ANR Tile Choreography

Overview

Tile Choreography splits the frame into a grid of Columns by Rows tiles. As Phase rises, every tile turns, moves in depth and spreads away from the centre of the frame, drawn in perspective. At Phase 0 the picture is whole. Behind the tiles the result is transparent.

Without a Control input, all the tiles move together: they turn out to their furthest at Phase 0.5 and are back flat at 1. Connect a grey map to Control and the tiles move at different rates, brighter areas faster, so the motion runs across the frame in waves.

Use it for mosaic and video-wall transitions, photo reveals, and moving backgrounds for titles and music videos.

Inputs

1. Sourcerequired

   The image cut into tiles.

2. Controloptional

   An opaque grey map (alpha 1) that sets each tile's pace: tiles over brighter areas run ahead. Without it, all tiles move together.

3. Maskoptional

   Limits the effect: where its alpha is black, Source passes through unchanged.

Output. The moving tiles, premultiplied and covering the project format, transparent behind them. At Phase 0 Source passes through unchanged.

Quick start

1. Add ANR Tile Choreography after the image, and merge its result over a background.
2. Set Columns and Rows for the grid.
3. Key Phase at 0, then at 0.5 a second or two later: the tiles turn out to their furthest. Key it back to 0 to put the picture together again.
4. Set Rotation for how far the tiles turn, Travel for how far they move towards the camera, and Spread for how far they move apart.
5. For waves, connect a grey map with an alpha of 1 to Control, such as a gradient across the frame. Map Influence sets how much it changes the tiles' pace.

The panel

The node's panel as Nuke shows it, with the values of a new node. Click any control to see what it does; tabs and sections work as in Nuke.

All controls

Tips

• For a transition, take Phase from 0 to 0.5 on the outgoing shot and from 0.5 back to 0 on a second node with the same settings on the incoming shot, and cut between them at 0.5. With Rotation near 90 and no Control map, the tiles are almost edge-on at the cut.
• Use the footage itself, or a noise pattern, as the Control map for tiles that move in irregular groups.
• The node draws no motion blur. Add a TimeBlur after it if fast tiles need blur.
• Keep Spread small for a wall of tiles that turn in place, or raise it for tiles that fly apart.

Good to know

• With a Control map, all tiles are flat only at Phase 0: at any other value, some tiles are mid-turn.
• Control is read as its colour divided by its alpha, so give the map an alpha of 1 everywhere. A map whose alpha fades along with its brightness, as a default Ramp's does, reads as plain white.
• Tiles have no thickness. When a tile turns past 90 degrees you see the image from behind, mirrored.

Works with

ANR Tile FragmentsBreaks the image into a grid of small square fragments that tumble and fall away, for crumbling, disintegrating and pixel-drop transitions.ANR Shard BurstShatters the image into thick, spinning, glass-like shards that fly out from the centre of the frame and fall, in perspective.ANR Grid RevealA transition that reveals the next image through a grid of cells opening at staggered times, for shot changes, title cards and graphic montages.