[Dan Ebberts]

So do you have these comps as layers in a main comp and you want each layer to start at a random time? If so, you’d enable Time Remapping for each of those comp layers and apply this Time Remap expression (which will give each one a random start time between 0 and 5 seconds):

minStart = 0; // min start time (seconds)
maxStart = 5; // max start time (seconds)
seedRandom(index,true);
tStart = random(minStart,maxStart);
Math.max(time - tStart,0);

[Dan Ebberts]

This application is perfect for noise(), the expressions built-in Perlin noise field generator. I’d start with a rotation expression like this:

dDiv = 1000; // distance divider
tDiv = 2; // time divider
maxAngle = 180; // maximum angle (+ or -)
r = noise([position[0]/dDiv,position[1]/dDiv,time/tDiv])*maxAngle;
value + r

For reference, I used this position expression to position a grid of identical 100×100 layers with anchor point centered:

hSpace = 100; // distance between columns
vSpace = 100; // distance between rows
nCols = Math.round(thisComp.width/hSpace);
origin = [hSpace,vSpace]/2;
myCol = (index-1)%nCols;
myRow = Math.floor((index-1)/nCols);
origin + [myCol*hSpace,myRow*vSpace];

[Dan Ebberts]

Unless you’re taking advantage of the new per-character styling feature in AE 2025, whenever you apply an expression to the source text property, all characters get the same styling as the first character.

[Dan Ebberts]

I’m not sure how helpful this will be, but it might give you some ideas. For your text layer, add an opacity Animator and set the Opacity value to 0. Then add an Expression Selector and delete the Range Selector. Set the Expression Selector’s “Based On” property to “Words”. Then add this expression to the Expression Selector’s Amount property:

m = thisComp.layer(index-3).marker;
val = 100;
fadeTime = 1.5;
if (m.numKeys > 0){
  n = m.nearestKey(time).index;
  if (time < m.key(n).time) n--;
  if (n > 0){
    if (textIndex <= n){
      t = time - m.key(textIndex).time;
      val = linear(t,0,fadeTime,0,100)
    }
  }
}
val

[Dan Ebberts]

Ah, OK. That’s a little trickier. This assumes that the number of points on the path doesn’t change, but other than that I think it will work:

markerTime = thisLayer.marker.key("End").time;
if (time > markerTime){
  p1 = points(markerTime);
  p2 = points(key(numKeys).time);
  i1 = inTangents(markerTime);
  i2 = inTangents(key(numKeys).time);
  o1 = outTangents(markerTime);
  o2 = outTangents(key(numKeys).time);
  c = isClosed();
  p = [];
  i = [];
  o = [];
  for (j = 0; j < p1.length; j++){
    p.push(ease(time,markerTime,markerTime+1,p1[j],p2[j]));
    i.push(ease(time,markerTime,markerTime+1,i1[j],i2[j]));
    o.push(ease(time,markerTime,markerTime+1,o1[j],o2[j]));
  }
  createPath(p,i,o,c);
}else{
  value;
}

[Dan Ebberts]

Wait, what are you trying to do?

[Dan Ebberts]

Like this maybe?

markerTime = thisLayer.marker.key("End").time;
val = value;
if (time > markerTime){
  val = ease(time,markerTime,markerTime+1,valueAtTime(markerTime),key(numKeys).value);
}
val

[Dan Ebberts]

That’s interesting and strange. See if this makes it any better:

moveFrames = 5;
holdFrames = 15;
range = 200;
moveDur = framesToTime(moveFrames);
totalDur = framesToTime(moveFrames+holdFrames);
seed = Math.floor(time/totalDur);
t = time - seed*totalDur;
seedRandom(seed,true);
offset1 = seed > 0 ? random([-range,-range],[range,range]) : [0,0];
p1 = value + offset1;
seedRandom(seed+1,true);
offset2 = random([-range,-range],[range,range]);
p2 = value + offset2;
linear(t,0,moveDur,p1,p2)

[Dan Ebberts]

Try it this way:

var fontArray=[
"Impact",
"AbrilFatface-Regular",
"KufiStandardGK",
];
txt = text.sourceText.toLowerCase();
v=Math.round(effect("Slider Control")("Slider"));
text.sourceText.style.setFont(fontArray[v]).setText(txt)

[Dan Ebberts]

I’m not real clear on exactly what you’re asking, but it might end up being something like this:

tOffset = effect("Slider Control")("Slider");
t1 = key(1).time;
t2 = key(2).time;
dur = t2 - t1;
t = (time - (t1 + tOffset))%dur;
valueAtTime(t1+t)