Expressions

Animation and Movement

Bounce and overshoot

n = 0; if (numKeys > 0){ n = nearestKey(time).index;
if (key(n).time > time){ n--; } }
if (n == 0){ t = 0; }else{ t = time - key(n).time; }
if (n > 0){ v = velocityAtTime(key(n).time - thisComp.frameDuration/10); 
amp = .05; 
freq = 4.0; 
decay = 2.0; 
value + v*amp*Math.sin(freq*t*2*Math.PI)/Math.exp(decay*t); }else{ value; }

Constant Stroke when scaling

s = transform.scale[0]; 
scaleFactor = 100/s;
value*scaleFactor;

Rotation delay from layer above

delayFrames = thisComp.layer("control").effect("delayvalue")("Slider")
delay = framesToTime(delayFrames);
thisComp.layer(index+1).transform.rotation.valueAtTime(time-delay)

Stare

//add to rotation

L1 = thisLayer
L2 = thisComp.layer("> 4")//targetlayer
p1 = L1.toWorld(L1.anchorPoint);
p2 = L2.toWorld(L2.anchorPoint);
delta = p2 - p1;
radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(delta[1],delta[0]));

Flickers

wiggle(5,100)
wiggle(20,100)
random(0,100)
100*Math.sin(time*2)
100*Math.sin(time*5)
1000*Math.sin(time*5)
Math.abs(100*Math.sin(time*Math.PI*1))
Math.abs(Math.sin(time*6))*100

Random position in a random amount of time and pause in this position for a random amount of time

moveMin = .3; //minimum move time
moveMax = .7; //maximum move time

pauseMin = .1; // minimum pause time
pauseMax = .5; // maximum pause time

minVal = [0.1*thisComp.width, 0.1*thisComp.height];
maxVal = [0.9*thisComp.width, 0.9*thisComp.height];

seedRandom(index,true);  // set pre-run for endT
endT = - random(moveMax);

j = 0;
k = 0;
while ( time >= endT){
  j += 1;
  seedRandom(j,true);
  startT = endT;
  if (j%2){
    endT += random(moveMin,moveMax);
    k++;
  }else{
    endT += §(pauseMin,pauseMax);
  }
}
if (j%2){
  seedRandom(k,true);
  endVal = random(minVal,maxVal);
  seedRandom(k-1,true);
  startVal = random(minVal,maxVal);
  ease(time,startT,endT,startVal,endVal)
}else{
  seedRandom(k,true);
  random(minVal,maxVal)
}

 

Drifting text from layer INPOINT

veloc = -10; //horizontal velocity (pixels per second) 
x = position[0] + (time - inPoint) *veloc; 
y = position[1]; 
[x,y]

//animate along y only

//animate along x only

WIGGLES

Wiggle Y Only:

[value[0],wiggle(1,100)[1]]

Wiggle X Only:

[wiggle(5,30)[0],value[1]]

Wiggle X and Y separately:

[wiggle(5,30)[0],wiggle(1,100)[1]]

Jumpy Wiggle 1 makes wiggle skip and hold rather than move fluidly.

//Jumpy Wiggle 1 (moves at a random FPS)
v=wiggle(5,50);
if(v < 50)v=0;
if(v > 50)v=100;
v

Jumpy Wiggle 2 is similar to 1, but works at a defined FPS so your “jump” will happen at a regular pace.

// Jumpy Wiggle 2 (moves at a defined FPS)
fps=5; //frequency
amount=50; //amplitude
wiggle(fps,amount,octaves = 1, amp_mult = 0.5,(Math.round(time*fps))/fps);

wiggle +ve only

var myWiggle = wiggle(5,100);
var delta = myWiggle - value;
value + Math.abs(delta)

looping wiggle x

freq = 0.05;
amp = 35;
loopTime = 20; //LOOPTIME
t = time % loopTime;
wiggle1 = wiggle(freq, amp, 1, 0.5, t);
wiggle2 = wiggle(freq, amp, 1, 0.5, t - loopTime);

w = linear(t, 0,  loopTime, wiggle1, wiggle2);


[w[0],value[1]]

Stop wiggling it at time 4 seconds:

timeToStop = 4; 
if (time > timeToStop){ 
   value; 
}else{ 
   wiggle(3,25); 
}

start wiggling at time 2 seconds and stop wiggling it at time 4 seconds:

timeToStart = 2; 
timeToStop = 4; 
 
if ((time > timeToStart) && (time < timeToStop)){ 
   wiggle(3,25); 
}else{ 
   value; 
}

