Below are code used in my YouTube tutorials for your reference and usage. This page
Phyllotaxis
//theta
var myIndex = index - thisComp.layer("controls").index;
var a = 137.508
var theta = degreesToRadians(myIndex * a);
theta
//position
var myIndex = index - thisComp.layer("controls").index;
var s = thisComp.layer("controls").effect("Spacing")("Slider");
var theta = effect("theta")("Slider");
x = s * Math.sqrt(myIndex) * Math.cos(theta);
y = s * Math.sqrt(myIndex) * Math.sin(theta);
[x, y] + [thisComp.width, thisComp.height] / 2
// Circle Size
var theta = effect("theta")("Slider");
var minSize = thisComp.layer("controls").effect("Min Size")("Slider");
var maxSize = thisComp.layer("controls").effect("Max Size")("Slider");
var maxRange = thisComp.layer("controls").effect("Distance Range")("Slider");
var sizeFactor = linear(theta, 0, maxRange, minSize, maxSize) / 100;
var s = thisComp.layer("controls").effect("Size")("Slider");
[s, s] * sizeFactor;
// Fill Color
var theta = effect("theta")("Slider");
var interval = thisComp.layer("controls").effect("Color Interval")("Slider");
var numColor = thisComp.layer("colors")("Effects").numProperties;
var colorIndex = Math.ceil(theta / interval) % numColor + 1;
thisComp.layer("colors").effect(colorIndex)("Color")
Best Motion Trails in After Effects
Wavey sine wave motion
// apply to X position after separating dimensions
var vel = effect("waveSpeed")("Slider")*Math.PI*2;
var amp = effect("waveHeight")("Slider");
var offset =Math.PI*2*degreesToRadians(effect("phase")("Angle"));
// main
var v = amp* Math.sin(time*vel+offset);
v + value;
createPath Motion Trails
//setup
var l = effect("Layer Control")("Layer");
var dur = effect("trailLength")("Slider");
var pts = [];
// calculate the trail length in frame numbers
var currentFrame = timeToFrames(time);
var trailLength = currentFrame - dur;
// main: generate the points from the current time
for (i = currentFrame; i > trailLength; i--) {
t = framesToTime(i)
ap = l.toWorld(l.transform.anchorPoint, t);
ap -= [thisComp.width, thisComp.height] / 2;
pts.push(ap);
}
// create the path using the points
createPath(pts, [], [], 0)
Scaling Radial Grid
Parent/Child Link without scale inheritance
ps = parent.transform.scale.value;
s = value[0]*100/ps[0];
[s,s]
Aim Constraint
target = thisComp.layer("controls"); // set this to the layer to aim at
p = thisLayer.toWorld(anchorPoint) - target.position;
radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(p[1], p[0])) - 90
Cyberpunk tech lines
// user variables
var pts = 50;
var pos = [0, 100];
var seed = 50;
// declaration
var x, y; // coordinates
var c, mul; // direction changer
var vertices = [[0, 0]]; // create first point
// vertices array
for (i = 1; i <= pts; i++) {
seedRandom(i + seed, true);
c = random(); // create random num between 0 to 1
c > 0.5 ? mul = 1 : mul = -1; // change direction
oldEle = vertices[i - 1]; // get previous vertice
y = random(pos[0], pos[1]);
x = y * mul;
// conditional: if even, go diagonal. If odd, go straight
if (i % 2 == 0) {
vertices[i] = oldEle + [x, y];
} else {
vertices[i] = oldEle + [0, y];
}
}
createPath(vertices, [], [], 0);
// user variables
var pts = effect("pts")("Slider");
var pos = [effect("min_y")("Slider"), effect("max_y")("Slider")];
var seed = effect("seed")("Slider");
// get random point on first path
seedRandom(seed,true);
var myPath = content("main").path;
var myPathpts = myPath.points().length;
var myRandPt = Math.floor(random(myPathpts));
var mySelectedPt = myPath.points()[myRandPt];
// declaration
var x, y // coordinates
var c, mul // direction changer
var vertices = [mySelectedPt] // create first point
// vertices array
for (i = 1; i <= pts; i++) {
seedRandom(i + seed, true);
c = random(); // create random num between 0 to 1
c > 0.5 ? mul = 1 : mul = -1; // change direction
oldEle = vertices[i - 1] // get previous vertice
y = random(pos[0], pos[1]);
x = y * mul;
// conditional: if even, go diagonal. If odd, go straight
if (i % 2 == 0) {
vertices[i] = oldEle + [x, y];
} else {
vertices[i] = oldEle + [0, y];
}
}
createPath(vertices, [], [], 0);
Radial Delay Rig
tgt = thisComp.layer("control");
// d = length(L.transform.position, transform.position);
d = length(thisLayer.toWorld(transform.anchorPoint), tgt.toWorld(tgt.transform.anchorPoint));
delay = thisComp.layer("control").effect("maxDelay")("Slider");
offset = linear(d,0,2000,0,delay);
time-offset;
Buck Apeel Circle Ripple
Ensure you have the following
ring shape layer Slider Controls : size,copies, radius (anchorpoint-Y), myIndex
null layer named "controls" with Slider Controls : circle_size, circle_spacing, ring_base_size, ring_spacing, dur
null layer named "colors" with Color Controls x 3
Auto-copies
cir = 2*Math.PI *effect("radius")("Slider"); // circumference of circle
n = thisComp.layer("controls").effect("circle_spacing")("Slider"); // max size of a circle
Math.floor(cir/n) // round down the results
myIndex = effect("myIndex")("Slider");
c = thisComp.layer("controls");
int = c.effect("ring_spacing")("Slider");
base = c.effect("ring_base_size")("Slider");
s = myIndex*int;s+ base;
Auto-alternate color
myIndex = effect("myIndex")("Slider");
num = myIndex %3+1;
thisComp.layer("color").effect(num)("Color")
seed = 10; // connect to slider
n = 50; // connect to slider
m = b = ''
for(i=0;i<n;i++){
seedRandom(seed+i,true);
b = Math.round(random());
m += b;
}
Vucko — From Nothing to Something
Random flickering
// apply this to your Time Remap property of your Sprite render
seed = 20; // option:connect to a slider
segMin = .5; //minimum segment duration
segMax = .8; //maximum segment duration
flickerDurMin = 1;
flickerDurMax = 5;
end = 0;
j = 0;
while ( time >= end){
j += 1;
seedRandom(j,true);
start = end;
end += random(segMin,segMax);
}
flickerDur = random(flickerDurMin,flickerDurMax);
if (time > end - flickerDur){
seedRandom(j+69+seed,true);
random(outPoint);
}else{
seedRandom(j+seed,true);
random(outPoint);
}
// original expression from Dan EbbertyVelocity = 200; //pixels per second
Change Log
2021: Initial publish
2024.09.27: Added introduction, moved troubleshooting guide to a separate page
