This tutorial is by no means a way to replace a real 3D program, but for the VJ who wants a series of high-impact clips that show some perspective camera moves, learning a complex interface, creating a realistic scene with lights and camera, and waiting for slow renders that tie up your computer can cancel out all the benefits to working with a 3D app. we're going to achieve the impact of motion 3D backgrounds in a fraction of the time with Artmatic's perspective tools. This tutorial will also help you learn Artmatic's interface, so this is perfect for a beginner or casual user.
Step One Launch Artmatic and select the simplest structure tree by opening Choose Structure (the little V-shaped tree next to the word Structures) and choosing #1 basic. This gives 3 icons in a straight line, but even this structure is too complex to start so click on the top icon and delete it by hitting the x button. Delete the bottom icon as well. Click and hold on the remaining icon and choose a pattern from the pop-up window.

advanced > I don't like any of these patterns so I'm going to change my icon to a new set. Click on the bottom Structure button Replace... and choose Replace with Vector (3 out). Click and hold on the new icon and select the pattern called Technoboxes. *note: This is one of the few color icons in Artmatic so you can't use the gradient tool or color dice to change the colors.* Now let's adjust some parameters. Slide parameter A to the right to make the boxes nice and bright. Use parameter B to skew the boxes as tall or wide as you like. Notice how parameter B does not transition smoothly from setting to setting. If we allow this parameter to cycle the shapes will jump distractingly, so I'll lock it by clicking the padlock button. While we're at it, I want the colors to stay bright so I'll lock the A parameter as well. Sliding the third parameter cycles the location and scale of the boxes. Leave that one unlocked so the texture will have some life, but set it to a high number so only a few boxes fill the screen. Hit the Play Random Path button to see the animation so far.

Step Two Under the Insert menu select Insert Global Rotation. Click on the new Rotation icon to activate it and notice that any locked parameters from the first icon have been duplicated into the rotation icon's parameters. Unlock them and slide each parameter back and forth to learn how they effect the animation and each other. *note: parameter A can limit the swing distance of the other two. If you lock this parameter, the other two will be limited, maybe not even move at all.* If you hit the Play Random Path button you see the pattern traveling and spinning across the screen. It's interesting, but it's not 3D yet.

advanced > The big window animates at the speed of your processor, not at the actual speed of the animation. For an accurate preview hit Command+h (it's a very small preview). Is it too slow? Too fast? Click on the Quicktime Q button on the far left of the screen. Be sure the option for Use Random Path has been selected. In the center of this pop-up window is a box called delta time. Higher numbers slow down the animation, lower numbers make it faster. We can also adjust the size and codec of the .mov file we'll create when we're done. Click the red X to get back to the main window. Your settings will be applied.

Step Three Use the Insert menu to Insert Perspective. Three new icons are added to the top of the structure tree and the big window shows an obvious perspective change. But before you explore the new icons and their settings click on the Rotation icon again to select it and slide it's parameters to see how they have been affected. Now click on the top-left icon that looks like a +. Although it is called Scale and Offset, here it is acting as a camera control. Parameter A zooms in and out above the landscape. B and C swing the camera left–right, and up–down respectively, but in an ugly distorted way. Set B and C to zero and lock them. Set A to 1 or less and lock it (or leave it unlocked if you want the camera to bounce off the surface). You may need to set the A parameter even lower if the edge of the perspective distorts into fractal garbage.

Now select the icon in the second row (it looks like a little perspective grid and is called Perspective Clipped) it has only one parameter which we will lock and set to a number between 0.000 and 0.090. The closer the number is to 0 the less the camera angle will change and the background will appear flat to the screen. If the number gets too high the edge of the perspective will begin to show fractal garbage and ruin the effect. *note: for a wilder look click and hold the Perspective Clipped icon and change it to the Perspective Sym icon. This will create a foldback at the edges of your perspective like hitting a wall instead of the annoying fractal noise. Now lock the parameter between -2.0 and -1.5.*

That's it! Preview with Command+h. Adjust the parameters as you wish the locked ones too, as this will change the motion and timing of the animation. Experiment with the settings until the edges of the perspective doesn't show (these numbers seem to change from computer to computer). Also try clicking the large [+] and [-] buttons under the big window to rescale the entire image (close up is better). If there is not enough camera movement go back through the steps and drop the Delta Time or the raise the single parameter under Perspective Clipped slightly. Notice that the parameters of one icon can affect another icon's parameters.

When you are happy with the way it looks go back to the QuickTime settings and render the animation by clicking the green checkmark. Or click and hold on our original bottom icon and select a different pattern to start again. Is it really 3D? No, but it has the impact and motion of a 3D camera and as a background layer it can give a 3D perspective to your set that takes only a few minutes to create and a relatively short time to render.

advanced > Want more control over the animation? Want to create a seamless loop? Click on the Mutations button and set as many keyframes as you want. Be sure to select Use Looped Keyframes under the Q QuickTime menu.