Illustrator maybe 4 times. It was really nice seeing a tut showing a use with Illustrator and Ae and a great tut at that. Well done Harry, by the way, Trapcode Particular 2!!! Can’t wait to see some of your new training on it.
Hey Harry
After changing my illustrator comp to dark grey and pasting my material options, my letters still do not look like they’re being reflected by light 1. I really don’t know where i’m going wrong.I’m using cs4 and are baffled at this stage.
Wondefull … and very well explained.
Keep doing this great work … greets from Brazil.
@Isaac. When I planned this tutorial, I made one dark gray 3D solid near my light, and then I adjusted the settings on the light like that first. This way I knew my light settings were correct, and from there it was a matter of putting the light in the correct spot.
Maybe start there? If you are really stumped. you could send me the project.
Is it possible to make this work with an image instead of vector text? I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to AI and can’t figure out how to convert my image so I can slice it up. Any advice would be appreciated greatly.
Awesome tutorial. Keep up the great work!
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Great tutorial…thanks for sharing. FYI, it looks like the ‘auto sequencing’ from AI only works for fonts converted to outlines. I tried with a logo, and after slicing, the pieces assemble randomly, not neatly from left to right. Any thoughts on fixing the order (other than manually re-arrange stacking order in AE
Keep up the great work!
Wicked tut.
I am so happy with the outcome.
Especially panning the camera around.
Thanks a million Harry
thank you so much for this wonderful tute.
you not only helped me create that awesome shatter effect but now i finally understand the concept of lighting in AE too
im also using CS4 and had some of the same problems as other people had (with the composition not being the correct size and also with the lighting. but i managed to fix them easy enough.
thanks heaps.
VERY NICE TUT …
TNX ..
.
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I am running into the same problems as some others in CS4/windows
1. The imported composition is not 1280×740, but something smaller, near the size of the text box.
2. Once a composition in AE, I can’t see, select, or isolate the slices on the screen, though I do have “layers”. All appear to be the entire text area. This might help – in AI when you regular slice (not slice selection) you see boxes over the text, not actual cut marks.
I’m very new at AE, so perhaps I’m doing something wrong.
Jean,
When you import the layers as a composition, you have two options: to import the layers as the document size or the layer size. The document size option will make each layer, no matter how small, the size of the document. This is not the option you want. This is at about 6:13 in the tutorial.
As to the first problem, this still works in CS4. I’m not sure of the specific problem you are running into, but there’s no issue with simply changing the composition to the size that you want, go to Composition>Composition Settings…
Thanks, Harry. I assure you I used “layer size” when I imported. It would seem that if several folks are encountering the same problems in CS4, there is something going on – something beyond not following directions.
I’d love to hear from other folks in CS4 that have solved this problem. There has to be something going on.
Thanks for trying to help.
To Whom It May Concern:
I’m an idiot.
Thank you, Harry. Slice and Knife are different tools – whodathunk?!
Reall great tutorial Harry.
I’m suprised by how it all came together relatively straight forward.
Thanks for the tut!!
Hey Great tut. You think that 3D invigorator would make this look more 3D???
I’d like to try this in ProAnimator. The limitation with Invig is that you’d only be able to animate 8 layers per layer.
Hi Harry,
I have 350 layers but cant seem to import my file, im using a different text but other than that i follow your instructions precisely until the After Effects import which seems to lock up my version which i must point out is CS4 does anybody else have this problem? perhaps I have too many layers? Im gonna go make a cup of tea and wait while After Effects tries to import again.
Thanks
I had to wait a long time! its fine now thanks
Hey Harry,
Thanks again for all of your help. It was especially nice to meet you when you were last in NYC. Harry, I’m having trouble with the expression that you set up in this tutorial. Could you help me suss out just what I may have missed? Thank you,
Tony
Check it out:
seedRandom(index, true)
start = random([-100,200,-2000], [1000, 400, 1000]);
end = value;
linear(time, 0, 5 + (index*thisComp.frameDuration) start, end)
Never mind. I found it.
