How do I use seedRandom with a Sine or Cos function to make a pendulum swing start position random?

[Kalleheikki Kannisto]

If every ornament is on its own layer, you can use the layer index to seed the random number.

freq = .5; //oscillations per second
amplitude = 20;
decay = 0; //no decay
seedRandom(index); // random seed based on layer index
offset = random(2*Math.PI); // offset amount for this layer
amplitude*Math.sin(freq*time*2*Math.PI+offset)/Math.exp(decay*time)

Kalleheikki Kannisto
Senior Graphic Designer

[Ian Harper]

This is doing the same thing as my inserting of random() in the phase section. All the ornaments are shaking like they have Parkinson’s. I think the problem is that each time the frequency resets, the random seed is spitting out a random number. I only need it to happen once at the beginning of the composition.

I also have a question about the seedRandom(index); I see it generates a random seed based on layer index but I don’t see how it’s effecting the amplitude formula. Is it generating a different instance for each layer? If so can we get rid of the “offset” variable?

[Alex Printz]

change the line

seedRandom(index);
to
seedRandom(index,true);

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

Also per your question, the amplitude is not being affected at all in that formula; if you want it to be, you’re going to want to add a random() to it as well; probably related to the frequency in some way.

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Kalleheikki Kannisto]

Sorry, forgot to add the timeless (true) attribute there, that’ll fix it.

Kalleheikki Kannisto
Senior Graphic Designer

[Ian Harper]

Adding the true fixed it. But I’m still unsure how the seedRandom(index,true); give each layer a different starting point without being in the actual formula. Normally I’ve seen where you would have a variable like “seed” then you put seedRandom(seed,true); to give that seed a random value to be inserted in into other another formula like “segStart = seed*segDur;” but your code seems to be a function not associated with the sine function.

freq = .5; //oscillations per second
amplitude = 20;
decay = 0; //no decay
seedRandom(index,true); // random seed based on layer index but how does it give each layer a different starting point?
offset = random(2*Math.PI); // offset amount for this layer
amplitude*Math.sin(freq*time*2*Math.PI+offset)/Math.exp(decay*time)

[Alex Printz]

seedRandom sets a seed, and all code after that will use that seed when you call a property that requires a seed to start (random, wiggle, etc.). If you need to use multiple random seeds, i’ve used something like this before:

seedRandom(index,true);
X = wiggle(2,2);
seedRandom(random(0,index*2),true);
Y = wiggle(2,2);
[X[0],Y[0]]

A lot of people like to use the index to set a seed randomly, so that they can duplicate layers and it’s new random variables instantly. If I need to make sure that specific layers always use the same seeds no matter if I move them around (e,g, I have a character that needs to avoid a random swinging thing and that layer’s index might change as I animate), I will convert the layer names to digits and then use that, but it requires more computations so I don’t suggest it unless necessary.

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer