DistributeLayers

Allows you to distribute the selected layers in 3D space.

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DistributeLayers

Version: 2.1 Sign up to be notified by email when a new version of this script is posted

This script allows you to distribute the selected layers in 3D space. In addition to offset position, you can offset rotation/scale/opacity and adds some randomness. The “Factor” parameter allows non-linear offset between layers.

: DistributeLayers UI

Version History

v2.1 (Aug 2010)
- Added Random Scale (with Uniform option)
- Added Random Opacity
- Minor bugs fixed and CS5 compatibility
v2.0 Initial release on aescripts.com (Aug 2009)

Last updated August 25th, 2010
3,543 views
Tags: 3D, CS4, CS5, Distribute, Layers

Charles Bordenave

About the author

My name is Charles Bordenave and I am currently located in France. I started working with After Effects in 2005, when I was a PhD student in computer science at Montreal. My interest quickly converged to expressions and scripting. Nowadays I'm regularly hired on a freelance basis by production studios focussed on tv broadcast, cartoon animation, motion graphics or cinema. My job usually consists of developing customized automation tools for After Effects.

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11 Comments

naimalwan (Reply to this comment)
August 12, 2009

Hi, are these properties animatable?, great script.
Lloyd (Reply to this comment)
August 12, 2009

@naim – Yes, definitely. Set keyframes once you distribute them the way you want, move to a new time and change the distribution and keyframes will be set for the new distribution.
Andy (Reply to this comment)
September 8, 2009

Hi!

Should this script work in the latest update (9.0.2.42)? I get only a empty panel when I load it into AE..
- nab (Reply to this comment)
  September 8, 2009
  
  Yes it should work.
  Are you on a Mac or Windows platform ?
  What happens when you execute the script using the ‘File > Scripts > Run Script File’ command ?
Korb (Reply to this comment)
June 7, 2010

Nice script. Was wondering if there is a possibility to set the random uniform scale? – really need it:)
John Ryan (Reply to this comment)
July 15, 2010

How come there’s no OK or apply button? How could i use this script to distribute 3d layers in 3d?
- nab (Reply to this comment)
  July 15, 2010
  
  There isn’t an Apply button because changes are applied to selected layers in real time when you move the sliders.
John Ryan (Reply to this comment)
July 15, 2010

Ah, nevermind. Just watched the tutorial on aescripts youtube channel.
John Ryan (Reply to this comment)
July 15, 2010

Thanks a lot for the script, this script is great, thank you very much!
dfred (Reply to this comment)
July 24, 2010

Hi, thanks for the script. It was working great, then all of a sudden it started deleting rotation keyframes when I distribute the position. Is there a way to get around this?

Thanks.
Hoyin (Reply to this comment)
August 10, 2010

This is the script I keep looking for, positioning layers randomly in 3D space.

I just upgrade my AE to CS5, is this script working on CS5 or will you plan to upgrade it to CS5?

Thank you.

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