[Alex Printz]

After effects does not register “else if” statements. You would just want to put a series of if statements in a tree, swap out the variables, or use a switch case.


R = transform.rotation;
C = thisComp.layer("Controller").effect("Width")(1);

switch(true){

case 0 < R && R <= 90:
R *= C;
break;

case 90 < R && R < 180:
R = (180 - R) * C;
break;

case 180 < R && R < 270:
R = (180 - R) * C;
break;

case R == 270:
R = C * -90;
break;

case 270 < R && R < 360:
R = -(360 - R) * C;
break;

default:
R = 0;
}

R


You might want to check all of your statements as I see some gaps (R < 0, R=180, R<=360, etc.)

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

but, if the comp you’re applying this expression to is parent to another layer, you have to counter it’s parents position. That would be:


L = comp("COMPNAME").layer("LAYERNAME");
parent.fromWorld(L.toWorld(L.anchorPoint));


Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

Try this, will work if the comp dimensions are the same:

L = comp("COMPNAME").layer("LAYERNAME");
L.toWorld(L.anchorPoint)

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

Assuming it is a square, in middle of the comp, and the same size of the comp, it would be this:


a = degreesToRadians(Math.abs(transform.rotation%90));
h = Math.sqrt(2 * Math.pow(value[0]/2, 2));
o = Math.cos(a - degreesToRadians(45))*h;
s = 2*o / value[0];
value*s


Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

oops, disregard my message, I thought you were talking about layer label colors.

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

IIRC expressions do not have access to anything GUI related except markers, so your label colors cannot be referenced. Someone else will have to chime in for scripting through; I know it’s possible there.

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

digging a bit deeper, I figured it out; it would be:

targetLayer.sourceTime(time)

Hope anyone else who’s googling around can find this helpful.

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

I don’t think so; effect elements stack as layers, the sub-groups inside effects are just peudo-groups that are for usability only but are not used in actual referencing.

Your best bet would be referencing indexes and relative use, or using a name structure in your effect that you can add/subtract strings from to call sections appropriately.

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

I’ve used the pseudo effect maker plugin before with great success.

https://aescripts.com/pseudo-effect-maker/

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer

[Alex Printz]

Oh man Dan you’re a life saver, I never would have thought something like that; here I was looking for code issues in my if/for loops. Crazy.

Thanks so so much.

Alex Printz
Mograph Designer