Staggering

delayed sequential offset - WIP

Abstract

Staggering animation is one of the most common technique used in Motion Design. It's good to know this technique because you need not manually copy and paste keyframes from one layer to another and offset the timing. Instead you can animate one element, and make all the other layers reference that animation with an offset timing.

Cited sources:

Creating Trails, MotionScript, Dan Ebberts

Referencing layer index & valueAtTime

Generally, when we want to stagger or offset animations in time for a series of layers, we can make use of the layers' index number and the valueAtTime property.

Basic setup

// Copying animation of a layer, and start it at inPoint of layer
thisComp.layer(index+1).transform.position.valueAtTime(time-inPoint)

// Using delay
offset = 1;
thisComp.layer(index+1).transform.position.valueAtTime(time-offset)    

Referencing index animated layer

1

tgt = thisComp.layer("main").transform.position // target layer & prop
delay = 5; //number of frames to delay
delay*= thisComp.frameDuration*(index - 1); // convert to time

tgt.valueAtTime(time - delay)

2

// alternatively you can do it this instead

delay = framesToTime(5); //convert to time method 2
thisComp.layer(1).position.valueAtTime(time - delay)

Cascading index referencing

delay = 5; //number of frames to delay

d = delay*thisComp.frameDuration;
thisComp.layer(index - 1).position.valueAtTime(time - d)

Absolute index referencing

It is always best practice to use absolute index referencing, because you do not run the risk of your animation being affected if I were to add a new layer to the composition causing all the layers' index number. The simple way to absolute reference is to:

1. Create a Null layer or use your main animated layer, usually named "start"

2. Make sure the layers you want to offset is underneath this "start" layer

3. Get the absolute index number by subtracting the Start layer index from the layer index number

4. Now you can use that value to calculate the delay offset

var startLayer = thisComp.layer("startLayer");
var myIndex = index- startLayer.index;

delay = 5; //number of frames to delay

d = delay*thisComp.frameDuration*(myIndex - 1);
thisComp.layer(1).position.valueAtTime(time - d)

Scripts

Adding auto-orientation

strt = 0; //start time of template motion
end = 4.0; //end time of template motion

t = thisComp.layer("template");
offset = (t.effect("offset")("Slider")/100)*(index -1);
travel = linear(t.effect("travel")("Slider")/100,strt,end);
if (travel <= offset){
  vect = t.position.velocityAtTime(0);
}else{
  vect = t.position.velocityAtTime(travel - offset);
}
lookAt(position, position + vect)

Following the Null's Orientation

strt = 0; //start time of template motion
end = 4.0; //end time of template motion

t = thisComp.layer("template");
offset = (t.effect("offset")("Slider")/100)*(index -1);
travel = linear(t.effect("travel")("Slider")/100,strt,end);

u = t.toWorldVec([1,0,0],travel - offset);
v = t.toWorldVec([0,1,0],travel - offset);
w = t.toWorldVec([0,0,1],travel - offset);

sinb = clamp(w[0],-1,1);
b = Math.asin(sinb/thisComp.pixelAspect);
cosb = Math.cos(b);
if (Math.abs(cosb) > .0005){
  c = -Math.atan2(v[0],u[0]);
  a = -Math.atan2(w[1],w[2]);
}else{
  a = Math.atan2(u[1],v[1]);
  c = 0;
}
[radiansToDegrees(a),radiansToDegrees(b),radiansToDegrees(c)]

Case studies

Distance-based

Omni-directional

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;

Radial scale up staggering

nsc

// VARIABLES + SETUP
target = thisComp.layer("master").transform.scale; 
maxDist = 1000;
maxDelay = 1;

dst = length(transform.position,[thisComp.width/2,thisComp.height/2]);
delay = linear(dst,0,maxDist,0,maxDelay);

// EXECUTION
target.valueAtTime(time-delay)

OF

//apply to scale
target = thisComp.layer("fade");
fade = target.effect("scale")(1);
delay = target.effect("delay")(1)*thisComp.frameDuration;
dist = length(thisLayer.toWorld(thisLayer.anchorPoint), target.toWorld(target.anchorPoint));
seed = seedRandom(15, true)
randomRange = target.effect("random")("Slider");
rand = (random(-randomRange, randomRange))*thisComp.frameDuration;
offset = delay/dist;
s = fade.valueAtTime(time - offset - rand);
[s,s]

Effector opacity fade on

nsc

//Create a null named "EFFECTOR" 
//Add 2 Slider Control Effects renamed to "maxDist" and "delay"


// EXECUTE
target = thisComp.layer("EFFECTOR").transform
maxDist = thisComp.layer("EFFECTOR").effect("maxDist")("Slider");
maxDelay = thisComp.layer("EFFECTOR").effect("delay")("Slider");

dst = length(transform.position, target.position);
delay = linear(dst, 0, maxDist, 0, maxDelay);

// EXECUTION
target.opacity.valueAtTime(time - delay)

Double directional

This allow you to row by row staggering by separating the dimensions for measuring distances.

//user variables 
tgt = thisComp.layer("control");
delayX = 1;
delayY = 2;
distanceX = 1920;
distanceY = 400;

// logic
d1 = length(tgt.toWorld(tgt.transform.anchorPoint)[0],transform.position[0])
d2 = length(tgt.toWorld(tgt.transform.anchorPoint)[1],transform.position[1])
offsetx = linear(d1,0,distanceX,0,delayX);
offsety = linear(d2,0,distanceY,0,delayY);

//main
time-offsetx-offsety