Create Electron and Atom effect?

[Everett_Bowes@adobeforums.com]

Trying to create a logo in PS (will be used in After Effects, too) that will be centrally located in the midst of an electron field. You know, the classic atom picture with the nucleus in the center, and electrons spinning around it.

Can't think of where to begin with this. Any suggestions?

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

You might try the #D effect in AI and then you will be able to bring that into AE.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Here it will take you a few seconds to do

Atom <http://mysite.verizon.net/wzphoto/Atom.jpg>

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

I thought Everett meant an animated illustration, with the electrons actually spinning around the nucleus. Silly me.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

He can do that in either AE or AI by either exporting layers to AE or layers to sequence in AI and saving as an swf. He wrote that he wanted a logo but the lements can be place or released to layers and then in AE create from those layers an animation.

And it would be scalable.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

A 3D application (that can do animations) would be best.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Todie AE can do this pretty good once it has the elements it is an animation creation program and is often used for this very thing,

So there is no need for him to buy another program when he already has the one many people use to do this with I could fairly easily do this in AI by saving as an SWF Frames document but then if I posted it it would be ready for download however they have AE so they can do it themselves as they probably have AI CS or should.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

A 3D application can resolve modeling, shadows and animation quite easy on such a simple project.
Of course, I can do it in Photoshop (or with a pencil : ). but I was suggesting the best solution.

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Not necessarily the best solution since he is bring ing it into AE anyway.

Sometimes you guys go off the board.

You do this in AI import the layers into AE and go to work.

BTW I notice that on a couple of other occasions that I suggested Illustrator for a specific use you found that there were other ways you thought were better such as working with CAD files for renderings. I don't know how familiar you are with AI but you are aware that many people who use CAD and other 3D modeling capable applications also work with AI to create art that is simply easier to create in AI or at least find it very helpful to have as a part of their work flow?

There are reason's for it.

For instance selecting elements on different layers at the same time, hiding some elements on a layer while have others active which you can do to multiple layers.
Selecting all elements with the same fill color etc.

I find I can do many things better in AI and then import those things into photoshop even when it is part of a retouching project.

8)

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

<http://shop.strata.com/?Product=4>
<http://www.stratacafe.com/image_relief.asp?imageID=13123>
<http://www.stratacafe.com/image_relief.asp?imageID=13205>

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

You're hopeless Larry!

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

Hey! You said you'd switch platforms to do CAD : )
(now, that's hopeless)

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

Well AutoCAD i only on Windows as of now and I don't know that I will ever need it but my clients mostly work on the Windows platform so it might still make sense for me. But when the person who came for help and they probably already have the tools to do the job and ones that are very well integrated as is AI and AE then well does confusing the issue make sense?

If it were a complex composition for 3D AI CS at the moment is not clearly the way to go but for a logo to bring into an AE animation well what you are telling him is a bit off the wall in AI CS he can do what he wants in a matter of seconds. Now if he doesn't have AI CS already and doesn't plan to update then maybe.

But AE and AI are very well integrated.

[Todie@adobeforums.com]

Logo work (especially animated) is (should be) lucrative enough to make the purchase of a simple 3D program logical.
Illustrator cannot come close to the richness possible in Strata.

BTW If you ask your clients to save their CAD files in a format that can be opened in Maya or other 3D application, you could apply textures, lights and render on the Mac, much better than AutoCAD can.