Cannot loop a precomp

[YamRam]

Hi. I am trying to loop a simple 5-second animation, and after 25 tutorials and 10 hours, nothing has worked.

I've precomposed it, brought that into a new comp, and did the whole time-remapping, with the Expression set to loopOut .

I've tried 5 different variations of the "cycle" expression

I've tried various Remap techniques. You name it, I've tried it.

I export it to Encoder, and final  mp4 - does not loop, it just plays once.

What am I doing wrong?

I'm very new to AE. Thanks a lot.

[Martin_Ritter]

How long is the composition, you put the loop on? Could it be it just playing once, because it has only 5 secs in length?

For further investigation, a screenshot of your project including the composition in question with the expression-text visible would be helpful.

*Martin

[Roei Tzoref]

it seems by your description to ”export to mp4 and play only once” that you expect your video file to play in a loop in the player... that is - play over and over even though it’s one animation for beginning to end of the duration of your video. if you want your video file to play in A loop you need to set the loop option in the player you are using. This is not related to using timeremapping in Ae to make an animation play over and over in one video file from start to finish.

[Rick Gerard]

You can loop a pre-comp or nested comp in AE by enabling time remapping using the keyboard shortcut

Doing that will extend the out point of the layer to the end of the composition. The Time Remapping keyframes will be displayed. Press k to move to the last keyframe. Now press Ctrl/Cmnd + left arrow to move back one frame and set a new time remapping keyframe. Hold down the Alt/Option key and click the Time Remapping stopwatch to add a new keyframe at the start of the last frame of the comp. Press the k key again to move to the last keyframe and delete that keyframe. You can do this in the timeline or carefully select the keyframe and delete it. Now, hold down Alt/Option and click the Time Remapping stopwatch or use the Animation menu to add a new expression and simply type loopOut().

This will loop the composition. If the first frame of the original comp and the last frame are identical you will have a perfectly seamless loop.

If you are expecting a rendered video to loop there is nothing you can add to the metadata in any video format from After Effects or the Adobe Media Encoder that will force any media player to continuously loop a video.

[YamRam]

Hi. I've tried that many times,,but it still doesn't loop after it's rendered.

The AE file has the LoopOut function the time remapping - I've followed these steps, as well as similar tutorials. Not sure how to export a simple gif-type render that loops.

Do you do that in Encoder somewhere? Thanks a lot

[noisy_doll]

I know this is old but it's just what I needed. I had a 1:30 precomp I wanted to loop for about 9:40 and the part about Option + Click was what I was missing to get to the expression panel. Thank you so much!

Becky  

[Ro Hackett]

If its your first time looping a pre-comp... beware the blinking missing frame! 😮🤣

Watch this video to make sure it doesn't happen 🤔

[Ro Hackett]

https://youtu.be/nNGA-QyQ4rk

[YamRam]

Thanks for replying. I still don't understand how to get it to loop though.

Do I set it to loop endlessly in AE? If so, where is that setting?

Or if "in the viewer" you mean in Quicktime, I don't know where that setting is in quicktime either.

Thanks

[Rick Gerard]

You cannot embed any data in a video that will tell the media player to loop the video using the Adobe Media Encoder or the Render Cue. I don't know of any encoder that gives you that option. Most video players including Quicktime will allow you to loop playback with a keyboard shortcut or by a menu item. This was already explained. You can also use HTML 5 to make a video loop. The only export format that I know of that will automatically loop is an animated gif but that format is limited to 256 colors, very small frame sizes, does not support audio and is generally unsuitable to use for a video that is longer than two or 3 seconds.

Once you open a video in Quicktime you can set the player to loop by using the QuickTime player menu. The keyboard shortcut for that menu item will be listed there:

I did a web search and found no information about adding metadata to an MP4 that would cause it to automatically loop forever. You could spend some more time doing that and possibly come up with a solution.

If you want to loop footage in Premiere Pro or After Effects you select the file in the Project Panel, use the Menu or Right Click and go to file interpretation and set the number of times you want the media to loop there. This setting does not stay with the file, it only works in the After Effects or Premiere Pro project where you enabled that option.

[Ro Hackett]

Hey funny enough you can do what you are looking for with loop embedded in the file using the animation timeline in photoshop... watch this vid...

https://youtu.be/bq14Wf7R1WE

[Marina33995161j84g]

You cannot edit the precomp before looping it, such as cutting it. Otherwise, the remap won't work correctly, and then the loop won't work either. Make sure to initially create the composition of the desired length, from which you make the precomp for the loop.