You can also return the name of the parameter by using name instead of value.
Using the term value in a parameter will simply return the parametric value. Once again, when working with expressions, you’re working with values. You could even add a similar expression to the Scale parameter to have the logo scale in relation to the size of the comp.Īnd remember, don’t fear vertical video. This is very handy when repurposing and exporting different versions for social media platforms. The beauty of using these expressions is that they will keep my logo in place even if I change the resolution of the comp. Here’s an example where the logo is in the lower left side of the comp. Dividing thisComp width and height values by two.įor further precision, I can multiply the comp height and width by a percentage value. ThisComp.height/2 Centered logo using After Effects thisComp expression. The resulting value will center the anchor point of my logo layer horizontally.Īnd for Y, I’ll calculate a value that is half of the height of the composition. To place the logo directly in the center, I’ll first use this expression for the X position parameter, which is simply taking the width of the comp and dividing it by two. Separate the X and Y Position values first. This will simply make things easier to animate. Let’s take a look at an example where I want to place a logo in various areas of the frame.įor the first step, I’ll right-click on the position attribute of my logo layer and select Separate Dimensions. One way to perfectly position objects on screen is to use thisComp in combination with some basic math. Objects can contain values, or other objects. And in this case, objects are things like the composition, individual layers, and even effects. 1: thisCompĪfter Effects expressions are all about working with values in an object hierarchy.
They’re simple, powerful, and will help you get the job done. So here are the five essential After Effects expressions that you should start your origin story with. This is the minimum price of admission if you want to work with expressions. The good news is that when it comes to expressions, a little bit of knowledge goes a long way. So you’re going to need to understand just a little bit about the language before you can leave the Batcave If the expression you create breaks these syntax rules, you won’t get further than a few confusing error messages. JavaScript is a language with its own syntax. But this won’t help you to debug and make edits to an expression to get the results you want. Sure, you can follow a step-by-step tutorial and copy/paste blocks of text to the parameters of your layers. We are talking about learning a new language after all. If you’re new to this topic, it’s easy to become discouraged if you pick the wrong starting point. And who doesn’t want that super power? A little goes a long way They can be amazingly complex, containing paragraphs upon paragraphs of code, or they can be as simple as a single word or number.īut regardless of the size, they all have something in common: they’ll save you a ton of time. Not only can they simplify your motion design workflow, but they open up limitless creative options. They might not sound as cool as a kryptonite spear, but they’re just as effective in the right hands.
#ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS TEXT ANIMATION CODE#
So what is an expression anyway?Įxpressions are lines of code (JavaScript) that allow you to control values in Adobe After Effects. You just need the right tools in your utility belt. While this article can’t make you the world’s greatest billionaire crime-fighting detective, it can help you on the path to becoming one of the world’s greatest motion designers. (Or he’d get Lucius or Alfred to do it, but that’d ruin my metaphor.) He’d streamline his animation workflow with expressions. So if you sat him down in front of After Effects, you wouldn’t see him brute-forcing a bunch of keyframes around. Instead, he shows up with a kryptonite spear. And he knows better than to fistfight Superman. Whichever flavor of Caped Crusader you prefer, it’s fair to say he’s best known for the nifty gadgets he calls upon to get the job done.
(He’d also have a special UI brightness setting labeled Really Dark, but that’s a different topic.) If Batman used After Effects, he’d definitely use expressions.
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