New Page! After Effects Javascript Mocap

Check out my new page:

^ Click on the image to view the page. ^

This section centers on my ongoing pursuit of homemade motion capture. My current attempt uses the motion tracking feature in After Effects in combination with my After Effects script. The script takes keyframe data from After Effects and exports it as a python file which may be executed in Blender.

-Corey Kruger

EDIT: The link to the page was broken- it is now fixed!

Two New Pages!

Check out two new pages on my blog:

Click on the images to go to the page.

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Blender Python Walking Script

This page covers a python project I’ve worked on in Blender 2.49. It involves a script in the Blender game engine which generates smooth walking cycles for sprites. The pose transitions are smooth and the feet don’t slide.

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Maya Embedded Language – Feather Rigging Script

Here is another scripting project which uses MEL (Maya Embedded Language) to create a fully operational wing and feather rig in Maya. The rig is complete with constraints and expressions for realistic movements.

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-Corey Kruger

“PreCalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell” – Excellent Math Review!

Having recently changed my major from Film to Computer Science, my upcoming classes will now include much more math than I’ve had previously. In light of this, I have begun to prepare myself by doing as much study and review as possible on my own. Several weeks ago, I found a used copy of this book (Precalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell) by George F. Simmons. It is essentially a review of Geometry, Algebra, and Trigonometry (pretty much everything you may have learned in high school – plus a little more). Now that I’ve finished the book, I’m astonished at how much I’ve learned from such a brief text. I could not have gained more from an entire semester of classes with long lectures and copious note-taking. There are dusty old topics from algebra in this book which I’ve never understood until now. If you don’t intend to work in a math related field, this 119-page book will impart all the math you will ever need to know. Each section is quick, concise, and practical. The formulas are considered only according to their usefulness and application. Nothing is left ambiguous or too abstract to remember. However, this text is not for the faint of heart. Simmons demands the reader’s full attention. Every sentence contains information that is vital to your understanding – not a single word is wasted (this is probably why the book is so short). So be careful while reading or you’ll easily get off track.

I have since moved on to study calculus in my spare time. But without this extremely helpful book, I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it without the aid of a teacher.

In a side note, I found this excellent Youtube channel which has helped me grasp the basics of calculus:

Derek Owen’s Youtube Channel

Also, a few days ago I discovered the MIT OpenCourseWare which I am very excited to explore over the next few weeks:

MIT OpenCourseWare

Both of these have made a very nice supplement to my texts. Hopefully all this study will help me ace my upcoming calculus classes and make me a better programmer.

-Corey Kruger

Dreamscape Challenge Entry

Here is a video I entered in the Dreamscape Challenge on cgsociety. You can view it here along with its “making-of.” As of now, the judges are still deciding, and my hopes are high. This is my first successful (as in finsished) challenge entry.

And the “making-of.”

Be sure to try it out in HD on Vimeo for a better view!

I made this in my garage on my green screen and shot all the live footage on my Nikon P100 (that’s me in the robe!). I used After Effects for the green screen keying and Blender for the compositing, environment, and cloth simulation.

Just a note. This video is in no way related to my school or my current film courses. I wish it did but, I’m not quite there yet in my degree program. This project comes purely out of my own motivation.

Also, the music is by Hans Zimmer from Inception. I thought it was most appropriate considering the theme of the contest.

So, enjoy!

-Corey Kruger

Green Screen Garage

Here’s a pic of my green screen. I finally decided to pull it out after a year of inactivity. As you can see it is mounted to the ceiling in my spacious film studio (the garage). I spent all morning steaming out the wrinkles by hand. Now I just have to set up my lights and I’m set to start filming on it.

Castle in Arizona Desert “Making of”

This is my second test of Adobe After Effects and I’m quite pleased. The horizon is not as clean however, and I had to paint out a speed limit sign (you can still see the bottom of it if you look closely) but the 2d track worked very nicely. I also painted out some trees and low hills and added an artificial horizon to blend things more neatly (still need to work on that- you can see how it’s all fuzzy where the ground meets the sky).

This video was taken at the same place as the last video. It’s just a boring road somewhere in the desert. It ain’t boring no more!

After Effects Test Drive

Here is my first test of Adobe After Effects. The video is a vfx breakdown of a simple sky replacement I performed. The footage is of the superstition mountains near my home. I’m very pleased with how it turned out considering the low resolution of the camera that I used.

This shot basically called for a simple 2d track with a color key for the sky and a minimal amount of masking. There are still a few tiny artifacts left over if you look closely but they’re not very noticeable. The lens flare was something of an after thought but it really helps hide the fact that the video was filmed in the middle of the day.

Experiments in Electricity

Here is a screen capture from an animation I’ve made. It’s from a simple electricity setup I did in blender using particles represented as paths (not hair particles mind you) and a texture field applied to a moving empty object.