PHENAKISTOSCOPE IT!
./utils
./utils
What is a Phenakistoscope?
MAGIC DISC for everyone!
A phenakistoscope is a pre-cinematographic optical toy invented in the late 1830s. It is a spinning disk with a series of sequential pictures that, when viewed through slits, creates the illusion of motion.
Phenakistoscope.jsx
It is an After Effects script that automates the process of preparing layers in a way that appears as if it is a Phenakistoscope
How does the script work?
1. Choose your desired animated or non-animated layers. Better if they are no longer than 30 frames.
2. Click the wheel.
3. The script will create a new comp called "chop" with the same duration and framerate as the selected layers.
4. It will create a 2000x2000px comp and duplicate "chop" in a circle.
5. It will add a hold frame to the time remap of each "chop" and animate the rotation of a Null parent object from 0 to 360 degrees, giving us the movement sensation as if it were a Phenakistiscope.
6. Some original positions may shift in "chop" and require readjustment.
The framerate and duration of some layers may also change in "chop" and require adjustment of the last keyframes.
Disclaimer
This script is provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied and in no event shall the author be held liable for any damages arising in any way from the use of this script.
This is an experimental script with deficiencies and redundancies, soo it may not always work as expected. Adjustments may be needed in After Effects after running the script.
Feel free to improve the code* and share it with the community! Thanks to the great Creative Cow Community, Adobe forums, and Github over the years and thanks to Tomas Sinkunas (renderTom.com) for his script “Image mouseEvent listener” and his magic on scriptUi.
*Directive: You may adapt, modify and expand the code as long as it is non-commercially.