Glad you found it! Hope to get to NYC again soon.
Going to try this out, and maybe do a 180 degree camera turn at the same time.
Well, I didn’t want to add a camera spin and have people miss the point about it being a useful tutorial about using illustrator and expressions, telling me that it “looks like Fringe”, but yeah, I think some movement would help.
Hello Harry. Great tutorial.
However, I’m discovering a bug (?) when I import the Illustrator text into After Effects. Whether I choose “layer size” or “document size”, it imports as the size of the text. So, in other words, I’ve got a 864 x 486 sized document from Illustrator, but it’ll only import into After Effects as the size of the text (738 x 75).
I’ve tried both ways of importing, but no matter what I do it only comes in as the size of the overall text. I will note that I’m working with Illustrator CS2 and After Effects 7. I’m thinking the older versions are the cause of this “bug”, but still I thought I’d let you know in case you know of a fix. I’d love to work with CS3 and/or CS4, but I’ve got no money because I have no job.
Damn laziness… I mean, recession.
Hello Harry. Sorry for replying to my own comment. After re-saving, re-importing, and repeat, I just gave in and changed the Composition settings to what I want. It seems to be a “fix” for it, but I’d love to know if there’s another, you know, real fix to this.
I’d love to start integrating Illustrator projects into After Effects, but with this little “bug” it may get a bit annoying. I’d hate to create an entire scene in Illustrator, and have it not import properly into After Effects and have to rearrange layers separately.
Hello Harry. I’m sorry if I’m spamming your page here, but I’m trying to figure something out.
Your animation is set to reach the end position at 5 seconds, and a single piece of the text lands 1 frame after 5 seconds, from left to right (G – E). However, I’d like to have mine set the same but instead of having the pieces land in a linear formation, I’d like for it to be random. So piece 1 could be a section of the “R” and piece 2 could be a section of “M”.
Basically I’m trying to figure out if there’s something I could add to the “ease(time, 0, 2 + (index*thisComp.frameDuration), start, end)” expression that would randomize the index. I know the manual way would probably be to rearrange the layers, but when you’re dealing with 200+ layers, that would take a LONG time to rearrange, let alone making it look organic.
Again, sorry for the amount of posts. I’ve been messing around with the expression, trying to achieve what I’m asking for, but in all honesty I’m not that great with expressions. I’m actually terrible at them. Thanks!
Hey Barry! Thanks for visiting.
I can’t really think of too many automated ways to do this. No matter what, you are going to need to sort out which pieces go with which letter, as there is no way for expressions to know this. If it were me, I’d start selecting groups of layers to isolate each letter and perhaps use the color coding tags to organize the layers for each letter.
Hello Barry. Thanks for the quick response.
I never even thought of that approach. I guess I’ll have to do it that way. I figured there would have been an expression that would randomize the selection of index, but I guess not!
I’m just looking for more of a Dark Knight teaser trailer look (where the bat-symbol broke up in random areas at random times).
Cool, thank you Harry. Much appreciated!
When I use the expressions for this tutorial i get an error message of:
After Effects warning: Variable expected Expression Disabled.
Erro Occurred at line2.
Comp:’ Fifty Amp Fuse CUT UP
Layer 1 (‘Layer”)
Property:’Position”
I checked and double checked I have it correctly typed your expression in
I did try a simple expression of: Transform.position.wiggle (10, 10) and that worked
Thanks for your help
Lance
Can you post what you have as your expression? It works for me. Sounds like you might be missing a semicolon or something simple.
Hello Harry. Last post for this video, I swear. A nice guy over at CreativeCow was able to give me the answer I was looking for! I made a thread linking to your website and asked them if there’s an expression to randomize the order of the index value for the last line in your expression, and it turns out there is.
seedRandom(index,true)
start = random([-100, 50, -2000] , [1000, 436, 1000]);
end = value;
ease(time, 0, 2 + (random(thisComp.numLayers)*thisComp.frameDuration), start, end)
There we have it. I guess the way to make the index go at random is “random(thisComp.numLayers)”. It gives a great overall organic effect.
