After Effects Expressions

Links a text or other property to a Slider Control on a control layer.

if (thisComp.layer("Checkbox").effect("Checkbox Control")("Checkbox") == 1) {
  "Visible"
} else {
  "Hidden"
}

Automatically converts all characters in the text layer to uppercase.

text.sourceText.toUpperCase()

Returns the total number of characters in the text.

text.sourceText.length

Adds custom text to the name of the current composition.

var slider = thisComp.layer("Controller").effect("Slider")("Slider");
"Value: " + Math.round(slider)

Returns the index position of the layer in the timeline.

thisLayer.index

Displays the current composition time up to two decimals.

time.toFixed(2)

Rounds the value of a slider to the nearest whole number.

Math.round(effect("Slider Control")("Slider"))

Converts the current time into a frame number.

"Frame: " + timeToFrames(time)

Appends a new line to existing text using the newline character.

value + "\nNext line"

Shows default text if the original source is empty.

if (text.sourceText == "") "No Text" else text.sourceText

Counts the number of words in the text layer.

text.sourceText.split(" ").length

Returns the first character of the text layer.

text.sourceText.charAt(0)

Displays the current version of After Effects.

"AE v" + app.version

Adds 10 to the value of a slider control.

parseInt(effect("Slider")("Slider")) + 10

Displays both comp name and current layer index.

thisComp.name + " – Layer " + index

Applies a basic wiggle expression for organic motion.

wiggle(3, 20)

Loops the keyframes in a continuous cycle.

loopOut("cycle")

Creates a left/right sine wave movement.

freq = 2;
amp = 30;
wave = Math.sin(time * freq) * amp;
value + [wave, 0]

Delays the animation by 0.1 seconds.

valueAtTime(time - .1)

Adds randomness to the layer's position.

value + random([-50, 50])

Moves from 0 to 100 over 5 seconds linearly.

loopType = "pingpong";
loopOut(loopType);

Creates eased animation between values over 1 second.

ease(time, 0, 1, 0, 100)

Links the X position to another layer while keeping Y intact.

temp = thisComp.layer("Null 1").transform.position; [temp[0], value[1]]

Calculates the speed of the layer’s motion.

velocityAtTime(time - thisComp.frameDuration)

Applies oscillation using sine for bounce effect.

freq = 2; amp = 30; sin(time*freq)*amp

Creates vertical bouncing animation.

value + [0, Math.sin(time*5)*20]

Adds horizontal jitter on even-numbered frames.

timeToFrames(time) % 2 == 0 ? value : value + [10, 0]

Moves layer 100px after 3 seconds.

if (time < 3) value else value + [100, 0]

Applies wave effect to scale.

value * (Math.sin(time * 2) + 1)

Returns horizontal component of speed.

thisProperty.velocityAtTime(time - thisComp.frameDuration)[0]

Multiplies time for progressive values.

time * 50

Oscillates value using sine.

Math.sin(time)

Creates pulsating animation from 0 to 1.

Math.abs(Math.sin(time * 2))

Reverses animation back and forth forever.

loopOut("pingpong")

Transitions from 0 to 1 in 10 seconds.

startTime = 0;
endTime = 5;
startVal = 0;
endVal = 100;
linear(time, startTime, endTime, startVal, endVal)

Repeats an eased transition every second.

ease(time % 1, 0, 1, 0, 100)

Snaps time to the nearest whole frame.

framesToTime(timeToFrames(time))

Limits animation to 5 FPS.

posterizeTime(5); value

Generates a consistent random value per layer.

seedRandom(index); random()

Alternates value between 0 and 100 every second.

Math.floor(time) % 2 ? 100 : 0

Creates cosine wave animation.

t = time % 5;
if (t < 1){
  100
} else {
  0
}

Shows value for 1 second every 5 seconds.

time % 5 < 1 ? 100 : 0

Maps sine wave to range 0-100.

linear(Math.sin(time), -1, 1, 0, 100)

Scales time-based animation with slider.

time * effect("Speed")("Slider")

Eased pulsing every 2 seconds.

ease(time % 2, 0, 2, 50, 150)