Jumpy wiggle

fps=5; //frequency
amount=25; //amplitude
wiggle(fps,amount,octaves = 1, amp_mult = 0.5,(Math.round(time*fps))/fps);

wiggle expression create hold keyframes

f = 2;
a = 10;
posterizeTime(f);
wiggle(f, a);

Method of making Wiggle Paths be loopable is this: FOR SHAPE/TEXT LAYERS

– set wiggles per second to 0;

– expression for Temporal Phase:

wigglesPerSecond = 0.5;
loopTime = 20;
Math.cos(degreesToRadians(360*time/loopTime))*360*wigglesPerSecond + value;

 

– expression for Spatial Phase:

wigglesPerSecond =4;
loopTime = 20;
Math.sin(degreesToRadians(360*time/loopTime))*360*wigglesPerSecond + value;

 

wiggles based on the value of a slider

s = effect("Slider Control")("Slider");
w = wiggle(0.2,10);
if (s <= 0) {0} else {w}

Workflow and clever things

3D layer invisible while facing backward to the camera (use on Opacity):

if (toCompVec([0, 0, 1])[2] > 0 ) value else 0

Get the number of words in a text layer

myText = text.sourceText;
myText.split(" ").length

Get Source text and Style FOR AE2019+

var t = thisComp.layer("tool").text.sourceText
var fontSize = t.style.fontSize;
var leading = t.style.leading;
style = t.style;
styleA = style.setFontSize(fontSize);
styleB = styleA.setText(t);
styleC = styleB.setLeading(leading);

Use the number from a text layer in a slider

parseFloat(thisComp.layer("text").text.sourceText);

Always keep Anchor Point centered

tempx = thisLayer.sourceRectAtTime(time,false).width/2 + thisLayer.sourceRectAtTime(time,false).left;
tempy = thisLayer.sourceRectAtTime(time,false).height/2 + thisLayer.sourceRectAtTime(time,false).top;
[tempx,tempy]

dynamically centre text

boxTop = this.sourceRectAtTime().top; // Position of top of text box
boxHeight = this.sourceRectAtTime().height; //Height of textbox

Offset anchor down from boxTop using half the height of the box

[value[0], boxTop + boxHeight/2 ];

Link keyframe value to slider

if (numKeys > 1){
  t1 = key(1).time;
  t2 = key(2).time;
  v1 = 0;
  v2 = effect("start")("Slider");
  linear(time,t1,t2,v1,v2);
}else
  value

slider control keyframe

x2 = effect("Slider Control 1")("ADBE Slider Control-0001");
x = linear(time,key(1).time,key(2).time,key(1).value[0],x2);
[x,x]

dynamically moves first 2 and last 2 keyframes to in and out point

if (time < (inPoint+outPoint)/2)
  valueAtTime(key(1).time+time-inPoint)
else
  valueAtTime(key(numKeys).time-(outPoint-time));

offset keyframes with slider

s=effect("Slider Control")("Slider")*-1
t = time + s;
valueAtTime(t)

scrolling keyframed text

xVal = value[0];
yVal = value[1];
lineHeight = 13.5; // This must be changed by hand!
yOffset = 0; //   This must be changed by hand!
newY = Math.ceil(yVal/lineHeight)*lineHeight;
[xVal, newY+yOffset]

Copy size and rescale from layer above

thisComp.layer(index - 1).scale-[7,7]

Copy rotation from layer below and rotate + x

//x is a number
thisComp.layer(index+1).transform.rotation+x

Copy position from layer above

thisComp.layer(index-1).position

Time delay from layer above

thisComp.layer(index+1).transform.position.valueAtTime(time-.1)

 

Widgets – Clocks, Timmers, Random Code Gen

For for making FUI’s and random text

DNA TEXT

choices = "GTCA"; 
str = "THIS IS THE TEXT STRING THAT APPEARS"; 
tStart = 1; //time at which the animation starts 
tStop = 4; //time at which the animation stop 
cps = 20; // characters per second 

if (time < tStart){
    seed = Math.floor(time*cps); 
    seedRandom(seed,true); 
    s = "";
    for (i = 0; i < str.length; i++){ 
        idx1 = Math.floor(random(choices.length));
        s += choices[idx1]; 
    } 
}
else if (time >= tStart && time < tStop){
    seed = Math.floor(time*cps); 
    seedRandom(seed,true); 
    s = "";
    sRand = ""; 
    for (i = 0; i < str.length; i++){ 
        idx1 = Math.floor(random(choices.length));
        idx2 = Math.floor(linear(time,tStart,tStop,0,1)*str.length); 
        sRand += choices[idx1]; 
        s = str.substr(0,idx2) + sRand.substr(idx2,str.length); 
    } 
}else{ 
    s = str; 
} 
s