Hi Barry. Sorry, I guess I misunderstood your question. “index” is always the layer number. You can, in your example there, generate a random number using the number of layers. Still, this will randomize your layers and not provide any grouping per letter. But, just so you know what is happening:
random(5) : generates a random value between 0 and 5.
random(thisComp.numLayers) : generates a random value between zero and how many layers are in the comp
You could also just look at how many layers you have, for example.. 200 layers, and use;
random(200)
Either way.. glad you got it sorted out!
Oh, well that makes sense! Sorry for all of the messages. I’m terrible at expressions and trying to learn. Thanks for the information! I’ll try to be a little more clear next time, haha. Thanks man.
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Hi, i cant find the slant text, I am a bit of a noob. So i was wondering if you can specific where you found the slant text
Take your pick! Seems that Dafont, Urban Fonts, etc have it:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=slant+font
Hey, thank you for the google search tip. My composition is just as big as the text, so i was wondering if i have done something wrong???
I think this is a CS4 thing. Just re-adjust your composition settings (Composition > Composition Settings…) to the resolution that you want.
I’m French, please give me a tips for reduce a composition at 6 second Thank you for help
I think i have just set my composition by ajust. Why i don’t work.
please help me
because when i set my composition my animation don’t finish.
I am not sure of your actual question, Cedric. Do you need to lengthen your composition? Go to Compostion > Composition Settings.. and change the duration of the composition.
i just like, the composition was more longer jsut shortly maybe 5 second and at the time the most best time is 13 second. And when i ajust my time composition in composion setting this animation not finish.
where can i find the wall texture ?? =)
I don’t even remember where I found it. Often, I check on Flickr (using an advanced search) for textures that allow Creative Commons usage.
You can find a wide range of textures at cgtextures.com
I have also created a tutorial on where to find great, free, high-quality images. You can view it here:
http://vimeo.com/4686298
Happy After Effecting!
How would you cut the text up in photoshop?
Thanks,
You could use the Polygon Lasso tool and use shift + command + J (shift + control + J in Windows) to duplicate that selection to a new layer.
Very cool way of randomizing the animation. It puts a new twist on things. In the past, I’ve animated the position, and rotation properties of 1 layer, then used index to have all the layers look at the one on top of them, to animate. Its pretty easy, and you only animate 1 layer, essentially what you’ve done here. I’ve also set up slider controls to ease in and out of the animation and be able to adjust the value’s at any given time.
However, I really like this randomization and I learned some new things I did not know before. I think in a sense this may work better.
Very nice.
Thanks.
hello there,
i have tried this effect in my composition, actually i am making a broken wall(many shapes) and then revert to solid wall, so the thing is i dont want the shapes in arranged layer order (index), i want random layers.
Is there any change in script? Can you email me the script
Also post some more tuts and projects
, they are very helpfull
Thanks!
You could just randomize the layer order. Too many layers?
Hello Harry,
while trying to follow the tutorial I came across an issue of layer order in AFx: it imports the Illustrator file ruining the layer order for some reason.
Say, there are 105 pieces -> layers in AI.
The imported comp starts with layer 36 to 67, then Layer 6 comes. Then 68, 7, 69, 8..
Is it a bug or a feature? What’s the best way to resort the layers?
Sergei, It’s worked for me when I’ve tested it on CS3 and CS4 on Mac OS and Windows. If you are having different results, it’s a matter of figuring out what is going on with your computer, or your process.
Are you using type or a logo? What version are you running?
great tutorial. i’m very new to AE and i’m very pleased with how mine turned out. lemme know what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FBcLKJMpj4
Excellent Tut Harry, can’t wait to try this out on something! Great use of expressions!
