In this fun tutorial, Adam walks us through the write-on effect as well as a new way to implement trapcode's particular to create the popular simulation of an appearing wisp of smoke. He shows us some options to this effect as well how to customize any logo apply these principles in any way you wish.
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Requirements:
Trapcode Particular (download the trial version here)
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TutorialTutorial Addendum
We are always listening to all the feedback we get from the comments and Adam was kind enough to record this addendum to address some of the questions raised.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Emin March 16th
Looks Awesome, thx for that.
( )kareem abd el wahab March 16th
realy looks great..!
( )Dot March 16th
Cool effect
( )thanx
Parrudinho March 16th
great effect
( )Kyriakos Ktorides March 16th
wow this is amazing
( )camden March 16th
awesome
( )Steve Mullen March 16th
Thanks! I really like this one, would even be great just keeping the logo in the white outline form.
( )manS March 16th
Awesome… TQ for tutorial…
( )Matt March 16th
Danke!
( )After Effects fanatic March 16th
That was friking awsome dude….
You just made everything seem so easy yet look very professional….
Your the man…..
( )Levi March 16th
Brilliant!
( )Malcom March 16th
Awesommmmm!!!!
( )suBi March 16th
the preview looks awesome
( )Adobe March 16th
Basic grammar people, please, for the love of all that is sacred, lol.
This lack of professionalism is driving me insane.
Like using the word Photoshop as a VERB, you only show your childish, non-experienced nature, and that is a shame, especially for a site that wants to be as big as it claims it wants to be.
TUTS is short for Tutorials.
So, it is pronounced “toots”, NOT “tuts” i.e. King Tut.
And for you Adam, the Compuserve GIF format is pronounced:
“Gif” NOT “Jiff”. …it’s not a peanut butter product with a limiting 8bit alpha, lol.
This is because the first word in the acronym for GIF is “Graphic”, you wouldn’t pronounce it “Jraphic” would you? No.
So please, maintain some level of professionalism, unless your goal is to alienate your viewers to ONLY the non-experienced, non-working children/hobbyists with no money to spend on the products this company is trying to sell.
( )Adobereply March 16th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_Interchange_Format
Read the part on pronunciation, do your homework before you complain…
( )Chris March 16th
AE “Toots” sounds really lame, too. Chill out Dr. Arrogant.
( )Oliver March 16th
Oh, so by professionalism do you mean publically insulting someone else’s work?
[Oh by the way you can’t read this, but I have miss-pronounced all of the words while typing this out.]
( )Tawts!!! July 24th
|So please, maintain some level of professionalism, unless your goal is to |alienate your viewers to ONLY the non-experienced, non-working |children/hobbyists with no money to spend on the products this company is |trying to sell.
Kinda inflicts his own idiocy,hmm…
Let’s check this page…ah yes!
‘Free AE Tutorials’.
Sell?
haha
offbeat March 16th
wow…you’re a douche
( )Zach March 16th
Do you always complain about stuff you get for free? If you don’t like the tutorials on the site then don’t look at them. I personally like his style. It makes it more interesting to watch. By the way, thanks for such an awesome tutorial, Adam! I personally enjoyed the sperm analogy the most!
( )Bie Lee March 16th
Dude, this is an After Effects Tutorial site, what matters is the techniques we learn, but not the english grammar. It looks like you have an ever lasting grudge on this site for some reason!
( )Skellie March 16th
Interesting note: Collis pronounces it “Tuts” not “Tewts”, which I guess makes the CEO of this company unprofessional and child-like…
Ben Wotton March 16th
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_Interchange_Format
Read the part on pronunciation, do your homework before you complain…”
Oh Bam! Cut down in the prime of your argument.
( )Derek Herman March 16th
Depending on where you live it’s pronounced ta-torial or to-torial but I have never heard it pronounced too-torial. So I agree “toots” sounds weird to me and in some cultures means something completely different.
