createPath expression succeeded, but crashed with inTangents & outTangents

[Alexander32178544ss6g]

Dear Community, I have studied everything I could find on this subject. 

This expression works as desired by connecting the points of a path with the corresponding number (16) of null objects by linking the position:

points = [

thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.00]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.01]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.02]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.03]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.04]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.05]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.06]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.07]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.08]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.09]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.10]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.11]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.12]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.13]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.14]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Null [1.1.15]").transform.position - [1000, 1000]]

createPath (points, inTangents = [], outTangents = [], isClosed = true)

For the life of me, I can't get a perfect circle. 🙂

[Alexander32178544ss6g]

How do I adjust the above-mentioned expression using inTangents & outTangents?

This is what I mean by a perfect circle: 

[Alexander32178544ss6g]

Solved!  I referenced the in & out tangents by another circle with the same number of points.

myPath = thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer").content("Ellipse 1").content("Path 1").path;

points = [
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.0]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.1]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.2]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.3]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.4]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.5]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.6]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.7]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.8]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.9]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.10]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.11]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.12]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.13]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.14]").transform.position - [1000, 1000],
thisComp.layer("Effector | Path | Resizer: Path 1 [1.1.15]").transform.position - [1000, 1000]]

inTangents = myPath.inTangents();
outTangents = myPath.outTangents();

createPath(points, inTangents, outTangents, isClosed = true)

[Alexander32178544ss6g]

 I want to learn it and be able to have full control over the tangents via the createPath property like in Illustrator.

My solution does the job, but is faaaar beyond what you can call "control".

There are only a few tutorials that go into the details, but they skip the part with the tangents and fall back on alternative solutions, as in my case; such as generating additional points to create an illusion of roundness.

[Dan Ebberts]

I don't know if this is going to help you at all, but it might give you some insight about the calculation for the tangents. As a demonstration, create a shape layer path by clicking in an empty comp window with the pen tool, then paste this in as the expression for the path:

n = 16;
r = 300;

p = [];
iT = [];
oT = [];
ratio = (4/3)*(Math.SQRT2 - 1)*(4/n);
t = r*ratio;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++){
  a = i*Math.PI*2/(n);
  x = r*Math.cos(a);
  y = r*Math.sin(a);
  p.push([x,y]);
  oTx = t*Math.cos(a + Math.PI/2);
  oTy = t*Math.sin(a + Math.PI/2);
  oT.push([oTx,oTy]);
  iT.push([-oTx,-oTy]);
}
createPath(p,iT,oT,true);