Looking for spiral comet effect

[Capt Ike]

Has anyone had luck creating a "comet" that starts at the bottom of a pixel tree and spirals upward toward the top? I'm currently using the Spirals effect mixed with a curtain to get as close as I can, but it's still not what I'm looking for.  Ideally, I'd like one "comet" to spin around the tree all the way to the top.

[k6ccc]

Can't help in Motion Effects, but I do something similar on my flat pixel tree using SuperStar.  In SuperStar, I just use a fairly simply morph with a tail.  I know that description only helps if you use SuperStar.

 

[PhilMassey]

I am a long way from my machine right now but if I remember correctly, look at meteor, with some combination of the settings which gives a swirling effect. If you can't find it, post back and I will look when I get home at the weekend.

[MattBrown]

You could use a Single Block effect. See attached screen shot.

Pros:

• always fit to duration
• full control over the head and tail length

Cons:

• only one rotation around the tree
• "meteor" is not rotated

You could also use the same concept with the PictureXY effect, but with more control over what your "meteor" looks like (by choosing your image).

 

[Capt Ike]

3 hours ago, k6ccc said:

Can't help in Motion Effects, but I do something similar on my flat pixel tree using SuperStar.  In SuperStar, I just use a fairly simply morph with a tail.  I know that description only helps if you use SuperStar.

 

I should've mentioned that.  I don't have SuperStar yet, but maybe next year.  All of this year's budget went into constructing the tree. :)

2 hours ago, PhilMassey said:

I am a long way from my machine right now but if I remember correctly, look at meteor, with some combination of the settings which gives a swirling effect. If you can't find it, post back and I will look when I get home at the weekend.

Ok, I'll definitely take a look at that and play with all of the settings.  I glanced at it briefly and couldn't wrap my head around getting it to do what I want.

1 hour ago, MattBrown said:

You could use a Single Block effect. See attached screen shot.

Pros:

• always fit to duration
• full control over the head and tail length

Cons:

• only one rotation around the tree
• "meteor" is not rotated

You could also use the same concept with the PictureXY effect, but with more control over what your "meteor" looks like (by choosing your image).

 

This is PRETTY close! Thanks for that.  I see what you mean about only making one rotation around the tree though, and that is kind of a bummer, but still better than I had.  If I went with the PixtureXY effect and chose the pic, am I correct in assuming it would still only make one rotation?

[MattBrown]

39 minutes ago, Capt Ike said:

If I went with the PixtureXY effect and chose the pic, am I correct in assuming it would still only make one rotation?

After testing, the Picture effect works better because you can tell it not to scale the image (which you want to stay small). I've tested this on the LOR 16x25 tree. This one can go around the tree as many times as you want.

Here are my settings:

 

And here is the small 5x5 test image I used as the meteor:

[Capt Ike]

23 minutes ago, MattBrown said:

After testing, the Picture effect works better because you can tell it not to scale the image (which you want to stay small). I've tested this on the LOR 16x25 tree. This one can go around the tree as many times as you want.

Here are my settings:

 

And here is the small 5x5 test image I used as the meteor:

That's it!! You nailed it.  I'm going to play around with the picture file to dial in the look, but the movement is what I was looking for.  One question though, does the movement look a little jerky on your test? It does on mine, ever so slightly.

[MattBrown]

25 minutes ago, Capt Ike said:

One question though, does the movement look a little jerky on your test? It does on mine, ever so slightly.

Looked ok to me. It depends on the speed though.

[Capt Ike]

Thanks so much Matt!! I've tuned it to my liking.  In case anyone else comes along later, I'm posting the files that I used that gives a decent look.  You'll have to scale them in the motion effect setting.  I have one for rotating to the left and one to the right.