[Kevin Camp]

i should have noted that the expression does not account for scale of the layers, so as you adjust the size of the text layers, use the point size controls in the character settings, not the scale property of the text layer.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

since you won’t be able to control the font (to make that change from bold to regular weight) you’ll have to make those separate text layers, and then you’ll need to use the sourceRectAtTime() function to dynamically adjust the x-positions of the text layers.

in premiere, you’d end up with at least 3 text fields: day, eastern time and pacific time. (if the ‘et’, ‘pt’ and separator are always the same, they wouldn’t need to be editable).

try this:

set up your 6 text layers in the following layer order, and to keep the math simpler, make them all left justified:

1. day
2. time (eastern)
3. et
4. separator
5. time (pacific)
6. pt

you can have other layers above o bellow this group, but not in-between (well, you can put them in-between, but you’ll need to adjust the following expression).

make sure all of them are on the same y value and then add this expression to each of those text layers except the ‘day’ layer:
pad = 20; // value in pixels
target = thisComp.layer( index - 1 )
rect = target.sourceRectAtTime();
x = target.position[0] + rect.width + pad;
[ x, value[1] ]
adjust the ‘pad’ value as needed for each layer, but each text layer should now dynamically follow the layer before it. if you change the text, the layers should change x-positions accordingly.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

I think you’ll need to roll-your-own loop expression.

try this:

dur = 5; // value in seconds
if ( numKeys > 0 ) {
loopDur = key(numKeys).time - key(1).time;
if ( time < dur ) valueAtTime( time % loopDur ) else valueAtTime( dur % loopDur );
}

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

the displacement map effect might do it….

try creating a new comp, add some text (or an image) and then add a comp-sized rectangular shape layer (double-click the rectangular shape layer tool, without any layers selected will make a composed rectangular shape layer).

set the fill of the shape to gradient and position the gradient to be within the width of the character that you will stretch.

add the displacement map effect to the text and choose the shape layer as the displacement map layer. set vertical displacement to zero and adjust the max horizontal displacement to stretch it out.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

i think you are running into a masks vs shapes issue…

the stroke effect works with mask paths (not shape paths).

you converted your text to a shape layer, so when you try to draw a mask on it, you are actually adding another shape path.

there are several ways to get around this. the simplest may be to simply draw the mask path directly onto the text layer (rather than converting it to a shape or mask).

another way would be to convert the text to masks, add the reveal mask path for the stroke effect, then select that that path in the stroke effect (you can select which path to use for the stroke effect at the top of the effect settings, just above the ‘use all paths’ option).

or you could create a new layer, add the mask path and the stroke effect to that, then use that layer as a track matte foe the shape layer.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

i’m not sure how you are animating it now, but i would try a using a text animator.

try this:

• type your line of text, twirl down the text layer’s proprieties, click the ‘animate’ menu (to the right of the ‘text’ property) and choose position form the list.
• set the position properties of that animator so that the text line of off-screen.
• twirl down the range selector properties and then advanced properties.
• set the ‘based on’ property to ‘words’ and the shape to ‘ramp up’
• in the range selector properties, animate the offset to go from -100% to 100%

the words should slide from off-screen into place in a ‘ramped’ fashion.
if you want to ease the words a bit as they come to a stop, adjust the ‘ease low’ property in the advanced settings… 33% is about the same as easy-ease in the keyframe assistant, but you can ease it up to 100%.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

you might try the timewarp effect instead. you’ll just animate the speed property as needed.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

i think you can probably do this without an expression….

• add an animator for opacity to the text layer and set the opacity property of that animator to 0.
• twirl down range selector and then advanced and set random order to ‘on’.
• keyframe the animator’s offset property from 0 to 100, and then from 100 to 0.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

sorry, that tutorial may not be working anymore (it wouldn’t load for me, but could be a plugin issue).

this may be helpful:

https://www.imagineersystems.com/blog/how-to-track-a-screen-in-mocha/

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

this is an old tutorial, but i think it still applies to the mocha version that is bundled with ae:

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/Mocha_Tut_1.php

if needed, search for other tutorials using mocha. it’s better designed to do the kind of track you are trying to do.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW