Use sourceText as a variable?

Question

Hello! Interested in the question is it possible to use sourceText as a variable? For example, in my project I have the same expressions that are repeated on different layers, and when something needs to be changed, it becomes a problem every time.

Say, for example, if you put "thisComp.layer("Null")" in sourceText and specify the path to sourceText in the expression fragment, can you make it work? As I understand it, the string data type is used here and it needs to be converted somehow.

So far, I've been able to use sourceText as a numeric-only variable using parseInt().

The main question is whether it is possible to make sourceText work with a line of code? 🙂 Thanks.

Dan Ebberts · Accepted Answer

You could have a text layer (named "expression" in this example) with this text:

a = 50;
b = 50;
a + b

and then have an expression use that code like this:

txt = thisComp.layer("expression").text.sourceText;
eval(txt)

I think that's what you meant.

Rick Gerard · Answer

I usually use the layer index instead of the layer name. For example, thisComp.layer(index - 1).position will return the layer's position above the layer with the expression.

If you want to have the ability to change the layer, an expression is pointed to by typing the layer name in a text layer, name your text layer ref, and try this expression:

ref = thisComp.layer("Layer Controller").text.sourceText.value;
thisComp.layer(ref).position

If you change the text in the layer named Layer Controller to say Background, the layer with the expression will move to the same position as the Background layer. If you edit the text in the Layer controller to Logo and have a layer named Logo in the composition, the layer with the expression will move to the Logo layer's position. You will get an error message if the text does not precisely match a layer name in the timeline.

I do have a few Animation Presets that I have created to link arms, hands, and legs together that use layer names instead of index. Still, most of my automation uses index + or index - to retrieve information from other layers. The only time I can think of that I wrote an expression that used a text layer to choose the layer was when I was working on a template for an automated historical timeline animation. I used the technique to position the text layer over the appropriate graphic. If I had a graphic named Industrial Revolution, the text layer that read Industrial Revolution would automatically position itself right over the graphic.

Does that help?

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