ANIMATION BOOTCAMP

EXPRESSIONS STARTER KIT

Sometimes you CAN let the computer do the work.

Ninja-Level After Effects artists often use Expressions to make certain times of animation easier, more flexible, and frankly POSSIBLE.
There are times when animating some complex, interlocking set of layers will be so tedious that youre better off creating a little rig that
can do the grunt work for you.
Expressions are a bit like programming, so it can take some time to get used to how they work. But its worth it if you want to really tap
into the full power of After Effects. Here are some simple expressions and resources to get started.

Adding an Expression to a Property

Expressions can replace or work in tandem with keyframes. You add the Expression to the PROPERTY that youd like to be able
to control. The easiest way to do this is to OPTION-CLICK (or ALT-CLICK) the Stopwatch icon next to that property. This enables
Expressions and opens the Expression Editor.

time
The time expression returns the current time in SECONDS. So at 1-second, the value of time is 1. At 30 seconds, the value of
time is 30. If you want a property to increase at a constant rate, multiply time by some number.

Other Expressions Resources

motionscript.com
Dan Ebberts is the OG of After Effects
Expressions, and his site is a goldmine of
knowledge for beginners and experienced
Expressioneers alike.

loopOut(option) - options are cycle | pingpong |

This loops any existing keyframes using the option you specify. loopOut(cycle) will repeat a sequence of keyframes.
loopOut(pingpong) will oscillate back and forth between the beginning and end of an animation. loopOut(continue) will
maintain the final velocity of the last keyframe. This Expression is very useful when combined with Time Remapping, allowing you
to loop complex animations indefinitely.

Expression Basics
This is Adobes site that actually has a pretty
good run down of the basics of Expressions.
Youll learn as much (or as little) as you want to.
Expression Language Reference
Another Adobe page that lists every single
Expression you can use inside of After Effects,
including brand new ones that have been added
in CC2014. Bookmark this.

wiggle(frequency, amount)
The wiggle Expression will add randomness to any existing value (or even keyframed values) based on the Frequency and Amount
you specify. Frequency refers to the number of times PER SECOND the value will change, and Amount refers to the absolute
CHANGE in the value that will be allowed to happen.

.toWorld([0,0]) - note, the [0,0] can be any coordinate, 2D or 3D

This will convert the RELATIVE postion of a layer (for example, one that is parented to something that is already moving) into
ABSOLUTE coordinates. Watch the video, it will explain that better than this PDF. ***This expression references a LAYER, not a
PROPERTY!!!

linear(value, minIn, maxIn, minOut, maxOut)

Note that the .toWorld expression is tied

to the LAYER called EndRef and not the
POSITION PROPERTY on that layer.

This expression takes a value (which could come from an Expression Control Effect, a layers property, etc..) and remaps it based on the
numbers you feed it. For example, you could look at a Slider Control that goes from 0 to 100, and map the output of those values to
something more specific, like -20 to 37. Watch the video... this one is hard to explain, ha!