• Adobe After Effects

  paste multiple position data

  Posted by Alan Lacey on September 4, 2009 at 5:57 pm

  Sorry if this is a simple question I’m not a big AE user.

  AE5.5. I’ve motion tracked an object and applied that tracking data to another object. However I want to make all the x coordinate the same value now.

  Is it possible to paste a single value to all the x coordinate values for all the keyframes at one time.

  I can’t see an obvious way of doing it in AE, perhaps there’s a way of exporting the position data for sequence and modifying it externally in excel?

  I’d be grateful for suggestions?

  Alan

  FlashXDR,XDcamHD,XDcamEX,D9 etc
  FCS,AE,Combustion,LiquidSilver,Vegas,Edius,
  G5,MBP,Vista64,XP

  Alan Lacey replied 16 years, 12 months ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Curious Turtle

  September 5, 2009 at 6:17 am

  Your best way is to use an expression.

  Something like will do the trick:

  x=thisComp.layer(“YOUR TRACKED LAYER NAME”).transform.position[0];
  y=value[1];
  [x,y]

  Copy that to all your other layers’ position parameters. I can’t remember if AE 6.5 had the “Copy Expression Only” option in the Edit menu, so that may take more than a couple of clicks.

  Hope that helps,
  Ben

  Curious Turtle Pro Video
  Training | Editing | Support
  Out Now – Film Wash Color Effects Vol. 3
  for After Effects & Apple Color
• 

  Alan Lacey

  September 5, 2009 at 4:56 pm

  thanks Ben I’ll give that a go.

  Also I was reading about ‘the wiggler’ just now and it’s possible that this might do what I’m after: smoothing (to zero) the x coordinates of the layer.

  Alan

  FlashXDR,XDcamHD,XDcamEX,D9 etc
  FCS,AE,Combustion,LiquidSilver,Vegas,Edius,
  G5,MBP,Vista64,XP
• 

  Curious Turtle

  September 5, 2009 at 6:05 pm

  If what you want to do is to add some randomness to your movement, then the wiggler (actually more specifically, the expression wiggle(), as that offers more control over the effect) is just what you need. If you need all your layers to follow the horizontal position of a master null, then it won’t help.

  If you want all your layers to have a constant horizontal position of 0, then: [0,value[1]] will do.

  Give the first expression a go, and if that doesn’t work then explain exactly what it is you’re trying to achieve.

  Hope that helps,
  Ben

  Curious Turtle Pro Video
  Training | Editing | Support
  Out Now – Film Wash Color Effects Vol. 3
  for After Effects & Apple Color
• 

  Alan Lacey

  September 6, 2009 at 7:22 am

  Thanks Ben, works a treat.

  Yes I found that the wiggler will only ADD noise, which you can make zero amplitude, but it doesn’t smooth existing keyframe values as I hoped it would.

  Thanks for your help. I’m considering trying to get back in to AE seriously after this but I’ve just found out that there’s no upgrade path from AE5.5PB to CS4!! I can’t beleive that. AE cost me a fortune whe I got it originally.

  Alan

  FlashXDR,XDcamHD,XDcamEX,D9 etc
  FCS,AE,Combustion,LiquidSilver,Vegas,Edius,
  G5,MBP,Vista64,XP

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