I call it tuts and I’m from the west coast of the United States and college educated. So my question is, am I ignorant or possessing poor grammatical abilities? No. I’m just pronouncing it to the best of my abilities according to my regional dialect.
Don’t try to over analyze the way tuts is pronounced, it’s just not that important.
( )Modisana March 17th
Dude…you are the man..you have no Idea how many people Ive told the exact same thing you are saying now…it really use to grill me
Tawts!!! July 24th
I say tuts,this tut is very tutsy.
What he complains about is every dialect in the world except his,and judging by it,it sounds like an Eskimo.
That’s like,asks one in that says Adobb instead of Adowbee [like me] and calls him a cunt!
Matt March 17th
You’re right, I say Girraffe too. Like GIRRR!!!
( )Saturday March 21st March 21st
ROFL. You way too high strung. If I were to produce a video tutorial I would probably pronounce the shortened form of ‘tutorials’ as ‘toots’ and I would also say ‘Giff’ not ‘Jiff’.
But who CARES. We aren’t talking about the meaning of words here, just the annunciation of them. So chill the heck out you arrogant person.
Anyway this TOOT was very informative, and I quite liked the humurous rabbit trails the author constantly went down.
I think I am going to give it a try, so that I too (er.. i mean TUH) will be as professional as Adobe March 16th.
( )FEDFiLM March 21st
Whoa there partner, calm down, and just for your information, In the midwest we say TUTS, because toots would be rather lame.
sweet tut adam!
( )The only thing is I don’t have Particular just yet, but i was able to get a similar effect through manipulating Radio Waves, the built in plugin; anyone else do that?
Billy March 21st
As has been stated by others….you are a complete douche bag. The fact that your post wasn’t deleted amazes me. That anyone would post such babbling nonsense is shocking. It would amaze me if you have a single friend…..moron!
( ). March 22nd
BUUURRRNNNN…. its known as ‘jiff’ not ‘giff’
If you really are so “professional” (as you say that we are not), then dont come here, make your own tutorials… I would be amazed if anyone can stand your arrogance. (if you can make a tutorial, that is.)
btw, thanks a bunch Adam, great tutorial, learnt a lot.
( )HJ March 25th
Awesome.
Jif is a peanut butter brand.
Tut is not a word at all. I’ve always said “toots.”
Just like I say “gas” in place of “gasoline” rather than “gays.”
“Photoshop” is very much a verb.
This is a nice effect. The 15 minute roto tutorial was a bit much though.
( )aNu March 26th
what is sacred is the ability to be human and make mistakes. the world doesn’t revolve around one person pretending to be better than others.
( )anonym April 24th
he is just 1 of those guys that could see a green dog shitting on the street and he d ask him self y is he shitting there? there are toilets for do that lol and mr adobe u dont need to speak like old fashion man of 80 years for be good in this profession u need some skills like all this tutorials trying to teach u so shut up and learn some. if u got bored u can always go back to wikipedia and analyze their grammar there
( )Burning Chariot Media March 16th
awesome stuff. ive seen various methods of achieving a simmilar effect – this is a great example and one that’ll come in very handy for an Ident maker like moi! Cheers AETUTS!
( )Oliver March 16th
I’m with you dude, Trapcode is Particular-ly awesome.
Great Tut! [not ‘toot’], I’m really looking forward to see what you come up with next.
Also, your voice over worked very well, it was really interesting to listen too; you might be giving Kramer a run for his money.
Take care.
( )Adam Everett March 16th
I appreciate the words… haha, since Kramer is free open knowledge, then yes, I’ll give him a run for his money. Knowledge and should be free, but credited accordingly.
( )Carlos June 15th
whats the name of the effect you used?
Gray March 16th
Yeah, your style reminds me a lot of Kramer too. Nice tut.
( )Lawrie March 16th
brill
( )Carlos March 16th
Awesome tutorial man..
( )Thanks!
Raivan March 17th
What font did you use?
( )Adam Everett March 17th
The font is called Rollergirls, you can just search for it and download it.
