"sequence layers" in timeline

Question

Level 1

4 points

"sequence layers" in timeline

Hi,

I was wondering if there is a way to move multiple objects in the timeline relative to each other.

In AE there is a function called "Sequence Layers" where you can set the duration and the offset from one layer to the other.

The result should look something like this:

I'm always doing it by hand:

1. select all and move by x Frames

2. deselect the first

3. move the others by x Frames

4. deselect the first

5. and so on

There's gotta be a faster way, but I just can't find it …

I hope someone knows, I've got a chart with 40 Bars and it's already driving me crazy 😕

Thanks in advance for your help!

Stefan

PS: I'm using Motion 5.1.2

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Jul 27, 2015 9:57 AM

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Answer 1

Jul 27, 2015 11:15 PM in response to stefan_c4

there's a Sequence Behavior in M5 ...:

step #1

I'm using here a blue square, but could be a video clip too!

select it and hit L to make it a Replicator

steo #2

in the Replicator settings I choose Square, Fill and 6x6 (that's close to 40 😉 )

as Origin I choose lower left corner

step #3

Now in Behaviors/Replicator there's a Sequence Replicator, set Opacity to 0%

=>> 36 squares appear, one after the other, starting lower left ...

fast and easy, play with the settings while playback...

no keyframes, no copying, no tracks 😉

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Answer 2

stefan_c4 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 28, 2015 5:56 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Hi Karsten,

thanks for your answer! Unfortunately I think that's not what I am looking for.

"Sequence layers" was probably a bit misleading – that's just what the function is called in AE.

As far as I understand it, the replicator is there to replicate one object with the possibility to add variation to it.

Maybe this example explains the problem better:

I've got a lot of different shapes that are animated the same way. Every shape starts at scale 0 and grows to 100%

So I set a keyframe at frame 0 (scale 0%) and another keyframe at frame 20 (scale 100%)

Now I don't want to fire the animation for all of the shapes the same time, I want them to overlap like this:

- Shape 1 starts at frame 0

- Shape 2 starts at frame 10

- Shape 3 starts at frame 20 (shape 1 has now finished)

- Shape 4 starts at frame 30 (shape 2 has now finished)

- …

I can move every shape by 10 Frames individually, but is there a way to offset them all at once relative to each other?

I need to have full control over all the other properties so I can still animate single objects when needed …

Thx again!

Stefan

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Answer 3

Jul 28, 2015 2:20 PM in response to stefan_c4

then try to 'transfer' Mark's suggestions in this free tutorial

https://youtu.be/TmXjnB0sNMw

yes, it's about a video-wall - but that is just a different 'arrangement' to yours.

The magic is using the pics in a pre-made 'clip' and then work with the OFFSET settings of the replicator ...

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Answer 4

BenB

Level 6

12,097 points

Jul 29, 2015 9:26 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

No, that's not what he's asking. He wants to stagger the clips in the timeline to start at a specific time after each other. No, there's no way I'm aware of to automatically do this to video clips as you want. There is a way to do this with photos, that are a short duration, but they stagger to start when the first one stops.

But that video should help you achieve a similar effect, possibly. Problem is all clips will start at the same time, no way to stagger when one starts after the other like you want, unless you do it manually. AFAIK.

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Answer 5

Aug 2, 2015 4:26 AM in response to stefan_c4

<pling> jetzt ist der Groschen gefallen .... 😁

ok, had a diff., wrong imagination what's hapening on your Monitor....Now I got (me think......)

No, aside some keyboard artistic aka keyboard shot-cuts >>link to Manual/shortcuts

I'm of no help

What finally kills my suggestions, is this.... :

I need to have full control over all the other properties so I can still animate single objects when needed …

Replicators can be set to appear one after the other - but all the same and replicated= same same; but you handle several different objects PLUS not in a 'herding' way, but individually ... which is a contradiction to 'replication' ....

' think for such elaborated compositing tasks, M5 isn't the best choce ... or, as you found your workflow, 'offers room for improvement' ....

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Answer 6

BenB

Level 6

12,097 points

Aug 2, 2015 8:20 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

There is a way to import stills and stager them automatically, but I'm not sure it works with video the way you want it to. I've not use that in a long time, but I'll test it out and see. Will post back soon.

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Answer 7

stefan_c4 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 10, 2015 8:25 AM in response to stefan_c4

Sorry for my late reply – been on vacation 😁

Thanks for your efforts but it seems that there's no way to automate this.

I've moved all the clips in the timeline by hand (w/ shortcuts – thx! 😉) and was lucky that the timing was good at the first try 🙂

would be a nice feature for further releases 😊

Thx, Stefan

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Answer 8

BenB

Level 6

12,097 points

Aug 11, 2015 4:18 PM in response to stefan_c4

OK, try this.

1- Go to the Preferences > Project > Default Layer Duration. Set that to the duration you desire each new layer to take up.

2- Same place, set Create Layers At to Current Frame.

3- Go to the File Browser (Command-1) and find your photos.

4- Select all the photos (or videos) you want to use.

5- Drag them to the Timeline pane, over the Timeline (not the layer headers), and wait a second. You'll see an option pop-up menu to Composite or Sequence. Select Sequential.

This will do what you want, mostly. They will each be the duration set in Preferences, and be staggered one after the other. Then you can select the top most layer, place your playhead where it should end, hit the O key (letter O, not number 0). Down arrow key to select the next layer, O again, repeat as necessary.