[Tim Hildebrandt]

I could manage it, to find a work around. I create a new layer inside the active comp (if there is none, create one), apply the “ADBE Color Control” and execute the “edit value” command through AE. This brings the default AE color picker with the name “color” to screen. Select color, the layer is removed and the picked color is extracted.

It’s not perfect, but it works.

Tim

[Tim Hildebrandt]

I know it’s old, but is there ANY way to include the native AE color picker inside a script?

I know, there’s showColorPicker() for Photoshop and so on, but not for After Effects.

Actually I don’t want to include the color picker inside a window. Just showing it on a button-click.

Thank you for your help!
Tim

[Tim Hildebrandt]

I played around a little bit and followed your instruction to change the path over time. This actually helped and after I tried some effects on the stroke (what didn’t work very well) I will now keyframe the shape over time by manual. See my example #3 here (probably gowing too fast again). For the real project I’ll get some good results doing it this way, I guess. Thank you for that hint.

But now another problem came across. As the pile is chillin’ there I now want it do go away in the same way it came up. In fact a reverse, but I don’t want it to be reversed. I want the pile resolve to a sand beam again and flowing up the hourglass again.

The dissolve effect I got with the pile as 3D layer and used it as the layer in the Emitter Type Option. With the air physics I can now achieve that the sand is going up as the pile disappears, but how do I get the particles to form a beam out of the shape? Do you get what I mean? I can upload an example picture if not.

Thank you for help!

[Tim Hildebrandt]

I tested it again and I will write down the expected and the happened results:

Original color settings from the square I have (for testing):


H=120°
S=100%
B=100%


ecpected result


H=120°
S=45%
B=70%


The final result looks like this:


H=120°
S=62%
B=51%


Where is my mistake? Where did you apply the expression on?

Greets

Edit: Here’s a pic of how it looks

[Tim Hildebrandt]

Hi there,

(example)
Two solids. Left one has the original color. The right one should always have the same hue, but the saturation should be at 45% and the lightness at 70% of the Original value.

With this kind of expression it works fine for the lightness:

inRGB = //relating Color Path;
inHSL = rgbToHsl(inRGB);

newLight = inHSL[2] * 0.7;
newHSL = [inHSL[0], newSat, newLight, inHSL[3]];
hslToRgb(newHSL);

But if I try the same for the saturation, like here


inRGB = //relating Color Path;
inHSL = rgbToHsl(inRGB);
newSat = inHSL[1] *0.45;
newLight = inHSL[2] * 0.7;
newHSL = [inHSL[0], newSat, newLight, inHSL[3]];
hslToRgb(newHSL);


The hole color is changing. The lightness is not at its expected value, the hue changed a bit and the saturation is not working as well.

So. What’s the mistake here?

Thank you for help!

[Tim Hildebrandt]

THAT’S IT!!!

Thank you so much.

Almost lost my nerves on solving all this alone until I thought, some professional help can’t be that wrong 🙂

Learned very much today! Thank you!

[Tim Hildebrandt]

So this works great. Thank you very much 😀

One question though. Would it be possible to keyframe it? So that the circle get back to his place. Therefore I would keyframe the start and ending sliders, but anyhow it doesn’t work.

And I am quite new to expressions like these so please forgive me for this questions 😉

Greets

[Tim Hildebrandt]

Thank you a lot. I will test it in few minutes. I want to create a template and the user should get the option to do this. And not with a square and a circle, of course not 😉

[Tim Hildebrandt]

Hello Dan,

with your expression you helped me a lot, this was exactly what I was looking for.

So I have an example animation of one square and one circle.

The square is moving from the left to the right:

Then down a little bit:

Then it goes back and the circle is coming with the square:

If the checkbox is ticked then the circle is moving with the square’s position (like in your expression). I just changed the point from when it is starting to move with the quare with a slider control (“Start”).

Now I want the circle to stop on that current position where it is now. And this I want to determine with the second slider control (“End”).

Has to be something like
if(time>End)
{
STAY AT YOUR CURRENT FCKNG POSITION!!!
}
else
{
I WILL KILL YOU
}

haha

So. The first part is done. How to stop that whole thing?

This is the code I used (translated in english for you):

myParent = thisComp.layer("Square");
myProp = myParent.transform.position;
Box = thisComp.layer("Adjustment Layer 1").effect("Checkbox")("Checkbox");
Start = thisComp.layer("Adjustment Layer 1").effect("Start")("Slider control");
End = thisComp.layer("Adjustment Layer 1").effect("End")("Slider control");

if(time>Start && Box==1)
{
value + (myProp.value - myProp.valueAtTime(Start))
}
else
{
value
}