( )naim alwan March 17th
Nice “TOOT”
( )Simon March 17th
Hi, lovely effect but if I may be allowed to offer some constructive criticism, and I do say this with all due respect as you clearly have a lot of talent but for me I think you could do with slowing your delivery down just a touch. I found it very hard to follow your process and even watching the tutorial in HD it was really hard to see what you were doing as you were going so fast!
Also, it’s really confusing to hear someone say things like “hmm, I can’t quite remember how I did that, what was it again” (paraphrased) – so maybe a bit more of a plan before you hit record?
Again, I’m trying to offer suggestions to help as I know a lot of people appreciate what you’re doing and would like to get more benefit from the tutorials.
That said, awesome effect and I’m going to definitely use it.
( )Adam Everett March 17th
That’s a legit request, I tend to go fast when I know what I’m doing… and then when I go slow, it’s cause I”m trying to remember what I did or figure out what I’m doing so I ramble… so it’s pretty much lose lose for me, haha. But no, that makes sense, I’ll work on that.
( )Billy March 22nd
Adam…really have to agree with Simon. Finally got through the entire tutorial while I was making my own. I think when most people start a tutorial they would like to be able to recreate the original. Improvisation is important, but I think most, at least initially want to recreate what you did in the preview. You don’t really do that. There was too much “think speak” going on as you attempted to recreate. As Simon said (ha…ha) I think you need more of a script with exact parameters to follow so it’s more organized and coherent. It was falling apart at the end.
Sorry…I’m linear. I just like more coordination in the tuts I watch. Probably more of my problem than yours!
Again, thanks for the effect!
Carlos March 17th
Adam, could you please explain how to animate it in 3d without messing up the write-on effect? I would greatly appreciate it… My text keeps getting pixelated too when I zoom in on Z-space.
( )sda March 17th
You just made everything seem so easy yet look very professional
( )Skellie March 17th
Wonderful debut Adam! Look forward to seeing more tuts from you on the site
( )HEY! March 18th
HEY! tus tutoriales son increibles, thanks very much.
saludos a todos.
( )Palgie March 18th
Presenting a 30 minuite “toot” is never easy, and its often difficult to keep the attention of the viewer as im sure everyone knows.
But you nailed it with flying particles (in the wind), I have no intrest in AE im just passing the time and in the space of 30 minuites you have, not only intreaged me to wanting to start AE but kept me entertained throughout on something that i’ve had no previous intrest in.
Its this kind of tutorial you’d expect to pay for, and is one more for signing up to the plus network.
Totally worth it!
( )isa March 19th
cool particular interwiev..
( )Kevin Richards March 19th
Pfft. No offense, but come on… you show me a final product, and now you can’t even replicate it yourself in the tutorial. I understand that you are demonstrating principles and a general technique. Please consider that a higher level of planning would help boost the professionalism of your presentation which in turn raises your credibility as a presenter.
( )dudu678 March 19th
hey dude which application did you use for that osx style finder in the beginning???
by the way nice tut
greetings from holland
( )Orwell84 March 19th
Sound + Music + Font ???? Help me please .
Nice Greetz from Germany
( )Ahmed Dashti March 20th
The Font called “Rollergirls” You can download it in “www.dafont.com”
( )Adam Everett Miller March 21st
The song is by Bittersweet
( )KK August 21st
bittersweet by who? Never heard of it before.
jhon March 19th
you speak to much!
( )Michael Fantasia March 20th
Hi, Im a 12 year print production artist just beginning my AE journey. Thanks for the great “tuts”, very inspiring thanks so much
and Professor Adobe needs to chill!
( )Matic Nick March 20th
Hy. I like very much your tutorial, but i am kind of new to after effects and i want to know how can i make this effect with green outline on a white background. Thank you very much
( )Luke Weatherlow March 21st
I’m animating my logo using this technique and am having problems using more than one write on within the comp. Do I need to setup multiple layers? I want it to cut the circle around my logo using two plumes of smoke and not one.
