Comp name as source text?

[stefang58242413]

Hi guys,

is it possible to get the name I chose for a comp as source text for a text field inside this comp?

I do not mean this "thisComp.name" expression, because it takes the comp name from its origin. I want to use the name I entered for the instances I put into my timeline. Any chance?

Cheers,

Stefan

[Dan Ebberts]

Are you talking about a precomp's layer name within another comp? If so, I don't think there's any way to get that from within the precomp.

Dan

[stefang58242413]

Thank you, Dan. I already thought that might be impossible.

Anyway, in other words: In my timeline, I have one composition (template) that contains beside some shape layers a text field. Then I duplicated this composition 50 times and changed the position (x,y). Now I thought, it would be nice, if could change the text for each copy/duplicate.

But when I add an "thisComp.name;" to the text source, it outputs just "template", the name of the composition in my project window instead of the names I chose in the timeline for each duplicate.

I guess, that's what you meant, right?

[Dan Ebberts]

Yes, you'd have to create (and name) the duplicates in the project panel. Also, there's no way to get duplicate precomp layers that have the same source comp to render differently.

Dan

[stefang58242413]

Ok, thank you!

[basg95488575]

Hey Stafang, I'm almost 5 years to late but had the same problem today.
It is possible!
Within de pre-comp/template (wich contains the text-layer) you ad the 'Source Text' you want to change to the 'Essential Graphics'-panel.
Now when you use this pre-comp/template in an comp it contains a new propertie in its properties called 'Essential Properties'. Here you can ad an expression to the Source Text propertie you added: 'thisLayer.name'.
Now he will use the layer name as source text for only that version/layer of your pre-comp/template.
So you can have multiple duplicates of the same template-comp with different text.