Triggering specific keyframes animations with marker comment

[Miguel De mendoza]

Look at this post: https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/227/30494

You can tweek it to change any property of any layer. Here is an example on how I use this tecchnique:

As you can see on top, there are various ‘master’ comps named “triangles_n”. You only need to set the triangles(or any layer) position where do you want on each ‘master’ comp and then control the animations by the marker comment.

[Daniel Futerman]

Thanks for your reply Miguel, looks very interesting but to be honest, modifying that code would be beyond my level of knowledge in expressions.

What changes would you make to apply it to my scenario? Or is there a simpler expression I could use instead?

Thanks a lot!

After Effects Template & Photoshop Tutorials:
https://www.amigo-productions.com

[Daniel Futerman]

Anyone else? 🙂

The only thing I have so far is the following, but it only the entire keyframe animation to start once reaching the marker, rather than having keyframe 2 start when reaching the marker.

(I found this expression on reddit)

// Keyframe your animation, starting on frame 0
// This property will animate at every marker on this layer

// If the property has no keyframes, the value at frame 0 is output
if (thisProperty.numKeys == 0) { t = 0; }

// Find the previous marker from current time
else {
n = 0;
if (marker.numKeys > 0){
n = marker.nearestKey(time).index;
if (marker.key(n).time > time){ n--;}
}

// If there is no previous marker, the value at frame 0 is output
if (n == 0){ t = 0; }

// Calculate t from elapsed time since the last keyframe
else{
m = marker.key(n);
t = time - m.time;
}
}
valueAtTime(t)

After Effects Template & Photoshop Tutorials:
https://www.amigo-productions.com

[Dan Ebberts]

I think it would be like this:


tm = marker.key(1).time;
t1 = key(1).time;
t2 = key(2).time;
if (time < tm)
t = linear(time,t1,tm,t1,t2)
else
t = t2 + (time - tm);
valueAtTime(t)


Dan

[Daniel Futerman]

You’re simply amazing Dan. Thank you so much!!!

After Effects Template & Photoshop Tutorials:
https://www.amigo-productions.com

[Daniel Futerman]

Hi Dan,

I’m trying to figure out a way to slightly adjust the result of the expression.

What currently happens is that when dragging the marker to an earlier time, the animation speeds up between keyframe 1 & 2, and the speed between keyframes 2 & 3 stays the same. This is what I thought I wanted to happen.

But.. this results in a smooth animation between keyframes 1 & 2, and then slows down between 2 & 3, causing a not-smooth movement.

So bottom line is, I’d like the marker stimulate the “squeezing” (for lack of better word) of the keyframes as done while holding Alt and adjusting all keyframes.

I’ve attached a .gif to demonstrate what I mean, hope it helps!! 🙂

After Effects Template & Photoshop Tutorials:
https://www.amigo-productions.com

[Dan Ebberts]

Try it this way:

tm = marker.key(1).time;
t1 = key(1).time;
t2 = key(numKeys).time;
t = linear(time,t1,tm,t1,t2);
valueAtTime(t)

Dan

[Daniel Futerman]

Dan you are a genius. Seriously – Thank you so much for your help, I truly appreciate it.

The code works perfectly, there’s only one last thing I want to ask if possible to do –

Is there a way to have the exact same expression, but instead of having the marker location ‘connected’ to the final keyframe marking the end of the animation, it would be connected to the second keyframe indicating the beginning of the out animation. Hope this still makes sense!

So essentially, I guess it would be some sort of mixture between the two expressions? Because ideally, I would like the user to be able to quickly drag the marker on layer 1 to a new point in time (i.e. slower or faster animation speed), and then be able to drag layer 2 to the position of the marker – which marks the beginning of the out animation.

See what I mean? I hope it’s possible to do 🙂 This picture might help to explain what I mean.

After Effects Template & Photoshop Tutorials:
https://www.amigo-productions.com

[Dan Ebberts]

I’m confused. Isn’t that what the first expression does?

Dan

[Daniel Futerman]

Sorry I thought that might have been confusing 🙂 I’ll try to better explain what I mean.

Yes that is what the first expression does, but then I have the problem of the fast speed between 1st & 2nd keyframes, and then slow again between the 2nd & 3rd keyframes.

The second expression you wrote does exactly what I need in terms of the result. What I was hoping to change in it is that the marker itself will connect to keyframe #2 instead of #3.

So essentially it’s having the marker connected the same way as in the first expression, but have the result the same as the second expression.

Marker = Connected to second keyframe (i.e same as in the first expression, indicating the begining of the out animation).

Result = The same as the second expression.

New expression = a mixture between the two.

What happens in action: The user moves the marker on layer #1, which results in the effect of expression #2. The user then drags layer #2 to the time point of layer #1’s marker, which results in a smooth transition between the two layers.

Does that make things more clear? Or have I completely confused you now? Probably the second option 😉

After Effects Template & Photoshop Tutorials:
https://www.amigo-productions.com