Random Hex

holdFrames = 3;
seed = Math.floor(timeToFrames(time)/holdFrames);
seedRandom(seed,true);
n = random(4294967296);
s = n.toString(16).toLowerCase();
while (s.length < 8) s = "0" + s;
s

Random MAC address

seedRandom(index,true);
s = "";
for (i = 0; i < 6; i++){
  if (i > 0) s += "-";
  str = Math.round(random(255)).toString(16).toUpperCase();
  if (str.length < 2) str = "0"+str;
  s += str;
}
s

Random Characters with Multiple Lines

c = ['A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M','N','O','P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','Z','0','1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8','9'];
framesPerChange = 4;
seed = Math.floor(timeToFrames(time)/framesPerChange);
seedRandom(seed,true);
s = "";
spl = value.split("\r");
for (i = 0; i < spl.length; i++){
  for (j = 0; j < spl[i].length; j++){
    r = Math.floor(random(0, c.length));
    s += c[r];
  }
  if (i != spl.length-1) s += "\r";
}
s

Random Letters

numOfLetters = 25; //Modify me
useSpaces = true; //Modify me
changeEveryFrame = true; //Modify me

//Don't modify below this line

seedRandom(index, !changeEveryFrame)
//--
function genLetter( ) {
r = random(65, 90);//from a to z
return String.fromCharCode( r );
}
s = "";
for(i = 0; i < numOfLetters; i++)
{
s += genLetter();
if(useSpaces)
s += " ";
}
s

Random Alpha Numeric String

numRows = 1;
numChars = 8
holdFrames = 3;

seed = Math.floor(time/(holdFrames*thisComp.frameDuration));
seedRandom(seed,true);

s = "";
j = 0;
while(j < numRows){
k = 0;
while (k < numChars){
c = Math.floor(random(65,91));
s += String.fromCharCode(c);
k += 1;
}
s += "r";
j += 1;
}
s

Clock

rate = 1;
clockStart = 0;
function padZero(n){
  return (n < 10 ? "0" : "") + n;
} 
clockTime = clockStart + rate*(time - inPoint);
if (clockTime < 0){
  sign = "-";
  clockTime = -clockTime;
}else{
  sign = "";
}
 
t = Math.floor(clockTime);
hr = Math.floor(t/3600);
min = Math.floor((t%3600)/60);
sec = Math.floor(t%60);
ms = clockTime.toFixed(2).substr(-2);
sign + padZero(hr) + ":" + padZero(min) + ":" + padZero(sec) + "." + ms

Counter with leading zeros

val = effect("Slider Control")("Slider"); 
numDec = 0; // digits to right of decimal 
numDigit = 2; // digits to left of decimal 
if (val < 0) sign = "-" else sign = ""; s = Math.abs(val).toFixed(numDec); while (s.length < numDigit + numDec + 1) s = "0" + s; sign + s

Time Clock

h=15;m=29;s=3;f=7;
f+=timeToFrames();
s+=Math.floor(f*thisComp.frameDuration);
m+=Math.floor(s/60);
h+=Math.floor(m/60);
f=f%(1/thisComp.frameDuration);
s=s%60;
m=m%60;
if(f<10) {f="0"+f}
if(s<10) {s="0"+s}
if(m<10) {m="0"+m}
if(h<10) {h="0"+h}
H+":"+m+":"+s

Countdown Clock

h=11;m=59;s=59;f=99;
f-=timeToFrames(t = time + thisComp.displayStartTime, fps = 3.99 / thisComp.frameDuration, isDuration = false);
s+=Math.floor(f/99);
m+=Math.floor(s/60);
h+=Math.floor(m/60);
f=f%99;
s=s%60;
m=m%60;
if(f<0) {f=100+f}
if(f<10) {f="0"+f}
if(s<10) {s="0"+s}
if(m<10) {m="0"+m}
if(h<10) {h="0"+h}
h+":"+m+":"+s+":"+f

Opacity based on slider value 75 to 150

//apply to opacity, slider on null called control

num=comp("comp").layer("control").effect("Slider Control")("Slider")
if ((num >= 75) && (num <= 150)) {
    100
} else {
   0
}