Go to the Wiggle text expression and select just the 2. Click the twirly for Slider Control to see the stopwatch. Select the wiggle control layer in the timeline, and type E to reveal the Slider Control effect.

Rename the Null “wiggle control” and then apply the effect “Sliders Control” (in the Expressions Controls category). We are going to use the null with the original position wiggle we created on the Wiggle text (above).įrom the Layer Menu select New and then Null Object. For AE newbies, a null is an object that doesn’t render that we can use to control other layers. What if you don’t want the layer wiggling constantly? A common technique is to add an expressions control to a null layer so we can keyframe the wiggle. If you want to learn about creating expressions, check out: JJGifford, MotionScript and Gray Machine. Wiggle only in y (vertical): org=value temp=wiggle (5,50) ,temp] Ĭopy this text into your After Effects project and you’re done!įor more After Effects expressions check out motion-graphics-exchange and. Wiggle only in x (horizontal): org=value temp=wiggle (5,50) ,org] This is the expression they have for ‘wiggle in one dimension’: I went to (an online resource for After Effects expressions), and searched for “wiggle one dimension”. What if you want to wiggle just the x or y position? This expression is a little more complicated, but you don’t have to write it. If we had done this with keyframes, every time the client wanted changes we would have to change the keyframes – not fun! Wiggling One Dimension If you want to modify the wiggle simply change the numbers. Type wiggle(2,50). This expression states that twice a second the text should wiggle 50 pixels on the x & y axis – the first number is how many times a second, the 2nd is the amount of pixel movement. The text turns Red, telling you there is an expression applied. Option (Mac) or Alt (PC) click on the stopwatch to create the expression. I want the position of this text to wiggle, so select the text layer and hit P to open the Position Transform properties. The Wiggle Expression in After Effectsįor this example I created the word ‘wiggle’ from text. Instead of creating a bunch of keyframes to make a layer randomly move, we can do this with a couple of numbers. Wiggle is one of the most popular After Effects expressions, as it is easy to use and visually interesting.

If you’ve ever seen animations where light is flickering or a camera shakes, it’s likely you’ve seen the wiggle expression in action. When you understand them they really aren’t scary and can end up saying you a lot of time. In this post we’ll show you how to create wiggle easily by modifying numbers…not keyframes.Įditors sometime cringe at the word expressions, but have no fear. Use an expression to create random movement with the wiggle expression in After Effects.

Wiggle expression in after effects