How to make a layer twinkle?

[jason1025]

I have a layer and its in a chor its supposed to be a bunch of tiny lights off in the distance. Any ideas on how to make the lights which are basically circles of solid colors twinkle?

[Rodney]

One way would be to replicate the standard film technique for twinking stars.

 

Twinkling lights are often created by placing a mask on top of the field of lights and moving that mask across the field. This will result in sequence of stationary lights that appear to twinkle.

 

Once the field of twinkling lights is created you could enhance the effect even more by adjusting the ambiance intensity and/or color of the Layer (under the Surface properties)

 

.

[John Bigboote]

Yes, a 'morey' is needed. A morey (don't know if I am spelling it right) is an illusion created when 2 patterns move upon each other. I see a morey everytime I drive under a pedestrian overpass, and the 2 chainlink fence patterns that line the overpass create a moving illusion...I am easily entertained. anyways-

 

Basically, in your case, you would need to make a piece of art that could just be a 'scribble' in Photoshop... literally a scribble(with alpha). Bring it into A:M as a layer and place it in front of the lights and give it a little clockwise rotation... now bring another instance/layer in to the same place and rotate this one counter-clockwise. The negative effect they will have on your lights should give the lights a nice 'city at night' twinkle effect. All this assuming you are working in a black scene. Adjust scribble line thickness and rotation speeds to taste. Results may vary. Subject to sales tax.

 

That is an old film trick.

[NancyGormezano]

Oooo...neat idea - it's Moiré pattern (yay! I got the acute accent to show!)

[Darkwing]

Isn't it called aigu?

[HomeSlice]

The accent aigu is known as an acute accent to us English speakers. We tend to make up our own words for anything we can't pronounce

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_accent

[NancyGormezano]

Isn't it called aigu?

 

Mais oui, mon cher, mais je ne sais pas comment on épele "aiguë"

[Darkwing]

The accent aigu is known as an acute accent to us English speakers. We tend to make up our own words for anything we can't pronounce

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_accent

 

Makes sense

 

 

Isn't it called aigu?

 

Mais oui, mon cher, mais je ne sais pas comment on épele "aiguë"

 

only don't know the word epele, not bad for not having spoken french in 2 or 3 years

[robcat2075]

I think it's a cute accent.

[Walter Baker]

What Nancy say Huh? I failed French twice in High School, Spanish too and barley got through English.

It is impressive anyway.

[NancyGormezano]

only don't know the word epele, not bad for not having spoken french in 2 or 3 years

 

Très bon, bien sur! Je pense que épeler est "to spell" en Anglais.

 

I haven't spoken French in 30-100 years? Took it in high school, college. I too am amazed at how much I do remember. And most amazingly, how much "google translate" remembers for me.

[Darkwing]

I used to be good at french, but on summer break one year, I quite literally like forgot all my conjugations and then I just happened to take french immersion for two years after that, but never went back over what I had forgotten, so it was a bit difficult for me until I finally dropped out of french in Grade 12. I also dropped out of music, but unlike the french, I was very disappointed by that

[johnl3d]

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39120

[robcat2075]

French has so many words and phrases that can be mistaken for other words and phrases that I imagine most of their day is like an Abbot and Costello routine.

[Darkwing]

Ha ha, well TBH, aside from my forgetfulness, french was considerably easier than english because unlike in french, english uses the same word for like a dozen different things

[jason1025]

Thanks for the help folks