-
using expressions for elapsed time on an edited timelapse
I’ve got a timelapse of an autobody shop that spans several days and many jpg sequences. I want to display time elapsed in the final edited version. Currently, in the unedited comps for each day I’ve got a text layer with the following expression…
timeToTimecode(t = time + thisComp.displayStartTime – 28.75
, timecodeBase = 30, isDuration = false)28.75 is an offset that is used to subtract the set-up time while the camera was recording for Day 1. In subsequent days I add an offset for total time elapsed so far.
Unedited comps for each day are brought into interim comps to adjust scale, rotation and anchor point so the shots are optimally framed. I also cut out inactive time eg lunch breaks etc. All these transformations must be inverted on the text layer in the original comps, lest the time elapsed jump hither and yon with each passing day. This is a very kludgy solution.
Ideally, I’d like a text layer (or multiple text layers) in the final comp that are fed from expressions in the unedited comps. I’ve tried pick whipping from the final comp text layer to the original comp text layer with the above expression, but AE just seems to be applying the expression to the final comp, not taking values from the original.
Heavens, I hope that makes some sense.
timeToTimecode(t = time + thisComp.displayStartTime - 28.75
, timecodeBase = 30, isDuration = false) -
1 Reply
-
If you pickwhip from the Source Text property of a text layer in the final comp to the Source Text property of a text layer in an unedited comp, you should get something like this:
comp(“unedited comp 1”).layer(“Text Layer 1”).text.sourceText
I’m not sure where it’s going wrong for you.
Dan
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up