Hi Harry
and thanks for this nice tutorial, your whole site and for sharing all that knowledge. Love your way of explaining stuff, I learn a lot here.
Anyways, I got one problem:
When put my shattered comp in a new comp, collapse it, turn it into 3d and add a light, which casts shadows, all those little lines from cutting up the type, which we adressed by using the alpha add blend mode, turn up again. As soon as I turn the collapse switch of, the lines are gone, but with them the shadows. Am I missing something?
Thanks again and keep em coming
martin
how would i apply this to a 3d cube in after effects?
i love this tutorial btw!
@Timmy. I’m not sure what you mean. What kind of 3D cube? AE in itself cannot really create a 3D cube, other than with individual solids, or with 3rd party support. Do you mean with simple solid layers?
I love your tutorial and im doing it!
5/5 ^^,
I have a question if you don’t mind, How can i shorten it to like 5secs? Cause its duration are more than 15secs and i only want my introduction to just 10-15secs. Where will i change that? Thanks men!
)
love your tutorial and im doing it!
5/5 ^^,
I have a question if you don’t mind, How can i shorten it to like 5secs? Cause its duration are more than 15secs and i only want my introduction to just 10-15secs. Where will i change that? Thanks men! )
Easiest way…. this is what I did for the final render… is to use Time Remapping to speed things up.
Ok men thanks!~ It really help, your tuts are great, nicely done. 5/5 ^_^
How do you use the knife tool on an image instead of text? Sorry, I’m such a noob at this.
The knife tool works with vectors, not images. You could vectorize the image, but as far as I understand, the layer order is random.
Thanks for a great tutorial. Somewhat new to AE, so apologies if this is dumb. I’m having 2 problems: the first is the same as Martin–when I place the comp with all the layers into a new comp and collapse the transformations, all of the anti-aliased gaps reappear. My other problem is in rendering: it displays the animation when I scrub through the timeline, but either pre-rendering in AE or rendering out to QT don’t show the animation at all. Using the default render settings. Thanks for your help.
Sam, I’ve noticed that after placing an effect on that comp, the gaps do appear, as the effect changes the alpha edges. Maybe try Matte > Simple Choker? Try a negative value to expand the matte backwards.
As for the rendering, not sure.. too many unknowns. Can you render to anything else, like an image sequence?
Still haven’t figured out the gaps reappearing problem, but did adjust my Illustrator document, which fixed the non-rendering issue. Originally I was working with a print Illustrator document. Copying all the slices into a new video profiled document worked, for some reason. Points versus pixels?
Wow nice tut!
but what tipe of machine have you used?
an iMac a Macbook or a Mac Pro?
i want to know its components so i can buy it
(sorry for my bad english)
I did this tutorial on a smaller MacBook. My main machine is a Dual Quad Core 3.0 Mac with 12GB of RAM. I’ll be upgrading my laptop to an i7 Mac Book Pro soon.
yeah good tut. but u need to explain more. im stuck on the expression bit. i press p on it the position thing pops up and u just click and stuff and it comes up. u didnt explain how you did that! could you please tell me im stuck! thanks!
I can explain more, but I am not sure what you are asking. What point in the tutorial are you not understanding?
hi im 14 and a beginner and i just got after effects and illustrator and i cant seem to do this right do you have any tutorials for beginners to learn the basic tools and options in after effects?
You can cut up shapes easily in AE with the following script (Masks to Layers), free download from AE Scripts.
http://aescripts.com/maskstolayers/
Enjoy!
Dom
Motion Graphics Artist
The Mill
London
Showreel: http://vimeo.com/9967557
I just utilized the reverse shatter effect for one of my projects – thanks for the tutorial. However, is there a way to control the direction in which this shatter populates? At the moment, it generates from right to left – how can I tell it to generate the other way, from right to left?
