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Smart way to reference shape layers for several different instances?

Community Beginner ,
Jun 23, 2020 Jun 23, 2020

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Hi.

 

I have an icon-chooser-precomp with 20 shape layers in it - each an icon I can call (make opacity = 100) by selecting it from a Drop Down Menu. (It is targeted by their layer ID == Drop Down menu ID.) I can also change color of the icon. This works as a nice array of icons, which I can call in my main comp.

 

Now, I would like to be able to have more than one instance of my icon-chooser-precomp in my main comp. Say I would like to have 5-10 of them - and each should be uniqe as to the selected icon and color.

Of course, the easy way would be to copy the precomp 10 times. But I have two issues with that - first of all, it would be clutter to have the same data x10. Secondly - when I will update my array of icons, I would have to do this 10 places. It's just not the smart way.

 

But what is?

 

In Apple Motion 5 there is a "Clone layer function" - and I belive it does just what I need here - reference a master layer, on which you can tweak some parameters. Does After Effects have someting like this?

 

Anyone with a smart solution?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Explorer , Jun 24, 2020 Jun 24, 2020

You could use master properties from essential graphics. Ukramedia has a nice tutorial on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz_YM0l6AFo&t=286s

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Explorer ,
Jun 24, 2020 Jun 24, 2020

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Yeah with this set-up you'll need a new comp for each icon change. 

A work around would be to have each icon on for a frame or 2 each, then link you drop menu to a freeze frame time remap. 

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 24, 2020 Jun 24, 2020

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Thanks Greg1987.

I think I have decided that it is easier to just do the copies afterall. 🙂

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Explorer ,
Jun 24, 2020 Jun 24, 2020

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You could use master properties from essential graphics. Ukramedia has a nice tutorial on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz_YM0l6AFo&t=286s

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 24, 2020 Jun 24, 2020

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Wow andreip - that is awesome. It is totally what I was looking for!! Except ... I am not able to rig the master properties to an Essential Graphic Rig. Damnit! It was so the solution I was looking for. 

 

Thanks though! This will come handy another time, I'm sure! 🙂

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 24, 2020 Jun 24, 2020

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Ok - Bite me! I made it work!

 

By just pick whipping the master controls to new effect controls, and placing those iton the Essential Graphics Rig - it works!!! Yei!

Dude - thanks! 🙂

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