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M
mbirame
Inspiring
November 7, 2015
Answered

Can you set wiggle at specific points in timeline?

  • November 7, 2015
  • 3 replies
  • 2100 views

Hi folks,

I did this cool tutorial on creating light streaks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-JG1n_Yeo8

In it, he used the wiggle expression to create the random movements.  I am trying to get a light streak to follow a specific path and then wiggle within the confines of a boundry, and then travel on a specific path and wiggle within the confines of another boundry.  Imagine the light having to travel through a small tube that opens into a box where there is room for it to move and then going through a tube again to the next box, etc.

Can anyone give me tips on how to achieve that sort of effect, or feel free to tell me the name of what I'm trying to achieve so that I can google it.  Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer mbirame

Thank you both.  I will look closely at both of these responses. 

Is it possible to have AE treat the area of the composition so that if we are using the above example of the boxes and tubes, then certain areas of the composition have boxes and certain areas have tubes, and then let the light streak move randomly within the constraints of the composition and respond accordingly based on where it is in the composition?  In other words, can the conditional we are talking about be position based and not timeline based?

3 replies

M
mbirameAuthorCorrect answer
Inspiring
November 8, 2015

Thank you both.  I will look closely at both of these responses. 

Is it possible to have AE treat the area of the composition so that if we are using the above example of the boxes and tubes, then certain areas of the composition have boxes and certain areas have tubes, and then let the light streak move randomly within the constraints of the composition and respond accordingly based on where it is in the composition?  In other words, can the conditional we are talking about be position based and not timeline based?

P.M.B
P.M.B
Legend
November 7, 2015

You could also just attache the wiggle expression to a control slider which will act as a multiplier.  So setting the slider to 0 will stop the wiggle. Then just key the slider.

It look something like this

wiggle((3*effect("Slider Name")("Slider")),(15*effect("Slider Name")("Slider")))

You have to create the slider on the layer first as an effect.  Then multiply each value in the expression by the slider.  Note the placement of the extra parenthesis.

If you find the slider to be too sensitive just divide each equation by 10.  And if you want greater control use different sliders for frequency & amplitude so you can adjust them independently of each other.

~Gutterfish
R
Community Expert
Rick GerardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 7, 2015

‌I haven't got time to write the expression for you but the theory would be something like this:

  1. Set layer markers where you want the wiggle to stop
  2. Use an if statement in the expression that says if between marker one and two or marker two and four then wiggle(5 20) Else do not wiggle.

That's the basics, you'll have to do a little research on referencing later  markers with expressions or wait until someone volunteers some code.

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