Additionally, I’d like to know if you can “randomize” a particle effect in the expression before these tiles fall into place. At the moment, they go from point A to B – but within the expression (or not) can we randomize the movement of the split pieces before they hit their final resting place?
Love your work, thanks for the help in advance.
In the tutorial, I actually show you how to reverse the direction, take a look right after I apply the expression to all the layer. In short, you just need to reverse the order of the layers using cut and paste all at once.
As for the second question, it’s possible, but the expression would have to be radically different. Right now, it’s just a “this value changes to that value” kind of expression. What you are looking for is a series of random values for each layer. Of the top of my head, I don’t have a solution, but I’ll put my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with.
Hi, Shane here. Excellent video you made here. I only have one problem. I’m new to After Effects CS5, and for some reason, when I get to about 25 minutes, after I add the expression, only the x any y axises on the layers are effected, not the z. I made all of the layers 3d too. I think that what I saw though is the XYZ guide on the bottom left hand corner of the page, your z is tilted to the right but mine is looking straight at me, or a dot.
This is the expression I use. It works great for me.
seedRandom(index,true);
start = random([-100,10,-1000] , [2000, 400, 1000]);
end = value;
linear(time, 0, 5 + (index*thisComp.frameDuration), start, end);
ok so i did everything as you said in adobe illustrator (i used cs5 on windows) and when i import it as composition and layer size… after i click on composition layer it shows black and it doesn’t render as did in this video
( please help and also the composition size changes it don’t remain same as 1280 x 720 ???
Is it perhaps showing black artwork on a black background?
Otherwise, it’s hard to say without seeing the project. If you want, collect the AE file and the illustrator artwork and email to harry *at* graymachine.com
NOTE: Today, 11/1/10, I will be up against a major deadline for the end of the day. So, I’ll take a look later on, or first thing in the morning.
Love the way you got into that expression. Thanks for being so didactic!
Hi Harry,
Love the tut and learned a lot. I’m having the tiny cut lines still showing in After Effects Problem, and did everything you said. Using CS5 on a PC not Mac. I wonder if a Mac just handles the alpha transparency better. I can send you my files if you want.
Thank you,
Julia
Nice expressions, but why don’t use the shatter effect and time-reverse the composition instead of doing all this?
Because I wanted a staggered assemble from left to right, not just a reverse explosion.
Fantastic tutorial
Thx you for that.
Very cool tutorial
thx
thx u for that
Harry, thanks for this tutorial. I am an AE noob and I was able to follow along and create my own version of this.
Have an idea for circular movement using sinus function.
Harry, thanks for the great lesson. I do have one question though. In Illustrator, when I cut the pieces, they don’t magically line up in order from top to bottom and left to right. It actually seems they do the opposite of that. Is there some setting I’m missing? I tried the align tool, but it didn’t have any effect. In any case, after I adjusted those by hand, and ended up with a sweet project thanks to you!
Did you watch the part where I cut and paste them in reverse order to flip the order back around?
I followed this tutorial when you first published it and took what I learned and created this animation:
http://www.youtube.com/user/kenboyles72#p/u/6/7nbJPwLWO9c
Instead of AI, I cut the image up in PS and imported the layers in AE CS4
wow ! awesome ! can i ask something. where can i get it effect plug in like that.
I think time remapping is the only option with this.. which is why I like this technique here. I just wish it could be more 3D. Maybe using ProAnimator?
There’s lots of beginner tutorials at either creativecow.net or videocopilot.net. But have a ton of resources to get you started in AE.
I’ve avoided doing “basic intro” tutorials out of respect for the trainers and companies that I owe my knowledge to, such as Total Training and Brian Maffit.
Well, it is a bit of an advanced tutorial.
What might help you is to watch Lesson 1 (which is free) of my expressions series, here: http://vimeo.com/7471983
how to get depht of field effect widouth adding a camera
it seems to me that ou didnt aded camera in the start of tutorial and you had dof
how to edit default camera settings?