pepKo mini scripts

Here are some little scripts that might save you a few clicks from time to time. They don't have any interface - you just select some objects and run the script - the easiest way to run the scripts is to hit '/' to bring up the launcher then type out the name of what you're wanting to run ie: pkmesh will run the pk_meshArray script - which converts your selected shapes into a meshArray.

They are small, in some cases just saving you a few clicks!

I'd love to add to this - maybe having a automatic updater and mini slidershow explaining what they so and how they work. Thanks.

So what are they and what do they do!

pk_compConstraint
Select a shape.
This creates a Comp Constraint and an Align Deformer and links them up so that you can move your objects around the comp while maintaining margins.

pk_measure
Select two shapes.
This adds the two shapes to a Measure layer and links that to a Number Range.

pk_pointsToPath
Select many shapes.
This will add your shapes to the Points to Path input. Take note of what order you select your shapes in.

pk_positionBlend
Select two shapes.
This adds the two shape positions to a Position Blend layer which you can then output to another shape.

pk_meshArray
Select many shapes.
This adds all your shapes to a Mesh Array, parents and also adds the Mesh Array to a Custom Shape.

pk_palette
Select many shapes with different fill colours.
This will pop up a dialog box and save a .pal file in the main directory of your Cavalry project. This can then be shared or imported into Cavalry.

pk_marko
This is a little niche - it is used to create 'time offset' arrays which are driven by markers. First create a Value Array, select it and shift click 'Marker Array' - you can now move along the time line (do this in chronological ORDER) - and click 'Marker Array' a marker will be added and linked to the array. This can be fed into a duplicator or submesh time offset Then in the expression type *-1 . This is handy if you need to sync duplicators being 'triggered' to audio etc.

pk_round
Select an attribute
This is to create a stop motion type effect - it creates a Round layer with a Frame layer piped into it. Add it to a Random seed, or add to time input on a Noise layer.

pk_listToArray
Copy a list (spreadsheet or doc) to the clipboard and then run this to turn that into a String Array. It also removes empty lines.

pk_CompTrim
If you have Pre-Comps in your scene - this script will set the in and out frames on those based on the playback range from within the comp.
I created this because it is handy to have an audio comp that runs the entire timeline - this helps you visualise your timeline better.

Turns this

to

mocko - Copy Mocha tracking from After Effects.
On large tracks this will be slow - so please save first! I'll get around to doing a UI etc one day.

After you copy the tracking position data in AE you can jump into Cavalry and run the mocKo script to create a null and create remapped keyframes on your timeline. It is simple - and only works with position.

As with all my scripts - it is a WIP. Apologies if people were thinking that this was a more featured script - maybe one day I'll add a little more such as rotation (Added a separate script that does this now) and corner pinning. But no promises.

How it works:

1) Create your track in Mocha in AE or use the point tracker. Apply it to a null and copy the positional data

2) In Cavalry - hit mocKa in the Scripts menu.

If you're using rotation and position you can select both channels in AE and copy - then bring into Cav and run the mocko +rotation script. (I'll tidy this up one day with a UI)

Issues:

Tested on Cavalry V 2.0 (2443.06)

I have noticed that if you have video that isn't an integer you might have a bit of a wobbly tracker in Cavalry. You should stick with 24,25,30 fps etc.

Make sure your FPS and compositing sizes are the same in AE and Cav

There is no error messaging in this! Super no frills.

layKo
This script takes all the selected layers and converts them into a Duplicator with an Array Distribution - saving all the positions and rotations for you.

Things to note:
If you want to animate layers and to keep the motion you'll have to use groups.
Be wary of the groups position?! You want to move the whole group and not have it positioned at 0,0! This is so falloffs will work as expected.
If you have groups - you might have to select the top level group: ie one by one for it to work correctly.

Please DM me with issues or ideas. Even though this is a basic script - it might have some issues. Consider it a WIP.
Run through - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDRejBcj6I0

pinko
pinKo is a Cavalry script that allows you to create swinging animation easily. This is a basic run through - and should be enough to get you started.

Tutorial

1. Select your object you want to swing.
2. Go to the scripts menu and select pinKo.
3. Animate the newly created null.
4. Sit back and enjoy the swinging motion.

Tips

1. Adjust the spring damping for more intense results.
2. If you put it in a Duplicator, be sure to Filter Position

impoko - PhotoshopToSpline - Cavalry import
This is just a beta - make sure you have the latest Photoshop installed. Please let me know if you have issues. (Some people have reported it working on Mac / some haven't!)
This is two scripts that allow you to export PNGs and a JSON file and then import into Cavalry. Super basic - no real error checking. Just works with layer positions. Blend modes are Screen, Multiply, Linear Dodge. Guides work on PC. Basic. It is basic!