Strange issue with text layer moving other layers in After Effects

[Anders Hattne]

You made this composition yourself or was it handed to you?

All I can think of is
A/ A bug
B/ That there are expressions on the other layers… In which case I’d select all layers, hit “U” twice to see what has been changed on them.

Otherwise, that’s quite odd..

http://www.ardillamedia.com

[Laith Renno]

Hi Anders,

Thank you for the quick response.

I created the composition myself from scratch. I also have created a couple of other new compositions that exhibit the same behavior when I take a video clip and apply a mask. It is almost as if I have something turned on accidentally in Ae settings.

I am not using any expressions

Later in the in the same composition, I added some shape layers and text layers above behaved normally. Perhaps it is that I have the text layer directly on top of the layer that has the mask? I will experiment more to see if I can narrow it down.

Thanks again,
Laith

[Steve Bentley]

Just in case it helps others with the same issue and they are using expressions:
Many “effects” and expressions use the index parameter. This is the number of the layer in the stack of layers. If you add another layer all other layers below have their index incremented by one. So any calculations using the index number will change for those layers below. This happens too when you reorder layers.

[Steve Bentley]

Are you sure you haven’t pickwhipped the justification parameter and linked it to something? That element follows the new text around like it linked to the justified left position.

[Laith Renno]

UPDATE:

I found the source of my issue today.

If I start a new project, add a text layer with some text, then add a second text layer, one text layer moves the other when changing the position of the text, almost as if one text layer is somehow masking the other.

I later found that simply adding a solid as the first layer, under both text layers, the problem goes away.

It is also important to make sure the solid spans the work area wherever the text above exists.

Perhaps I am missing something or someone can explain why this happens?

Thanks,
Laith