skip from layer to layer every 4 frames

[Bob Root]

On your top layer, set three opacity keyframes.

The first one should be a value of “0” at time 0 in you timeline. Goto 4 frames and change the value to “100”. Goto 8 frames and change the value back to “0”.

Now change your keyframe interpolation to “hold” for these 3 keyframes.

[option] or [alt] click on the opacity stopwatch to open expressions for your top layer.

Paste the following line as your expression.

loopOut(type=”cycle”)

This will loop the opacity keyframes you have entered for your top layer.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[Kevin Camp]

if you had a fear of expressions, you could use the strobe effect.

as in bob’s suggestion, place both sequences in the same comp.

add the strobe effect to the top layer.

set the strobe duration to the number of frames divided by the comp’s frame rate (4/29.97, for example — you could just type that into the duration field, you wouldn’t need an expression). and set the period to cycle duration to frames divided by the comp’s frame rate (8/29.97, for example).

set the strobe to ‘makes layer transparent’, and that should do it.

now, if you wanted the sequences to ‘pause’ while the other was showing, then ‘play’ while the other was hidden, you’ll need time remapping and expressions, or possibly the posterize time effect and expressions…. ooooh what fun.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Tom Van]

Thanks so much for all your help, I’m going to have a go tomorrow and I’ll let you all know how it goes.

Thanks again!

Tom