Answers.Body: <p>I often use <a href="http://processing.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Processing</a> for simple graphics or scripting projects, which would be difficult to achieve with After Effects expressions. If you prefer coding in C++ to Java, you could look at <a href="http://openframeworks.cc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">OpenFrameworks</a> which is a similar tool. Both are designed to make it easy to experiment visually while using the data processing tools of a coding environment.</p>
  
  <p>tomh mentioned the GeoLayers plugin for After Effects but, while it's a really nice tool, I'm not sure it's designed to deal with data sets like yours.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-04T13:27:40.950Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-11-04T13:27:40.950Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: matkeane
Answers.Body: <p>I would do this in <a href="https://www.blender.org/" rel="nofollow">Blender</a>, which uses Python as a scripting language.  This gives you a powerful way to "fly" through the data as it animates.</p>
  
  <p>If you are happy with just a static perspective of the map with the points being animated, <a href="https://www.r-project.org/" rel="nofollow">R</a> has an extraordinary range of graphing capabilties that can be used to generate animations.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-28T22:22:06.860Z
Answers.Text: Thanks MT.   I have a Maya license.  I was thinking of using this but the result will be in 2D not 3D....
Answers.UserDisplayName: markthekoala
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-28T22:23:20.240Z
Answers.Text: Yes, R is pretty cool.  But eventually I want the output in HD video.  At the moment...I am thinking that Adobe Animate CC might be the best.
Answers.UserDisplayName: markthekoala
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-28T14:20:38.487Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Michael Tiemann
Answers.Body: <p>I would look at the After Effects plugin <a href="http://aescripts.com/geolayers/" rel="nofollow">GeoLayers</a>, or if you need something more advanced, maybe <a href="https://cinemaplugins.com/c4d-plugins/dem-earth/" rel="nofollow">DEM Earth</a> in Cinema4D instead.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-15T21:39:43.333Z
Answers.Text: Thanks very much @tomh I had a look at the plugs ins and their awesome.  But I am not sure whether they will help me solve my specific problem.  Basically, at a particular time (say 13 secs 24 frames) I want a specific point (say x = 13, y = 130) to display a dot.  Ideally, this do would have some type of basic animation such as fade in / fade out.  All this needs to be done programmatically as there will be perhaps 100,000 points.
Answers.UserDisplayName: markthekoala
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Answers.CreationDate: 2016-11-04T17:11:24.040Z
Answers.Text: @markthekoala, [AE scripts](https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/scripts.html) (basically it's JS) are not limited to expressions. I wrote a simple point coordinates exporting script back in the day. Surely you can implement the reverse problem. The only open question is can AE handle 30000 layers in one composition.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sergey
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Answers.UserDisplayName: tomh
Body: <p>This is my first go at asking a video production related question...</p>
  
  <p>I have a programming / data science background.</p>
  
  <p>I have about 30,000 spatial co-ordinates (i.e x , y coordinates) These have come into existence over about 15 years.  I want to animate this.  </p>
  
  <p>So, I need a programmatic approach - there are just too many points.  </p>
  
  <p>Also, when each point appears...I want it to initially appear at say 100% opacity and then over about 15 frames fade to about 30% opacity. </p>
  
  <p>What tool is the best to do this in...?</p>
  
  <p>I am not sure if After Effects has sufficient programatic control..?</p>
  
  <p>What about Flash..?  (i.e Adobe CC Animate).</p>
  
  <p>Eventually, I want this animated series of points to be a layer and I will stick it on top of a base map. And do some other stuff.  So eventually, the layers will be composited in After Effects.  </p>
  
  <p>What tool should I use to create this animation...?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks,</p>
  
  <p>Mark</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-06-15T08:30:53.617Z
Comments.Text: The points should appear and disappear? In addition to micheals answer, see: http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/1187/is-there-a-tool-for-scientific-visualization-using-blender
Comments.UserDisplayName: p2or
Tags: <after-effects><flash>
Title: Animating Latitude and Longitude points - how to do it? What tools?
UserDisplayName: markthekoala
ThreadText: # Animating Latitude and Longitude points - how to do it? What tools?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-28)
  
  This is my first go at asking a video production related question...
  
  I have a programming / data science background.
  
  I have about 30,000 spatial co-ordinates (i.e x , y coordinates) These have come into existence over about 15 years. I want to animate this.
  
  So, I need a programmatic approach - there are just too many points.
  
  Also, when each point appears...I want it to initially appear at say 100% opacity and then over about 15 frames fade to about 30% opacity.
  
  What tool is the best to do this in...?
  
  I am not sure if After Effects has sufficient programatic control..?
  
  What about Flash..? (i.e Adobe CC Animate).
  
  Eventually, I want this animated series of points to be a layer and I will stick it on top of a base map. And do some other stuff. So eventually, the layers will be composited in After Effects.
  
  What tool should I use to create this animation...?
  
  Thanks,
  
  Mark
  
  **Tags:** after-effects, flash
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: The points should appear and disappear? In addition to micheals answer, see: http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/1187/is-there-a-tool-for-scientific-visualization-using-blender  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-04. Score: 1
  
  I often use [Processing](http://processing.org) for simple graphics or scripting projects, which would be difficult to achieve with After Effects expressions. If you prefer coding in C++ to Java, you could look at [OpenFrameworks](http://openframeworks.cc) which is a similar tool. Both are designed to make it easy to experiment visually while using the data processing tools of a coding environment.
  
  username_4 mentioned the GeoLayers plugin for After Effects but, while it's a really nice tool, I'm not sure it's designed to deal with data sets like yours.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2016-05-28. Score: 1
  
  I would do this in [Blender](https://www.blender.org/), which uses Python as a scripting language. This gives you a powerful way to "fly" through the data as it animates.
  
  If you are happy with just a static perspective of the map with the points being animated, [R](https://www.r-project.org/) has an extraordinary range of graphing capabilties that can be used to generate animations.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks MT.   I have a Maya license.  I was thinking of using this but the result will be in 2D not 3D....  
  > **username_0**: Yes, R is pretty cool.  But eventually I want the output in HD video.  At the moment...I am thinking that Adobe Animate CC might be the best.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2016-06-14. Score: 0
  
  I would look at the After Effects plugin [GeoLayers](http://aescripts.com/geolayers/), or if you need something more advanced, maybe [DEM Earth](https://cinemaplugins.com/c4d-plugins/dem-earth/) in Cinema4D instead.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks very much @username_4 I had a look at the plugs ins and their awesome.  But I am not sure whether they will help me solve my specific problem.  Basically, at a particular time (say 13 secs 24 frames) I want a specific point (say x = 13, y = 130) to display a dot.  Ideally, this do would have some type of basic animation such as fade in / fade out.  All this needs to be done programmatically as there will be perhaps 100,000 points.  
  > **username_5**: @username_0, [AE scripts](https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/scripts.html) (basically it's JS) are not limited to expressions. I wrote a simple point coordinates exporting script back in the day. Surely you can implement the reverse problem. The only open question is can AE handle 30000 layers in one composition.  
  
  ---
  
  