[Dmitry Kichenko]

Thanks for the idea!

I actually built a pretty much the same loop on my own after not being able to locate a built-in function for that, but I didn’t know how to handle the error – as soon as the while loop encountered an object that didn’t exist (let’s say it was “white (thiscomp.layer(x)) where x was greater than the number of layers in the comp) it would spit out an error and not let me use the expression. The try-catch mechanism is quite clever. Haven’t dealt with it in other languages (mostly a PHP + ActionScript programmer here).

This is so much fun though, programming for graphics =). Forget keyframes! Thanks again!

[Dmitry Kichenko]

Thanks a lot! 🙂

[Dmitry Kichenko]

Umph * shoots self *.

Why is it not docu… Wait, there it is in the helpfile.. Great..

Ok. I’ll be down at the local italian store buying loads of coffee.

Also, for future purposes, I would still like to know if there is a way to count objects of a particular kind (I don’t think they’re instanced from classes in JS unlike most OOP languages, and rather everything relies on inheritance, correct?).

[Dmitry Kichenko]

Just reporting back.

Your way worked, thanks a lot Dan. I just needed to adjust the equation to (index-2) as once I created a null layer the index shifted. I’ve also written a formula to decrease the opacity of each new layer so that the images appear to be fading into infinity.

As to doing it the script way, I’m still learning how to program GUI’s. Okay, MAYBE, the expression was IS faster :P.

[Dmitry Kichenko]

Oh, and if you’re on windows, the file is at C:\Documents and Settings\[your user name]\Application Data\Adobe\After Effects\8.0

[Dmitry Kichenko]

Okay. I am not crazy. Well, I am but not when it comes to remembering things that happened yesterday. At least not when it comes to compositing.

Anyhow, for those of you who are dying to be able to separately edit bezier curves for attributes that consist of more than one value, with position being the most often used one, and are on a a Mac, do this:

1. Go into your home folder/Library/Preferences/Adobe/After Effects/8.0 [or 7.0 if you’re pre-cs3]/Adobe After Effects 8.0 Prefs
2. Open it up with TextEdit
3. Command+F, type in “experimental”
4. On the line that it finds, change “Experimental Spatial Value Graph Handle Mode” to equal to “1” instead of “0”.

There, you should be on the edge, using an experimental hidden feature that, honestly, should have been there to begin with.

The answer was here on the board but I just couldn’t find the bloody preference file anywhere.

I have NO idea why I had this enabled somehow and then had it disabled, but I’m glad it’s back. It’s a pretty obviously needed feature.

[Dmitry Kichenko]

Nice idea, could definitely work. Because at this point I’m not sure how to keep a script running at all times. Adjusting the offset with a script will require for it to somehow float around in a GUI of its own, but that would be cool explore. I’ll do it my way as well anyhow. Learn more doing things the hard way.

[Dmitry Kichenko]

That’s an idea. Forgot about the index attribute. However, that leaves little flexibility if I desire to change the offset variable down the line, doesn’t it. When you define it like that its scope is within the current object right?

[Dmitry Kichenko]

I’m pretty sure I found the way. Pretty simple like I thought. Running a loop that uses the duplicate() method on a selected layer, changes the name attribute of the object and then adds a particular value to the position[2] (the z axis value) should do it for me. Running a prompt() function to provide a way for the user to punch in the number of clones and how far they’re spaced out should complete the picture.

AE peeps – am I on the right track? Sounds like it. The JS syntax and OOP model is quite a bit like that of PHP and esp. ActionScript so should be a piece of cake.