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Layer Random Shifter
Version: 2.1 Sign up to be notified by email when a new version of this script is posted
Randomly shifts the selected layers in time within user defined range. Download includes 2 scripts: one for AE7 and one for CS3 and above with a dockable panel.
This script is used as part of the Cinematic Opening Title Redux tutorial on Aetuts+
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- LayerRandomShifter_v2.0 UI
Version History
- 2.1 – Fixed prefs bug – April 2011
- 2.0 – Added Snap to Frame option – March 2011
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not quite sure how to define the parameters. ( ie randomize in 15 frame range)
great script
The script works on a random range. The default is -60 for the minimum and 30 for the maximum. That means that the layers will be randomly shifted up to 60 frames backwards and 30 frames forward. To randomize in a 15 frame range you can set min 0 and max 15 to only have the frame be shifted forward or -7 and 7 to have some shifted backward and some shiftedforward.
Thanks for the update!
mad brilliant…
maybe make another button to combine with sort by in point after it’s been randomized. I like my random organized.
great stuff – this all makes AE fun to play with!
Cool script!
It would be also nice to shift layers for a “n” amount of frames depending on the layer before.
Like for example:
layer 1 time 00:00:00 -> i tell 25 frames shifting so
layer 2 time 00:01:00
layer 3 time 00:02:00
layer 4 time 00:03:00 and so on!
Hey Francesco,
Check out Paul Tuersley’s Shift Selected Layers>
Hello!
Great script!
I tried to use it to shift 500 “brushes” in the painting effect but it only works for layers. Is it possible to change this a little bit so it can shift some “brush layers”?
Thanks
Norman
Your scripts have seriously stepped up my game-thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you very, VERY much.
Just a heads up that v1.1 is missing “app.beginUndoGroup(“”)” function. You have end only in there.
Thanks for catching that. Fixed.
OMG.
omg.
thank you.
Great script!
I’m using it in so many ways.
One question only,
could we have no-overlap-while-randomizing option?
Like, for example, when I edit few clips and create full sequence it would be most interesting to randomize their order while maintaining final length. Or something like that..
sorry, how can i downld this script
@boykaa – You add the script to the cart first, then once you check out the script will be immediately available for download. You can add several scripts to the cart if you want before you checkout.
Wow, I had 560 layers to shift up to 180 frames. As you can imagine this script REALLY came in handy!
Hi
either all you guys are using macs and im the first person using windows to install the script or i’ve done something wrong… i know which one i think it is
I slipped the script in the ScriptUI Panels folder.
when I choose to run the script all I get is the RandomLayersShifter Frame open, but with nothing in it.
There are 2 scripts in this download. Only the CS3 version has a dockable panel. Is that the one you are trying to install and run?
I installed the wrong script into my ScriptsUI Panels folder. I’m running CS4 and installed LayerRandomShifter1.0.jsx.
For CS3 and above I should have installed the LayerRandomShifter1.1-CS3_and_above.jsx script instead of the LayerRandomShifter1.0.jsx. (both come with the download).
fantastic script, now that it works
Hi, I put in the CS3 and above version into my ScriptUI Panel but nothing is showing in my AE4. I tried putting it into the Scripts folder directly but when I run the script from within AE I get an error. Please help? Thanks.
When you install the script in the ScriptUI Panels folder you run it from the Window menu, not the scripts menu. What error are you getting when you run it from the Scripts menu?
Yes, I have tried putting it in the ScriptUI Panels folder, but it doesn’t show up in my Window menu. So I tried putting it directly into the Scripts folder and I get this error: ‘Unable to get size of a directory.’
However the script does work fine on my colleague’s AE CS4, so I’m not sure what’s going on? Thanks for your very prompt response!
Sounds like you might have something going on with your AE install. Is reinstalling an option? I bet you that will fix things. That error:
Ok, that’s a great suggestion, I’ll try that. Thanks again for being so amazingly prompt!
3QU, I’m an amateur !
your spirit is the Greate
Any chance this will be updated for CS5 in the near future?
It works perfectly in CS5. Just added the badge to officially certify it.
Hi Lloyd, when I run the script the layers are distributed with sub-frame accuracy, they are not landing exactly on whole frames. This is giving me some problems because I am using time remaping with linear keyframes that switch to hold keyframes. When the layer shifter puts the layer at say frame 10.3 I see a flash of frame 10 before the hold keyframe at frame 11. Maybe a check box to force whole numbers or the ability to type in your frame rate before you randomize?
Check out v2.0 that I just uploaded. It now has a “Snap to Frame” option that will make sure the layers are shifted to land on whole frames.
That did it! Your script turned an hour of tedium into about 30 seconds of work.
It would be cool if you gave finer control over the number of layers selected. Perhaps a percentage? Also, it would be helpful if there was an option so that no two consecutive layers are selected.
You can enter decimals to have as fine of a control as you’d like. Not sure what you mean by an option to not have two consecutive layers selected. The script works with pre-selected layers.
installed as a ui panel in my layout, and when i installed the latest version, i get an error “unable to execute script at line 145. After effects error: the section name and key (aescripts, layerrandomshiftermax) could not be found in the preferences”…any ideas how to fix?
There was a bug which I’ve fixed. Please the new version which has this bug fixed.
Unfortunately, today, the 1st time I installed the script in Scripts UI folder (because I’m using CS4) and I got “Unable to execute script at line 145. Execution halted”. Although the script still does it’s job after that.
Unfortunately, today, the 1st time I installed the script in Scripts UI folder (because I
Are you still having a problem. Tested on CS4 here and don’t see any issues. Are you on ma or windows?