• Adobe After Effects Expressions

  Where to place expression?

  Posted by Paul Ducco on February 10, 2023 at 12:08 am

  Howdy Brainstrust,

  I’m wondering where and how I can get an existing preComp, placed in the mainComp, to scale if a marker is set on the preComp Layer (in the mainComp).

  The context for this is hoping to be able to create a functional version of this that a team can use…i.e, not requiring expressions to be added each time the preComp is placed.

  Is there a way to do this with expressions alone, or am I looking more at scripts etc?
  If the latter I’m very keen to learn more…where do I start

  
  

  Cheers in advance

  Filip Vandueren replied 3 years, 2 months ago 2 Members · 3 Replies
• 3 Replies

• 

  Filip Vandueren

  February 10, 2023 at 2:18 pm

  The expression needs to be set up where it is used, so on the scale of the layer in the main comp.

  New pre-comps could be replaced into the main comp instead of added, and that way the expressions and other settings/effects that are in place remain, is that an option ?
• 

  Paul Ducco

  February 13, 2023 at 3:28 am

  Hi Filip, thanks.
  Unfortunately, as this would be a widely used ‘toolkit’ there wouldn’t necessarily be the option to have precomps existing in a.mainComp to be swapped.
• 

  Filip Vandueren

  February 13, 2023 at 10:38 am

  In a pinch, an adjustment layer with the transform effect could affect the precomp if it’s placed beneath it.

  But again that’s not idiot-proof…

  Maybe just structure the project as a template, where the team can only add footage in a media precomp, and that precomp is used elsewhere with the right expression set up?

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