Quick Tip – How To Create An Expression-Driven Clock

Quick Tip – How To Create An Expression-Driven Clock

on Jan 24th 2013 with 13 comments
Tutorial Details
  • Requirements: After Effects
  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Run Time: 17:56 min

Final Product What You'll Be Creating

Download Source Files

In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to create an operational clock inside of After Effects by just using expressions and controllers.

Be sure to also check out:

Tutorial

Download Tutorial .mov

File size: 39.1 MB

Daniel Brodesky is Final_Step on Videohive
 
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My name is Daniel and I have been using After Effects for 3 years, creating projects for Videohive and freelancing for different clients. I'm self-taught. I love what I do and I do what I love. I learned a lot from tutorials and now I think it is time I make some of my own.  

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  • http://www.facebook.com/playplaynirmal Nagesh Kandel

    Thanks… Simple.. Cool

  • http://www.facebook.com/riz.khan.169405 Riz Khan

    in real clocks the seconds hand clicks forward mechanically rather than gliding the way your AE one does. is there a way of making it click forward using expressions?
    Great Tutorial by the way :)

    • everettoptions

      You can do that… using the Math.floor expression…

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1276834917 Charles Ewing

      Its a Rolex

    • Coon Kunsen

      Hi,

      I have made a similar watch just about a week ago and I made the following expression so the second hands only moves every 6°

      “var input = Math.floor(thisComp.layer(“minute”).transform.rotation*60);

      var check = function (x){

      if (x%6 == 0){

      return x;
      }
      else{

      return x – x%6;
      }
      };

      var output = check(input);

      [output];”

      • http://www.facebook.com/daniel.brodesky Daniel Brodesky
        Author

        Hey, I have created even a more simple expression to create such an effect :)

        Just post it onto the second’s rotation expression:

        Math.floor(thisComp.layer(“Control”).effect(“Seconds”)(“Angle”)+time*thisComp.layer(“Control”).effect(“Speed”)(“Slider”))*6

        Glad you like the tutorial guys!

  • http://www.clippingpathcenter.com/clipping-path-service.php mamun

    Nice one!!!!

  • http://www.graphicexpertsonline.com/clippingpath.html mam_raj07

    Its awesome.Thanks for sharing..

  • Coon Kunsen

    Hi,

    cool quick tipp, I’ve created a similar watch just about a week ago :)

    But I’ve made a master clockhand, so the time is always displayed correctly.

  • James

    “repositionanchorpoint”: did you use a script in this tutorial that I have to buy separately?

    • Xandercorp

      Go to aescripts.com and search for it, you can pay whatever you want for it(including nothing), if I remember correctly.

  • Andy

    Hi, this is the first time I have ever used After Effects so I probably doing something wrong. I’m stuck at the bit where you make the rectangles for the hour markers (5m31s in): when I do the ‘add repeater’ and set it to 12 that’s all good but when I set the rotation to 30˚ the rectangles don’t spread out in a nice circle like in the tutorial, they’re all bunched up and I can’t get it to work. Any ideas? Thanks

  • Ellie

    At the point where the second hand glides around, my line breaks up into four little lines. Can anyone tell me what is causing this. Im new to after effects so I’d appreciate any help.