[Jeff Hinkle]

Appreciate the answer but that’s not what I’m after. I’m adding the five alpha values to get Total, then I just want to subtract 1 from Total and After Effects freaks out. “Add five numbers then subtract one from that sum” seems simple enough, but AE refuses. Are sampleImage() alpha values strings and not numerical values? Can’t imagine why they would be but I can’t think of another reason why this should fail.

[Jeff Hinkle]

I suppose I could just alter the array values to work with the returned value, but I want to understand why this isn’t working. Sure seems like it should. Pretty basic math, I thought.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Amazing! After reading your explanation and examples, I can now consistently put Layer b pretty much where I want on Layer a. More importantly, I think I now understand the syntax enough to make it work on more complex future projects (and probably sort out fromComp and toWorld). Thank you so much for finally sinking this into my brain!

If you ever publish an After effects book, I’ll preorder 3 copies and hand out the extras to coworkers.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Once I changed the tracking type to Before, that worked like a charm. Still don’t fully get how textIndex works but this helps it make a bit more sense. Thank you so much!

[Jeff Hinkle]

As always, your knowledge and help are amazing. Many thanks!

One more question, if I may: when duplicating the Animator to adjust the Tracking after the “A,” it seems to only work on the last “A” in the line and the caution arrow icon/alert message keeps blipping on and off like it’s thinking about failing. I’m sure it’s something to do with my changes to the code, although I only changed the – to a + in this line:

b=a[textIndex+2]; //check letter after the A

But the Before works like a charm! Really appreciate the help!

[Jeff Hinkle]

I don’t have Elements, but this should work in there as well.

Select your Marquee tool (M) and in the top info bar set Style to Fixed Size. Set Width to 1280px and Height to 720px.

Click once in your image and you’ll get a marquee selection that size. Position your cursor inside the selection and drag it so it surrounds the area you want to keep.

Then select Image>Crop. Photoshop will trim away everything outside your selection.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

With your text tool, be sure to click outside the confines of the circle shape. Clicking inside will give you text-in-a-shape (your text cursor will display a small circle around the I-bar before you click), and clicking on the edge of the shape will give you text-on-a-path (I-bar with little squiggle behind it). If you don’t want to worry about where you click, lock the Shape layer first.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

You were on the right track. You can do this with an expression.

Create a new text layer.
On your text layer, Opt/Alt-click the stopwatch for Text Source.
In the resulting Expression field, type Math.round(LAYERNAME.transform.opacity) + “%”
where LAYERNAME is the name of the layer whose opacity value you want to display.
Math.round will round off the opacity value (I’m assuming you only want whole numbers) and the + “%” will add a percentage sign to the value.
Position your text layer wherever you need it and format text as you wish.
Change the Opacity value for LAYERNAME and the text layer will update automatically.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

Thanks so much! I thought Master Properties were a 2019 feature and never looked into them, but that looks like it’ll do exactly what I need once I sort out my project structure. You just saved me piles of time.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.

[Jeff Hinkle]

The three identical precomps is what I’m trying to get away from. I was hoping to have the same Talent precomp in Screen 1, Screen 2, and Screen 3, each able to simultaneously show a different layer. And if you couldn’t potentially see the talent image from two screens as they transitioned, pretty sure I’d be able to do it. I’m thinking there’s really no way to do what I want that won’t add a different layer of complexity. One of the major goals for taking over this project was that I could hand it off to any of the minions and they could easily update it and turn out all the versions. I think my reach may have exceeded my grasp.

—
It is easier to destroy than to create.
More fun, too.