Check for shortest distance

[Klaus Hertweck]

I figured out the correct expression myself.

First, I set up a null with an expression controls Slider Control “check distance” (just to do some of the calculations).

There, I calculated the distance:

var posA = thisComp.layer(“Shape A”).transform.position;
var posB = thisComp.layer(“Shape B”).transform.position;
var distance = length(posA, posB);
distance

On another slider, I set up the frame expression:

var distance = effect(“check distance”)(“Slider”);
var compLength = thisComp.duration / thisComp.frameDuration;
for (i = 0; i <= compLength; i++) {
if (distance.valueAtTime(framesToTime(i+1)) >= distance.valueAtTime(framesToTime(i))) break
}
i

I would have liked to put all the expressions onto a single slider. However, when I insert length(posA, posB).valueAtTime(framesToTime(i) into the expression, I get an error: This is not a function.

Is there a way to get around this error?

[Dan Ebberts]

This could get complicated, depending on what you’re after, but the simplest version would probably be something like this:

posterizeTime(0);
p1 = thisComp.layer("Shape Layer 1").content("Rectangle 1").transform.position;
p2 = thisComp.layer("Shape Layer 1").content("Rectangle 2").transform.position;
minD = length(p1.valueAtTime(0),p2.valueAtTime(0));
for (i = 1; i < timeToFrames(thisComp.duration); i++){
  t = framesToTime(i);
  d = length(p1.valueAtTime(t),p2.valueAtTime(t));
  minD = Math.min(d, minD);
}
minD

[Klaus Hertweck]

That helped me a lot!
Thank you very much.

[Brie Clayton]

Thank you for solving this, Dan!