Swapping out multiple lines of an expression with another bunch of lines.

[Dan Ebberts]

what kind of values are you plugging into OldExpr and NewExpr? It works when I do this:

var OldExpr = “1”; //The code I want to replace
var NewExpr = “2”; //The new code

But of course it only replaces one instance.

Dan

[Osama Sayegh]

Thank you for your reply,

I plug into those variables string values or text or whatever you call it.

So there is no chance getting around it and make it working with multiple lines??

[Dan Ebberts]

I’m sure it can be done. JavaScript provides a lot of powerful tools for manipulating strings. The best approach depends on exactly what you’re trying to do. Maybe a good before and after example would help.

Dan

[Osama Sayegh]

Hi Dan, thanks for your interest,

This is my expression..

timeOffset = comp("Comp 1").layer("White Solid 1").effect("Slider Control")(1);
valueOffset = comp("Comp 1").layer("White Solid 1").effect("Slider Control 2")(1);

MinTime = key(1).time + timeOffset;
MaxTime = key(2).time+ timeOffset;
MinValue = key(1).value + valueOffset;
MaxValue = key(2).value + valueOffset;

ease(time, MinTime, MaxTime, MinValue, MaxValue);

Basically I have this expression in tens of layers in tens of compositions, so for some reason I want to subtract “valueOffset” from “MinValue” variable instead of adding it, or just remove it completely, just in couple of compositions. As you know, going through the property of each layer in a lot of compositions is a pain in the butt, no one wants to do this manually.

So I want my script to replace this:

MinValue = key(1).value + valueOffset;
MaxValue = key(2).value + valueOffset;

with:

MinValue = key(1).value - valueOffset;
MaxValue = key(2).value - valueOffset;
(I know that this is exactly the same if the value of valueOffset is negative in the original expression, but for some reasons I would like to change the expression)

or:

MinValue = key(1).value;
MaxValue = key(2).value;

I’m open-minded to any solution, I’m not requiring to be the way I made it above (converting the expression to string then using the replace() method etc..), any way to do that is welcome.

Thanks!

[Dan Ebberts]

I’m sure there are a lot of ways to do it. One way would be to change your expression to this:

timeOffset = comp(“Comp 1”).layer(“White Solid 1”).effect(“Slider Control”)(1);
valueOffset = comp(“Comp 1”).layer(“White Solid 1”).effect(“Slider Control 2”)(1);
thisComp.layer(“White Solid 1”)
MinTime = key(1).time + timeOffset;
MaxTime = key(2).time+ timeOffset;
//
MinValue = key(1).value + valueOffset;
MaxValue = key(2).value + valueOffset;
//
ease(time, MinTime, MaxTime, MinValue, MaxValue);

So that the script can easily isolate the section that gets changed. Then your script could do something like this:


var expr = app.project.item(1).layer(2).transform.rotation.expression;
var splitExpr = expr.split("//\r");
var newExpr = splitExpr[0] + "//\rMinValue = key(1).value - valueOffset;\rMaxValue = key(2).value - valueOffset;\r//\r" + splitExpr[2];
app.project.item(1).layer(2).transform.rotation.expression = newExpr;


Dan