Trying to loop an effect layer - some advice needed.

[Philip27463971xr7c]

Hi,

We were just experimenting with making a clip loop and ran in to an issue.  The clip is a solid layer with Fractal Noise effect.  We are looping it using the following technique;  split the layer in the middle - overlap the two layers - animate the opacity.

When I split the layer and drag the top layer to the start of the time line,  the effect within the layer stays where it was, if that makes sense, so the loop doesn't work.  Is this because it's an effect layer?

I've gotten around it by exporting the layer and reimporting it.  Is this the best thing to do?

Thanks!

[Rick Gerard]

How did you animate Fractal Noise? If you added a time * some value expression to evolution, then dragging the layer to the start of the timeline would give you the same animation.

[Philip27463971xr7c]

Hi Rick, 

Thanks for the reply.  Yes, folowing some tutorials it was animated by an expression.  I think we are saying the same thing.  No matter where I dragged the layer, the animation stayed in place. 

So if I want to loop it by splitting it, and using that split  point as the new start and end point do I need to 'bake' the layer first by exporting it?

Thanks

[Rick Gerard]

If the expression uses time or something like t= something, change the expression to time-inPoint and then the animation will start at the in-point of the layer. 

The other option would be to pre-compose the layer with the animation making sure to move all attri utes to the new comp, then split the nested comp (your pre-comp) and move it around. The time value will then come from the time of the pre-comp, not the time of the main comp.

If you want to copy the expression used in your project and paste it in a reply to the forum, we can give you the correction in the code required to start the animation at the layer's in-poing.

[Philip27463971xr7c]

Thanks.  I'll start by looking at pre-compose option as thats something I've been meaning to learn about.  Then I'll take a better look at the expressions.

[ShiveringCactus]

I made a tutorial a while back showing different ways to loop footage, but from what you're describing, would the cycle checkbox in the Evolution options solve the problem for you?

If not, here's the video I mentioned:

[Philip27463971xr7c]

Thank you.  I'll take a look at your video this evening hopefully.  I will have to look at the Evolution checkbox option as well, to see how it works.