• Adobe After Effects Expressions

  How to set global variables and/or Functions in composition

  Posted by Evan Jenkins on March 29, 2020 at 6:40 pm

  I have a massive piece of code that sets variables by referencing sliders in a control layer.

  I have 30 layers where I apply this same piece of code. If I need to adjust the code, I have to delete 29 layers, and then re-do them all haha. It’s crazy.

  Is there some way to make my variables global, so those variables apply to all layers? Can I get a function to apply to all layers?

  myID = effect("myID")("Slider");

  firstPhotoInPoint = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("firstPhotoInPoint")("Slider");

  checkSections = thisComp.layer("^sections").text.sourceText;

  sectionOneStart = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionOneStart")("Slider");
  sectionOnePhtNum = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionOnePhtNum")("Slider");
  sectionOneDur = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionOneDur")("Slider");
  sectionOnePhtTime = sectionOneDur / sectionOnePhtNum;

  sectionTwoStart = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionTwoStart")("Slider");
  sectionTwoPhtNum = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionTwoPhtNum")("Slider");
  myIDSectionTwo = myID - sectionOnePhtNum;
  sectionTwoDur = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionTwoDur")("Slider");
  sectionTwoPhtTime = sectionTwoDur / sectionTwoPhtNum;

  sectionThreeStart = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionThreeStart")("Slider");
  sectionThreePhtNum = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionThreePhtNum")("Slider");
  myIDSectionThree = myID - sectionOnePhtNum - sectionTwoPhtNum;
  sectionThreeDur = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionThreeDur")("Slider");
  sectionThreePhtTime = sectionThreeDur / sectionThreePhtNum;

  sectionFourStart = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionFourStart")("Slider");
  sectionFourPhtNum = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionFourPhtNum")("Slider");
  myIDSectionFour = myID - sectionOnePhtNum - sectionTwoPhtNum - sectionThreePhtNum;
  sectionFourDur = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionFourDur")("Slider");
  sectionFourPhtTime = sectionFourDur / sectionFourPhtNum;

  sectionFiveStart = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionFiveStart")("Slider");
  sectionFivePhtNum = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionFivePhtNum")("Slider");
  myIDSectionFive = myID - sectionOnePhtNum - sectionTwoPhtNum - sectionThreePhtNum - sectionFourPhtNum;
  sectionFiveDur = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("sectionFiveDur")("Slider");
  sectionFivePhtTime = sectionFiveDur / sectionFivePhtNum;

  if (checkSections == "sections" && myID <= sectionOnePhtNum) {
  timeElapsed = sectionOnePhtTime * (effect("myID")("Slider") - 1);
  timeStart = firstPhotoInPoint + timeElapsed;

  } else if (checkSections == "sections" && myID <= (sectionOnePhtNum + sectionTwoPhtNum)) {
  timeElapsed = firstPhotoInPoint + sectionOneDur + (sectionTwoPhtTime * (myIDSectionTwo - 1));
  timeStart = timeElapsed;

  } else if (checkSections == "sections" && myID <= (sectionOnePhtNum + sectionTwoPhtNum + sectionThreePhtNum)) {
  timeElapsed = sectionThreeStart + (sectionThreePhtTime * (myIDSectionThree - 1));
  timeStart = timeElapsed;

  } else if (checkSections == "sections" && myID <= (sectionOnePhtNum + sectionTwoPhtNum + sectionThreePhtNum + sectionFourPhtNum)) {
  timeElapsed = sectionFourStart + (sectionFourPhtTime * (myIDSectionFour - 1));
  timeStart = timeElapsed;

  } else if (checkSections == "sections" && myID <= (sectionOnePhtNum + sectionTwoPhtNum + sectionThreePhtNum + sectionFourPhtNum + sectionFivePhtNum)) {
  timeElapsed = sectionFiveStart + (sectionFivePhtTime * (myIDSectionFive - 1));
  timeStart = timeElapsed;

  } else {

  photoTime = thisComp.layer("Control Sliders").effect("photoTime")("Slider");
  timeElapsed = photoTime * (effect("myID")("Slider") - 1);
  timeStart = firstPhotoInPoint + timeElapsed;

  }

  valueAtTime(time - timeStart);

  Evan Jenkins
  Aspen Films Inc.
  aspenfilms.ca

  Evan Jenkins replied 6 years, 5 months ago 2 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  Andrei Popa

  March 29, 2020 at 7:10 pm

  Create a text layer. Put all this code in the text value. And on all your layers put this as expression:

  eval(thisComp.layer("Text Layer").text.sourceText)

  I think you’ll need to change the name of the layer. You can make it invisible so it does not mess with your design.

  Andrei
  My Envato portfolio.
• 

  Evan Jenkins

  March 29, 2020 at 7:35 pm

  Thanks I copied and pasted my code into the text layer and then added the eval, but I got an error, it says Object of type TextProperty found where a Number, Array, or Property is needed

  Evan Jenkins
  Aspen Films Inc.
  aspenfilms.ca
• 

  Andrei Popa

  March 29, 2020 at 7:44 pm

  Maybe add .value at the end. Some of this small things changed with the expression engine.

  eval(thisComp.layer("Text Layer").text.sourceText.value)

  Andrei
  My Envato portfolio.
• 

  Evan Jenkins

  March 29, 2020 at 8:01 pm

  I think I’m making progress, now it says “Syntax Error”

  The .value seemed to work.

  Also I saw an old post on the forum where you can add “””Code Here””” (triple quotes) in the text layer to make sure you’re converting everything into a single character string.

  I’m still working at it trying to resolve the error.

  Evan Jenkins
  Aspen Films Inc.
  aspenfilms.ca
• 

  Evan Jenkins

  March 29, 2020 at 8:19 pm

  I gave up out of trying to get the code out of a text layer, there was something wrong with what I was doing but I couldn’t figure it out.

  I actually had more success with getting the code out of the comments of a layer marker, which also has the advantage of letting me scroll through a little easier to access the code.

  I got the idea from this video:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX4dUF0J5x0

  eval(thisComp.layer("Set Global Variables").marker.key(1).comment);

  Evan Jenkins
  Aspen Films Inc.
  aspenfilms.ca

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