Like 'motion sketch' but for the timeline?

[Shinjipierre]

It's an interesting idea... I think you can create an expression for that or a script that would change the keys.

[Ian Jones]

Nice idea.... ask the guys over at www.aenhancers.com

[Mylenium]

It's an interesting idea... I think you can create an expression for that or a script that would change the keys.

That's impossible. Neither expressions nor scripts offer methods for interactively tracking the mouse or recording function values outside of the script/ expression. All an expression could do is provide a slider or mathematical formula that will create the random motion - no more, no less. The way he wants it, it would have to be a hardcoded plugin or even AE-internal function.

Mylenium

[Ian Jones]

What about making a dummy layer, using motion sketch on it then using a script to grab the keyframe / velocity from thew dummy layer and applying it to time remapping?

[Mylenium]

What about making a dummy layer, using motion sketch on it then using a script to grab the keyframe / velocity from thew dummy layer and applying it to time remapping?

That would be doable, but require a lot of discipline. Time Remapping is rather touchy and most likely you would need some code to adjust/ limit the value ranges and make smooth transitions between time ranges. Not really sure if this would be feasible and yield better results in less time. IMO manual keyframing is the only thing to give enough control in this matter though it may look longwinded. It's one of those things where I wonder why people are trying to automate the hell out of AE if a manual solution works better...

Mylenium

[Shinjipierre]

That's impossible. Neither expressions nor scripts offer methods for interactively tracking the mouse or recording function values outside of the script/ expression. All an expression could do is provide a slider or mathematical formula that will create the random motion - no more, no less. The way he wants it, it would have to be a hardcoded plugin or even AE-internal function.

I wanted to use the motion sketch set in the position property, is it still impossible ? (just as Ian Jones suggested). Using twistor or the time remap internal function it must be possible.

I wonder why people are trying to automate the hell out of AE if a manual solution works better...

Well, you can use MSpaint in order to create a movie... I'm sure that guy has a case where it would be faster to have such a thing... If that doesn't work, well, it's just wasted time ;)

[Mylenium]

I wanted to use the motion sketch set in the position property, is it still impossible ? (just as Ian Jones suggested). Using twistor or the time remap internal function it must be possible.

Sure it is, but like I said it would still require some code to smooth things out - time remapping in general does not react well to abrupt changes in speed no matter whether you use AE's own or a plugin. It's inherent in how it is supposed to work


Well, you can use MSpaint in order to create a movie... I'm sure that guy has a case where it would be faster to have such a thing... If that doesn't work, well, it's just wasted time ;)

As said above - in this particular case I really doubt it. Even if there was such a plugin/ tool already, the final product would not necessarily be better and you would quite likely not even gain speed or more efficient workflow - you could spend hours deleting and re-arranging your keys you created on-the-fly simply because you did not hit your cues as precisely as you should (or similar things that can go wrong). So what's the point?

Other than that, people are asking far too often for some "magic" expression (which is perhaps a sign of some misguided belief or simply lack of even the slightest technical understanding?) when a much better solution sits right under there nose. I feel that it has become quite a habit to ask such questions before even considering other solutions or - in not so few cases - even learn the tools properly. You know, it's like "I am too stupid or lazy to read the manual, so somebody do my job and give me a solution and some code." and to some degree this can become annoying. This is what I meant with "trying to automate the hell out of AE". Funnily such requests most of the time come from students, hobbyists and beginners who have all the time in the world for dong their show reels while people like me resort to a more conservative and manual approach even on tight production deadlines simply because I know it will work better.

Mylenium

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