A step forward in the ability to make a big difference. Suddenly, the future doesn’t seem so far away.
If you don’t read my last post about plugging ChatGPT into Adobe After Effects, here’s the summary: it’s going to be a novice user’s master. While graphic artists have been shaken by AI automation, this is an example of upskilling to pave the way for better art.
When I asked ChatGPT to help me create motion graphics in After Effects, I was amazed. It has no problem generating complex, custom expressions. After Effects’ expression system uses JavaScript. However, it can only affect the parameters of a single value: for example, position, scale and rotation. To do it further, you’ll need a full .jsx script.
GPT-4 was able to go one step further. I was able to use it to create workable scripts for After Effects. Check out my example below.
A simple scenario
“Can you write a .jsx script for Adobe After Effects to duplicate the selected shape layer and add a shake function in place of the copied layer?”
GPT-4 gave me the code and told me to save it as a .jsx file. Also, it knew that I might want to customize the wiggle function, so it also took the initiative to explain that:
The script will duplicate the selected shape layer(s) and apply wobble to the position property of the copied layer(s). Note that the wiggle expression wiggle(3, 50) represents the frequency of shaking 3 times per second and the amplitude of 50 pixels. You can adjust these values as needed.
Notably, it only affects the shape layer in my layout. Even if I select my text layer as well, it won’t affect it (just throw a warning before completing the task). This means that the user can select the entire layout, but only the shape layers are affected.
One step on
Next, I want to create a script for something that all motion graphics animators find uncomfortable. I want to create and place layers in a circle, evenly spaced. Unlike InDesign, After Effects has no visual system for this.
Can you write another .jsx script for Adobe After Effects that pops up a dialog asking the user to enter a number between 2-12? The script will then take that number and copy the selected layer. It will then move the position of the copied layers into a circle so that the layer’s anchor points are evenly distributed around the circle. The radius of the circle should be 300 pixels.
Can you add one more user input field to the dialog, asking the user for the radius of the circle?
An active dialog and following a natural language conversation. This is a huge step up from ChatGPT-3’s capabilities and could mark a new era of custom automation for motion designers and animators.
A brief example of usefulness
I have a good friend who works with After Effects on a daily basis. They create custom animations for brands that are then displayed on screen at an event venue. Parts of their work were automated with her custom After Effects expressions.
With more robust script automation, they can do the following:
- Rework animations for different screen ratios.
- Point After Effects to a client-branded server, for fast turnaround rendering.
- Automatically change animation color according to customer’s brand color.
Among the many responsibilities, they still need to work with brands to create something to their liking and still need to make sure the whole process is up to standard. I don’t think they’re going to lose their jobs anytime soon, but they might put away a few hours a week doing regular animation.
Has anyone worked with GPT-4 on their creative efforts? Please let us know about your projects in the comments section below.
