Solution for 'blank frame' during Time Remapping loopOut() looped comp

[Mike Coopey]

Hi,

I have been going crazy looking for a solution to how to solve the 'blank frame' glitch when creating a looping composition using the loopOut() expression.
I tried the current/previous solutions which involved adding a keyframe on the penultimate frame or manually setting the final keyframe value -1 frame. These worked, but I was still getting a visible animation glitch happening.

My final solution, for a perfect loop with zero visible glitches or blank frames, was to open the pre-comp layer (the original composition that you're trying to loop) and for every layer that reaches the final frame, drag it beyond the end. These layers may appear to run to the very end of the comp and appear as though they reach the final frame, but manually dragging the end of the layer 'off' to the right of the comp was what was needed for that final 'missing' frame to show in the precomp loop.

So, starting with a Time Wrapping comp that is showing a blank frame:

1. Double-click the comp to show the contents

2. Scroll to the final frame

3. Drag all layers to the right 'beyond' the final frame

Hopefully, that blank frame has now gone.

[Rick Gerard]

If you are using time remapping the last keyframe is placed at the end of the last frame or start of no frames. That's why you get a blank frame.

• The workflow is very simple
  1. Select the footage layer or the nested comp
  2. Press Alt/Option + Ctrl/Cmnd + t or use the Menu to enable Time Remapping
  3. Press k then Ctrl/Cmnd + left arrow to move to the last keyframe then back one frame
  4. Click the diamond icon in between the previous and next keyframe tool in the timeline to set a new keyframe at the start of the last keyframe
  5. Press k to move to the last keyframe and click the diamond icon again to delete the last keyframe
  6. Alt/Option + click the Time Remapping stopwatch to create an expression and type loopOut()
  7. Click anywhere in the comp panel or timeline to complete the expression
  8. If you need to extend the out point of the footage or comp layer do so now

That's all there is to it. To make a seamless loop for any property the first and last frame of the loop must be identical but the last keyframe must be set one frame before the identical last frame. For example if you animated position with 3 keyframes set to these values:

• 960, 0
• 960, 540
• 960, 0

and you wanted to make a perfect loop you would move the CTI (time indicator) to the last keyframe, then back 1 frame and set a new keyframe making 4, then add your loopOut() expression. It works every time, with every property. 

[Francis P.]

So this has been posted a while ago, but i just found the EASIEST solution of all ( and possibily the reason for the glitch). I too had my last frame disappear, tried many methods and none seemed to work, until I changed my composition framerate from 23.976 to 24fps. I think the drop-frame is causing the issue with the expression.

So, TLDR, try putting the framerate of the looped composition at a number without decimals, 8, 12 or 24 for example.

[Carlos Diéguez]

Didn't work for me but found an easier one, at least in my case:

Duplicate first frame inside comp (one extra frame). Add time-remap but add a keyframe one frame before the end and delete the last one. Add loop, cut first frame of the comp and move left one frame.