Loop Anything (Animations & Video) Forever in After Effects

Loop Anything (Animations & Video) Forever in After Effects

Animating graphics and videos are popular tasks in Adobe After Effects. One helpful technique is to loop these animations infinitely. Below are several methods to loop your animations forever using different expressions and techniques.

Looping Basic Animations

To loop any animated graphic you have, follow these steps:

1. Alt-click the Stopwatch: Next to your keyframes in After Effects, Alt-click the stopwatch to access expressions.
2. Enter the Expression: Type the following expression to loop the animation: loopOut("cycle"). This ensures the animation loops forever.

Looping Back and Forth

Sometimes you might need your animation to loop back and forth. For this, modify the loopOut expression:

1. Add Pingpong: To add a back-and-forth looping effect, add the "pingpong" parameter: loopOut("pingpong").

Looping Animations with Incremental Offsets

Another option is to loop animations in increments, which can be useful for continuous directional animations:

1. Use Offset: Apply the following expression for an incremental loop: loopOut("offset").

Looping Videos and Entire Compositions

To loop entire videos or compositions, use the Time Remapping feature:

1. Enable Time Remapping: Right-click the layer you want to loop, go to Time, and select "Enable Time Remapping."
2. LoopOut Expression: Type your desired loopOut expression, such as loopOut("cycle") or loopOut("pingpong").

Additional Resources

Additionally, for more templates and to enhance your work, be sure to check out a free template pack provided by the creators.

Keywords

• After Effects
• Loop Animations
• Time Remapping
• loopOut Expression
• Infinite Loop
• Pingpong
• Offset

FAQ

1. What is the purpose of the loopOut expression in After Effects?

   • The loopOut expression allows you to loop your animations infinitely based on the parameters you provide, such as "cycle," "pingpong," or "offset."

2. How do you make an animation loop back and forth in After Effects?

   • To make an animation loop back and forth, use the expression loopOut("pingpong").

3. Can you loop an entire video or composition in After Effects?

   • Yes, you can loop an entire video or composition by enabling Time Remapping, then applying the appropriate loopOut expression.

4. What does the offset parameter do in the loopOut expression?

   • The offset parameter in the loopOut expression continues your animation in the same direction by incrementally adding the animation loop.

5. Is there any resource for free After Effects templates?

   • Yes, you can get a pack of 100 free templates through a provided link on the creators' page.