How To Loop Animation In After Effects

Using the loop expression in Adobe After Effects.

Today we're talking about one of the most useful expressions in Later on Effects, the loop expression. This tutorial and commodity will share everything y'all need to know to become started with creating loops in Afterwards Effects. So buckle upward and grab notebook, it's Groundhog Twenty-four hours at School of Motion.

LET'Due south Go A LITTLE LOOPY…

To help explain the benefits of the loop expression, nosotros've put together a tutorial that will walk y'all through some real-globe uses of loops.

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What is the Loop Expression?

A loop expression does exactly what the name implies, it loops a serial of keyframes. Even so, at that place's a lot more to the loop expression than just cycling betwixt the first and last keyframes. Loops can aid a ton when working with walk cycles, logo reveals, groundwork design, and more.

EXAMPLES OF LOOP EXPRESSIONS

• loopOut();loopIn("pingpong");
• loopOut("offset",2);
• loopOutDuration("cycle",3);

LOOP EXPRESSION BREAKDOWN

A loop expression can be broken up into 3 singled-out parts: The Property, Loop Blazon, and Modifier. Understanding each function is of import for getting the virtually out of your loops. So we're going to talk nearly each part in excruciating heady detail.

LOOP PROPERTY

There are technically four different types of loop expression properties merely we'll take about the other two at the lesser of this post. The main 2 properties that you lot volition desire to know about are the loopOut and loopIn backdrop. Both loop backdrop substantially practice the verbal same thing with one key difference:

• loopOut(); Loops across the last keyframe
• loopIn(); Loops before the first keyframe

Both have their own potential use-cases, but for 90% of the projects that y'all work on yous'll want to use the loopOut property.

The Loop Types

Not all loops are created equal. There are really four different types of loops that can modify the way your loop works in After Effects. To modify your loop type all you lot accept to do is add together "loopname" to the inside of your parentheses. Similar this: loopOut("pingpong");

Hither's a breakup of each loop type:

CYCLE

Examples:

• loopOut(); or loopOut("bicycle");
• loopIn(); or loopIn("cycle");

The cycle loop simply repeats your keyframes forever and always. One time a loop approaches the concluding keyframe it will jump right back to the first keyframe. By default a loop property without a type divers will be a cycle.

PINGPONG

Examples:

• loopOut("pingpong");
• loopIn("pingpong");

As the name implies the "pingpong" loop type goes dorsum and forth between your first and concluding keyframe. From showtime to end and finish to start, over and over over again.

Get-go

Examples:

• loopOut("first");
• loopIn("outset");

The Offset loop type simply builds on itself by adding or subtracting the ending value from the starting value and applying the deviation to your final or opening keyframes. That caption is admittedly confusing, but merely look at the instance above. Every bit y'all can see the offset continues the loops movement without reverting back to the original kickoff value. In my opinion the Start loop blazon is the nearly powerful and potentially useful loop blazon, just it never gets the love it deserves.

CONTINUE

Examples:

• loopOut("continue");
• loopIn("continue");

The "continue" loop type is really specific, just it's notwithstanding pretty cool. Essentially the continue loop continues the speed/value of the last keyframe. So if your loop ended with a rotation speed of 30 degrees a second that speed would continue beyond the terminal keyframe. Cypher else happens, only continued inertia... forever. #NewtonsFirstLawofMotion

Note: You can see a visual representation of the continued movement of the loop in the graph editor (chosen the mail expression graph) by selecting the minor graph push to the left of the expression window.

Statement MODIFIER

The last thing that you can add to your loop expressions is an argument modifier. While the name sounds really scary it's really not that difficult to understand. Essentially an argument modifier volition tell After Effects which keyframes you lot want to loop. For case, if you lot had a sequence with five keyframes y'all could tell Subsequently Furnishings but to loop the last 2. This is done by only adding a comma and a number.

The number tells Later on Upshot how many keyframes should exist included in the modified loop. For instance, a loopOut belongings with a modifier of 1 will only include ii total keyframes: the last keyframe and the one before it. Here's a few examples and so we're on the same page:

• loopOut("pingpong",1); - Will loop between the last 2 keyframes
• loopIn("offset",2); - Will loop between the first 3 keyframes.

Modifiers are actually really easy to use one time you lot get the hang of them. Modifiers can but be practical to the cycle, pingpong, and offset loop types.

Elapsing LOOP PROPERTY

Case:

• loopInDuration("pingpong",2);
• loopOutDuration("first", 4);

Lastly we should talk near 2 different types of loop properties: loopInDuration(); and loopOutDuration();. Both backdrop act in a very like style to the loopIn(); and loopOut(); properties, but with one key difference:

Duration Loop Backdrop volition loop based on fourth dimension (seconds) when an argument modifier is practical to it. (That was a nerdy sentence...)

Basically if yous add a comma and a number after your duration loop belongings your expression will loop based on seconds instead of keyframes. I don't find this blazon of loop to be very helpful in a lot of cases, simply it'south there and now you know about it.

SEE Y'all Subsequently! SEE YOU LATER! SEE Y'all LATER! Run into Yous Afterward! (Information technology'S A LOOP...Become It?)

Hopefully you feel ready to add loops to your side by side After Furnishings project. Loops really are a fantastic tool that tin save yous a lot of time. If you desire to larn more most Afterwards Effects or Move Design cheque out our weblog where we regularly post exhilarating tutorials.

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Source: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/loop-expression-after-effects

Posted by: donaldmarome.blogspot.com

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