Moho Animation Forum

Breaking my leave the computer alone rule for this week.

I wanted to goof off so I decided to do a star field going towards the camera.

Problem 1
The particle effects does not have a way of simply choosing the z axis as a direction.
Solution
Rotate the particle effects layer on the x axis 90 degrees.

Problem 2
The orientation of the particles are now wrong.
Solution
Rotate the shape layers in the particle folders on the x axis 90 degrees.

Problem 3
It is so small it is not really a star field. and it is moving crazy.
Solution
Make these setting for the particles.
Particle Count: 600 (if your computer can handle it) [Edit] 600 is twice what is needed but helps to fix problem 4[EDIT]
Lifetime: 400
Source width: 16
Source height: 2
Source depth: 16
Velocity: 2
Velocity Spread: 1
Damping: 0

Direction: 90 Spread: 6
Acceleration: 270 Rate: 0

[EDIT]
Problem 3B
Particle is too close to the camera.
Solution
Move the particle layer to z -10
[EDIT]


Problem 4
There is a lot of randomness but there seem to be a few obvious trails.
Solution
[EDIT] Do as selgin suggests below, it does work
Duplicate the shape layer and turn on "hide in editing view" and "Don't render this layer" in the layer settings
[EDIT]

Here is the AS file I made to figure this out.
[EDIT] Updated the file with selgin's solution [EDIT]
http://www.mediafire.com/?zw8mbrnd8nu33f9

have fun.

fracturedray wrote:Problem 4
There is a lot of randomness but there seem to be a few obvious trails.
Solution
There is none. I've seen repeating trails a lot in the AS particles and so I'd make two set of particles and move the center of the particle emitter away from the camera view on the left or right side. However since the center of this particle is needed to be near the center of the screen there is not a good solution other than asking that the bug gets fixed.

Duplicate the vector layer and make the duplicated non visible (you can check "hide in editing view" and "don't render this layer" on layer proprieties), then change the number of particles to double (600 instead 300).
I know it's a weird way to get over this bug, but works.

PD: Search "Spaceship" on library and open the entire file, you will see I worked with stars in very similar way you did

HaHa, thanks selgin. That bug drove me nuts a few times. I added your solution to the notes above.

And now for the reason I even started this...

http://www.mediafire.com/?1j42jbwp96c60aa

Wanted to see if there was a good way to make blades of grass pass by the camera.

If you look at the file you will see that
I moved the particle from z -10 to z 10
I reversed the direction from 90 to 270
And I changed source depth to 0.10

I also moved the particle down on y -0.10 to look like it is on ground level.

I hope this helps someone.