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TipTut
TipTut
Participating Frequently
January 31, 2020
Answered

Can I control multiple instances of an effect across multiple layers with one master control?

  • January 31, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 4579 views

Essentially, I'd like to apply the Roughen Edges effect to a number of layers, to turn this:

into this, with rough edges like a pencil:

Applying this with an adjustment layer, only roughens the edges of the composition, so my current solution is to apply a roughen edges to every layer.

 

I'm wondering if there's a better way where I can apply one master controller to several instances of the same effect, so should I come to modify the effect, I don't have to manually change them all.

 

Thankyou so much for any help!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Mugen777

Yeah, pretty much this except you can't pickwhip the whole effect at once (as far as i know), you need to pickwhip settings (e.g Sharpness, Scale...) one by one. (just connecting the ones you change is enough) 

A small tip to make it faster. I suggest you create null, connect one layer to the null, then just copy/paste effect to other layers so you won't have to do this for every layer. 

3 replies

Jose Panadero
Community Expert
Jose PanaderoCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 28, 2020

You can do it easily using the Edit > Copy with property links. This way you can copy the effect in the "master layer" and paste it to any other layers, and as soon as you edit the effect in the "master layer" the other layers will update.

    Roland Kahlenberg
    Roland Kahlenberg
    Legend
    February 1, 2020

    AE has TWO built in features to allow you to create a Master Effect/Property (this is different to Master Properties used in the Essential Graphics Panel). The Effect Menu contains these TWO features -

    1) Copy With Property Links
    2) Copy with Relative Property Links

    Copy With Property Links - this is used when selecting and then copying an entire Effect or one of its properties or a single property, anywhere within the Timeline. You can paste what you copied to a layer (if you copied an entire Effect or a single property) in another comp.

    Copy with Relative Property Links - this is used when selecting and then copying an entire Effect or one of its properties or a single property, anywhere within the Timeline. You can paste what you copied to a layer (if you copied an entire Effect or a single property) in the same comp.

    You may want to create a Null Object/Layer to contain this Master Effect/Property to allow for easier reference when having to tweak the source/Master Effect/props.

    Very Advanced After Effects Training | Adaptive & Responsive Toolkits | Intelligent Design Assets (IDAs) | MoGraph Design System DEV
      Mugen777
      Mugen777
      Inspiring
      February 1, 2020

      I didn't know this, thanks for the tip:) 

      R
      Community Expert
      Rick GerardCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      February 1, 2020

      There is another option that may help you achieve a pencil-drawn look. Nest your final animation in a new composition, Duplicate the layer twice, apply: Find Edges, Gaussian Blur, Extract, and Roughen edges to the top copy to create some pencil looking edges.

      Then set up a track matte and adjust the position of the second layer a couple of pixels to reveal the edges.

      And you get this look:

      I can think of a half dozen other ways to get the pencil-drawn look ranging from setting up an animation preset with the look you like applied to all of your layers with a single click, which is not very easy to adjust unless you link all of the properties you want to adjust to a controller layer on layer 1 with multiple Expression Control

      Slidders, to several other effects including Auto Trace.

       

      Hope this gives you some ideas.

      Mugen777
      Mugen777
      Inspiring
      January 31, 2020

      I have a feeling that you already know that, but in case you don't; why don't you connect them to one null? 

      You can apply the same effect to the null, then parent null's values to the layer's values. 

      TipTut
      TipTutAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      January 31, 2020

      Forgive me, I've been using After Effects for a while, but haven't really explored expressions or automation, I've mostly used it for motion graphics. The steps would be:

       

      1. Create a null with the roughen edges effect applied

      2. Add effect to all desired layers

      3. Pickwhip the effects on each layer to the properties on the null layer

      4. Adjusting the null layer properties would then affect all of them

       

      Is that right?

      Mugen777
      Mugen777Correct answer
      Inspiring
      January 31, 2020

      Yeah, pretty much this except you can't pickwhip the whole effect at once (as far as i know), you need to pickwhip settings (e.g Sharpness, Scale...) one by one. (just connecting the ones you change is enough) 

      A small tip to make it faster. I suggest you create null, connect one layer to the null, then just copy/paste effect to other layers so you won't have to do this for every layer. 

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