Applying a glow to a series of layers

[Jon Geddes]

You could create an adjustment layer above all your layers and apply the glow to that. If you don’t want it to effect everything below it, you could precompose the layers you do want it to effect, and apply the glow to that.

Jon Geddes
Motion Graphics Designer
http://www.precomposed.com

[Christopher Rotter]

I’m doing it the manual way. What I wanted was to have the glow go on and off randomly on a bunch of layers without having to apply the glow to a bunch of layers.

[Mark Crenshaw]

One way to do this is to use the wiggle expression on radius and intensity properties. Though you will still have to touch each layer, it will eliminate the need for keyframes on each effect.

copy and paste this expression to one or both properties

wiggle(index*2,50)

This will automaticaly give you random values based on the stacking order of your layers (index)

For more random action, just change the multiplier value (*2) or variance amount (50). AE will do the rest.

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

Sorry, I assumed you wanted the glow to be animated. If not, use the following to generate random fixed glow levels based on Index. It’s simple copy/paste…no restting values for each layer.

index*10

Layer 4 would have a radius or intensity value = 40, layer 7 = 70 and so on. Change up the operator or value to get even more random results.

Peace,
Mark

[Christopher Rotter]

That expression, I tried to add to the glow radius and it gave me a error. Another question when I get this working I would apply it to each layer and each layer would randomize different from the others ?

[Mark Crenshaw]

Which one gave you an error? I just tried them both again and they work fine. Either one of them will give you different results from layer to layer because of the “index” portion of the expression. Index refers to the Layer number in the comp…there are no duplicate layer numbers so all should be different.

Just to make sure, here’s what you need to do:

Alt+click the stopwatch for the property you are applying the expression to.

It will twirl down the expression field with the data selected…just paste in the expression and hit enter.

You should then be able to copy the Glow effect, crtl or shift select the layers to add it to and then paste. The expression is now applied to all the layers.

Peace,
Mark

[Christopher Rotter]

The glow has a hyper flicker. What I’m after is a ease in and ease out type of glow but not to slow, hopefully I can control the speed of it and then apply it to each layer and there all random or almost.

[Mark Crenshaw]

The wiggle expression is editable to get this.

The first value is the number of times wiggle looks at the property per second. The second value is the variance that is applied.

wiggle(.5,50) will apply much slower than wiggle(10,50)but it will still fade in and out over time.

Hope you find what you are looking for.

Peace,
Mark

[Christopher Rotter]

I realized that my glow intensity was happening based on my old keyframes not on the wiggle. Now my glow intensity is not showing up at all using that expression you gave me.

[Mark Crenshaw]

Hmmm, they work fine here.

Another approach that will give you global adjustment with different results for each layer.

Duplicate your comp. With the duplicate loaded, delete all instances of Glow…clean slate.

Create a null object, rename it “Glow Null” without the quotes. Apply an Expression Slider effect. Rename the effect “Glow Slider” without the quotes.

Use this expression on your Radius and Intensity properties.

n=thisComp.layer(“Glow Null”).effect(“Glow Slider”)(“Slider”);
n*index

This takes the value of the slider and multiplies it by the index…Layer number. Keyframe the slider to get your ease in and out, hold the Glow over time and then fade it out if you like.

This screen grab shows the effect with the slider value at 1,3 and 5.

https://www.crenshawweb.com/slider.jpg

You can see the results of the expression on Layer 2. When the slider is set 1 it is muliplied by Index 2 for Glow values of 2. Slider at 3 yields values of 6 and at 5 yields values of 10 and so on.

If the glows get to be too much, just type -x after index in the expression. x being whatever amount you want to subtract.

Peace,
Mark