( )Adam Everett Miller March 21st
yeah, it sounds like you’ll want to break the laying up maybe just just duplicating it and masking out the elements you don’t want to over lap, then apply write on to both individually as well as 2 separate particles layers.
( )Billy March 22nd
Got a question…I see that a poster says the font is Rollergirls. However, the font is a solid, not an outline. How do you make the font an outline? Seems this information should have been in the original tutorial….
( )Billy March 22nd
Nevermind….i’m a moron! Outta watch the tutorials closer….shouldn’t I! DUH! LOL! Thanks for the great effect Adam! I’d love to see a lot more tutorials from you!
( )khaled March 23rd
its great subject thanks
( )Ali Haydar güleç March 26th
Could you add project files here??
( )RUGRLN March 29th
Is there anything cool AfterEffects can do without an addon filter? like every tut here requires another plug in or something…
( )robbie March 30th
ily adam. and ur tuts. and ur sperm talk.
( )Zack McTee March 31st
This is a great tutorial, and I’ve made my way through the whole thing but whenever I try to change the background color I can see the traces from the write-on.
here’s what I mean:
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/117786/Public/Picture%205.png
can someone help me understand how to get rid of that? Thanks!
( )Oscar April 1st
Beautiful tutorial man, you rock! Thanks!!
I’ve a question.. i’m a little bit newbit about AE and i don’t find a way to write with the font “Rollergirls” in the way you wrote (i mean the outline). Maybe i miss something?
Can someone, please, explain me?
( )Thanks
dodyryda April 1st
hi adam.. ..
mate nice one.. great tutorial have been practising. 1st tutorial i’ve attempted in ae.. very good effect.. would have like to re-create the complete effect like someone else said the end fell away a bit … but very good anyway…
one thing the track you said it was by bittersweet but what is teh track called..
( )atif April 6th
gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooddddddddddddddddddddddddd
thnkssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
( )Charles April 9th
very nice tutorial I really like the smokey effect…you just made me reinstalled ae
( )Lawrence April 9th
Great tutorial, very entertaining! I can’t stop fannying about with this now… I’m just tryin to think of ways to mix it up with other path animations and Form. Don’t let the jerks trash your presenting style, I thoroughly enjoy it.
Thanks
( )MR HOLLYWOOD April 13th
MAN I would really like to learn what you have graciously put together for us here but I have a hard time trying to follow because of the lack of detail and bluriness. Yes my glasses are OK ….. LOL. I tried it on different screen resolution settings but didn’t help.
Thanks for the great effort.
CHEERS & Thanks
( )Satya Meka April 14th
You are a lively teacher. Keep it up!
( )Marc April 14th
¡Realy Amazing Effect!
Thanks…
( )catalin April 14th
where i get the song :-s?
( )Camacho April 15th
Errr…I’m having troubles seeing my second particular show up…it says it is linked to the 2nd write on that’s displaying correctly, but no particular. The target is there but no particles. Please help! Thanks!
( )Ramakrishnan April 17th
Excellent and what software you used for this title effect
( )Danijel April 17th
Thanks for this great the tutorial.
Unfortunately the effect used to make the smoke “following” the font is very hard to make out. Please tell me which effect you used i cant find it.
greetings.
( )CgBaran Tuts April 18th
Great tutorial thanks
( )Rashmi April 22nd
hey nice job…keep it up…that was really very useful…
( )se7en89 April 22nd
…who know this song name?
( )Nikky April 22nd
Song used is DirtyLaundry by BitterSweet
The tutorial is really inspiring, thanks alot
( )se7en89 April 23rd
thanks a lot!^^
( )Suzanne May 6th
you are so great
i have fun and i learn a lot
THANKS
( )wwink May 6th
2.35, what’s the name of the effect?
( )i’m french sorry
phong May 20th
thank. very beauty
( )Mirsad May 21st
Tnx!
