Can Javascript string’s auto-update?

Adobe After Effects Expressions

Can Javascript string’s auto-update?

Posted by Roland R. kahlenberg on March 10, 2014 at 10:20 am

I’ve got the following script that works fine BUT when the Expression Control’s name is manually changed, the script does not auto-update.

Math.abs(thisComp.layer(“Controller”).effect(“Value Bar” + ” ” + exactString)(“Slider”));

Is there a way to allow the script to auto-update OR have the script written it in such a manner that the part before exactString is ignored, to the extent that that part of the name can be changed without resulting in an error in the script?

Essentially, I’m looking at using a wildcard – sorta like the asterisk for a wildcard search in Windows .

TIA
RoRK
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Roland R. kahlenberg replied 12 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

Dan Ebberts
March 10, 2014 at 2:46 pm

I’m confused. Where does exactString get defined?

Dan
Roland R. kahlenberg
March 10, 2014 at 2:55 pm

Hi Dan

Does the following help you get a bigger/better picture?
stringerLength = thisLayer.name.length; stringerName = thisLayer.name; exactString = stringerName.substring(stringerLength-2,stringerLength);
CredValue = Math.abs(thisComp.layer("Controller").effect("Credit Value" + " " + exactString)("Slider"));

RoRK
Latest AE Workshop – MoGraph Intensity – Shapes & Text

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE/ACI
Dan Ebberts
March 10, 2014 at 3:24 pm

I can’t reproduce the problem. When I change the last two characters of the layer name, the expression gets the new value from the correct slider.

Dan
Roland R. kahlenberg
March 10, 2014 at 3:30 pm

Layername does work.

It’s the variable “CredValue” that gets the error when I change the name of the referenced Expressions Control (effect).

HTH
RoRK
Latest AE Workshop – MoGraph Intensity – Shapes & Text

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE/ACI
Dan Ebberts
March 10, 2014 at 3:53 pm

I guess I still don’t get it. The expression is looking for a slider named “Credit Value ” plus the last two characters of its layer’s own name, correct? Are you saying you want to be able to change the name of the slider without breaking the expression? I don’t see how that can work, because the name that the expression calculates for the slider doesn’t change.

Dan
Roland R. kahlenberg
March 10, 2014 at 3:59 pm

I thought so too Dan. Looks like I’ll have to do a simple Expression link instead of the string method.

Cheers
RoRK
Latest AE Workshop – MoGraph Intensity – Shapes & Text

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE/ACI
Dan Ebberts
March 10, 2014 at 4:09 pm

You can get the name of the slider like this (and it will update when you change the name):

sliderName = thisComp.layer(“Controller”).effect(“Credit Value 01”)(“Slider”).propertyGroup(1).name;

I don’t know if that helps or not.

Dan
Roland R. kahlenberg
March 10, 2014 at 4:55 pm

IT Works!

Thanks Dan!

Cheers
RoRK
Latest AE Workshop – MoGraph Intensity – Shapes & Text

Intensive mocha & AE Training in Singapore and Other Dangerous Locations

Imagineer Systems (mocha) Certified Instructor
& Adobe After Effects CS6 ACE/ACI

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