Can you convert wiggle paths to keyframes?

[Mike21903002hopa]

Hi, I was wondering if there was a way of converting 'wiggle paths' to key frames like you can do with just normal wiggle? Or is there a workaround where I can start and stop the expression?

Cheers!

[Mylenium]

No, you can't. At best you could pre-compose the effect and apply an auto-trace in the parent comp, but that creates a ton of masks and mask keyframes which can make AE extremely slow. Therefore it would be best to resort to mask expressions or plug-ins and scripts that create such effects on regular masks, so check AEScripts.com. Other than that of course none of that may even be necessary for what you intend to do, but you haven't explained the idea behind your question, so we can't advise.

Mylenium

[VFXbear]

Actually, you can.  And it's a STANDARD function of AfterEffects!

Just right-click on the parameter (Position, Rotation, etc) that has the wiggle expression on it,

go to "Keyframe Assistant",

and choose "Convert Expression to Keyframes".
Done!

[VFXbear]

AH!  What the OP meant was the "Wiggle Paths" property on a shape layer?
Hmmm ... nope, that wouldn't work, indeed.

[ShiveringCactus]

On the CreativeCow forums, Dan Ebberts suggests:

It appears that if you apply a wiggle deformer with the same settings to the linked path, and set the same, non-zero seed, you’ll get the same deformation. I’m not sure it works in all cases, but it seems to, based on the seeds I tried.

https://creativecow.net/forums/thread/reference-shape-layer-path-after-wiggle-paths/

In terms of starting and stoping the expression, I take it keyframing the properties isn't what you're after?

[hamzak5147981]

I'm having the same issue but I cannot understand what a "wiggle deformer" is. I cannot find any external script nor an expression with this name.

[ShiveringCactus]

When you have a path on a Shape Layer and expand it on the timeline, there's a tiny Add menu.  In there are deformers or effectors (or things ??).  One of these is Wiggle Paths.  When selected it lets you wiggle a path.

I talk about it in this tutorial (linked it timestamped to that moment: https://youtu.be/7417c02lLA4?t=190)