Tutorial 51: Flavor Text

Joe Clay | Dec 30, 2016

In this week's tutorial, we look at a cool way to use an expression to make "flavor text" or loading text, like when your computer is searching or installing something.

Here's the expression code used in the tutorial:

//Apply to position
t = time-inPoint;
offset = Math.floor((t/thisComp.frameDuration)/7)*37;
[value[0],value[1]-offset];

This technique is foundational for a couple of ideas regarding expressions—it shows you how to make things happen every few frames, rather than every frame, and it shows you how to use an offset to move things depending upon which block of time you're in. So this technique can be applied to many other things if you're willing to experiment!