Help on Scripts

[Ben Jaffe]

To preface, I’m also new to expressions, but I think I can help, so here it goes:

1 – why not get a random value for x, then set y to x’s value? That way you’d get a random value for x and y, but they would be linked. ex:
x = Math.random() * (set_X[1]-set_X[0]);
y = x;

2 – to get the position of the layer that the expression is in, use transform.position – you can use the pickwhip for the expression to get any other layer. I assume the wiggler is not an option right? With the wiggler, it won’t be able to wander off, but maybe that’s what you want.

[Fernando Gutierrez]

Well, actually wiggler is not an option… because i would need to do it layer by layer…
I got this comp with about 800 layers..
they are all lined up making some rows, but kinda rotated.. filling an image that will be full screen later..
what I need now, is a script (not expression) to mess up the layers a bit… to loose this row aspect.. and i just dont want to move just a bit each layer…
thats why i thought a script would be the way..
my layers are all 2D seeds. (cotton, rice, etc.)

This comp is not animated yet…
im going for layout aproval, then i will animate it…

got it?

Thanks by the way

[Filip Vandueren]

The second script should be something like this:

var set_X = [-10,10];
var set_Y = [-10,10];

var myComp = app.project.activeItem;
var selectedLayers = myComp.selectedLayers;

for (var i = 0; i < selectedLayers.length; i++) { var myLayer = selectedLayers[i]; var x = myLayer.property("Position").value[0]; var y = myLayer.property("Position").value[1]; x += set_X[1] + Math.random() * (set_X[0]-set_X[1]); y += set_Y[1] + Math.random() * (set_Y[0]-set_Y[1]); myLayer.property("Position").setValue([x,y]); }