( )sda May 23rd
You are a lively teacher. Keep it up!
( )Carlos June 14th
whats the name of the effect’
( )ville June 16th
Hey, took it a step forward and played with the gravity…can make it look like dust/sand falling
( )luke June 16th
amazing but could i have the name of the font please
( )hayurlame July 2nd
this tutorial kind of sucks….
( )you dont explain how to do things enough
after i get to the point where i need to cover the letters with the write on
you dont explain anything like how to make the path of the tool..
everytime i try make the path all it does is move the text around
Tawts!!! July 24th
Yeah,and they never actually say that THE FRIGGIN ADDON COSTS!
( )riky July 8th
the name of the fonts???
( )Max July 13th
Need help.
Adam or someone who archive preview effect, please share the final options in particles.
I’m trying to get this effect whole day, but somethig always wrong.
Thanks. sorry for english (^_^)
( )Dinu July 14th
HI,.. Really great work.. thanks for sharing..
( )keep posting..
juan July 26th
more more more thanks. Excellent tutorial.
( )CrankySmurf August 2nd
as a newb… this was great! I did get lost with all the changes to the settings but over all geat video!
( )diego August 12th
Nice Tutorial,
I have a question though. When im using the effect write on more than one time in the same word layer, lets say for starting at 2 different spots at the time, after doing all the tracing and at the moment of turning them to ¨reveal original image¨, they dissapear, it seems like if the effect can not be used more than one at the same time in each layer…
( )Appreciate any info.
Adam Everett August 28th
to do multiple “write-ons” I typically just precompose precompose precompose…. it becomes your best friend…
( )Will September 26th
I didn’t get this. =/
What exactly should i do for multiple “write-ons”?
AK August 31st
HI nice tut but is there some settings u used to create the outline text like that?…kinda new to after effect’s im going to try and used illustrator to make that and see how it goes
( )AK August 31st
Lol disregard my last post guessed i should have watched the video in it’s entirety before trying to create it my self….people adam show’s u how make the test into a outline/stroke 6 mins..hail from jamaica
( )eunice September 21st
awesome tutorial!:D thanks!
( )eunice September 21st
there’s an “x” mark that apppeared.. how do i take it off? thanks!
( )Adam Everett Miller September 21st
Do you have a registered version of Particular?
( )Yimi September 30th
Hi, Adams, very thanks for the tut,
I learn something,
butm what I saw at the preview
IS NOT
what you show at the end of your Tutorial, why dont show us the true values
to get that professional end?
You dont show how to add the sound, and the final camera movement…
Anyway, thanks.
I wish take care to get another tutorial, but
( )in a complete way!
Linda October 20th
Thanks for the tutorial, I have a problem
( )when I reach the point of joining the XY position of the particle simulation for the purpose of writing … the dock or tie or whatever does not come out.
Not if it’s because the version I have installed is the portable or because I disabled an option … I NEED YOUR HELP.
Adam Everett Miller October 20th
I’m a little confused by what your problem is… email me at aetuts@tutsplus.com with a few more specifics and I’ll see if I can help.
( )Linda October 25th
thanks managed to find my problem and he had no option to add the expression that is in the animation menu
thanks
Stephen Curry October 24th
hate to be a stick in the mud but you really jumped around in this tutorial which made it hard to follow especially for noobs such as myself. I was hoping to see exactly how you created to promo effect….but by the end of the tutorial I was lost from all the jumping around and the smoke effect wasnt the same as in your promo.
additionally you showed how to do the intro effect at the end of the tutorial. I appreciate the work but you need to think about who your audience is going to be.
( )Dani December 5th
great tutorial….as always
super effect thx for showing =)
( )Jquin3 December 14th
Hi, this was a great tutorial. really learned a lot from it. But I cant seem to get the final effect wispy smoke effect like in the preview. I tried all kind of settings in particular but my smoke always appear not wispy enough. Could anyone share the settings or a project file? Thank you.
( )