Maintain Distance Expression

[Kevin Camp]

you could parent layer B to layer A and offset B and set B’s position to 500,500. B will always keep that offset from A.

but an expression would be pretty simple:

target = thisComp.layer(“A”); // make sure your layer A’s name is in the “”
A.position + [500,500]

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Vishesh Arora]

Set the Final Position of both the layers and then parent both to a Null Object(say at [250,0], center of both layers).

No need of Expression.

Vishesh Arora
3D and Motion Graphics Artist
Films Rajendra

Blog:
https://digieffects.wordpress.com

Demo Reel(3D):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHPgIJU_BR8

[Kevin Camp]

sorry, i just noticed a mistake in the expression… the last line should be:

target.position + [500,500]

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Jake Smith]

Thank you for the quick responses! I think I might have phrased what I was looking for incorrectly. I think what I’m looking for is a way to keep an object away from another based on a radius.

I am attaching an image where object B would always stay on the perimeter of the circle. Hopefully this will make a little more sense.

Thanks!

[Kevin Camp]

that ups the ante a bit.

i’m not sure what you want to happen if a or b get within a 500 pixel radius, but would a repel expression work, where either a or b wold push the other out of the way?

https://colinbraley.com/repel_expressions_tutorial.html

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Walter Soyka]

[Jake Smith] “I am attaching an image where object B would always stay on the perimeter of the circle. Hopefully this will make a little more sense.”

Rather than mucking with position, let’s use rotation to keep B on the edge of the circle.

Let’s assume three layers:

B
A
Circle

where A & Circle are at the center of the comp.

Create a null object at the center of the comp, and name it Rotator. Parent B to Rotator, and adjust its position such that B sits on the circle. (To sit it at twelve o’clock on a circle of radius 500, you could make its position [0,-500], because the position is now relative to its parent.)

Tap R on the B layer to reveal its rotation property, and alt-click the stopwatch. Add the following expression:
-thisComp.layer("Rotator").transform.rotation

Now, keyframe Rotator’s rotation property however you like. As you adjust it one way, B’s rotation property will automatically adjust the other way, keeping B level and making it appear to travel along the circle’s perimeter.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
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