Combustion Eye for the AE Guy
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Step 10: Let’s add a Drop Shadow effect to the Video Layer. In After Effects we call them effects, in combustion we call them Operators. Highlight the Video Layer in the Workspace, Right+Click and select Operators>Stylize>Drop Shadow.
The Workspace will now change and shows the Drop Shadow Operator that is operating on the layers beneath it (in this case our nested composite). [an error occurred while processing this directive]
In the Drop Shadow Controls Tab (in AE the Effects Control Panel), change the Shadow Center to 383, 271. This is different than just setting the Offset amount in After Effects. This is one thing I don’t like. I would much rather be able to set a shadow offset of 30 pixels rather than trying to determine what that offset amount is by clicking and dragging. This is just one of the many changes you will need to accommodate if you expect to master both After Effects and combustion.
Change the Feather Amount to 30.
In the Comp window you probably don’t see anything, and may think that Drop Shadow doesn’t work. It does, but the shadow is larger than the size of the layer. To fix this, turn on Resize Image.
Step 11: The last thing I would like to do to this layer is add a linear wipe. I would much have a page peel, but since neither combustion nor After Effects has this, a linear wipe will do.
Note: If this effect looks familiar it should – the idea for this effect was originally demonstrated by Steve Martin on the Secrets of Final Cut Pro training DVD put out by DVCreators.net. I used this example because I really want to get across to the reader that the same effect can be done on many applications: Final Cut Pro, After Effects and combustion. The only difference between the After Effects/combustion effect and the Final Cut Pro effect is the page peel effect.
Highlight the Video Layer, Right+Click and select Operators>Transitions>Linear Wipe. Click on the Linear Wipe Controls and set the Direction to -40 and the Feather Amount to 7.
Press Home on the keyboard to ensure you are at the beginning of the Timeline, turn on the Animate button, and set the Linear Wipe Amount to 100%.
Go to 1:00 on the Timeline (press the forward slash / and enter 1(period).) Change the amount to 0%.
Turn off the Animate button. If you would like to do a RAM Preview, press the Home key and press the Spacebar to start the playback of the layer. The RAM Preview in combustion is similar to After Effects in that playback is dependent on how much RAM you have in your system. If you would like to limit the range of that Playback, slide the Green In point and Red Out point markers in the Transport window to the appropriate spot.
Tip: In After Effects you can turn off an effect or layer by clicking on the f icon (for effect) or the eyeball. In combustion you can turn off an operator or a layers visibility by clicking on the icon next to that item – a sphere for Operators, Composite icon for composite layers, filmstrips for clips, etc.
Source: Digital Media Online, Inc.
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