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415-462-1982

Notes:

• This is even easier to do with Profound Effects Useful Things.
• You can do this project in AE 5.0, too, but you won't be able to open the project

I spent many an hour at Grandma's house playing with the Spirograph® as a child. Remember what happens when you move the pen too fast and the pins come out of the board (yes, I had the old one with those dangerous push pins!) Remember when your pen ran out of ink and you had to find another with a tip skinny enough to fit through the hole!

You can play Spirograph® in AE without worrying about stabbing your lap or running out of ink! It animates on and you can control many of the aspects of your flower, without changing wheels!

Instructions

1. Open the project file, or start your own comp. My comp is 720x540, 30fps, black background, and 2 seconds long.
2. Create a new layer - layer > new solid. Make it any color you like, but make it the same size as your comp. Call the layer "Spirograph".
3. We're going to apply an expression to the Brush Position setting.Twirl down the write-on effect in your time line and select it. You can either go to Animation > Add Expression, or hold down your option/alt key as you clickthe stopwatch. Here's the expression:

   rad1=87;
   rad2=-30; 
   offset=70; 
   v=23;
   s=2;
   x=(rad1+rad2)*Math.cos(time*v)-(rad2+offset)*Math.cos((rad1+rad2)*time*v/rad2);
   y=(rad1+rad2)*Math.sin(time*v)- (rad2+offset)*Math.sin((rad1+rad2)*time*v/rad2); 
   [s*x+this_comp.width/2,s*y+this_comp.height/2];

   If the x and y equations are wrapping in html above, don't let them wrap your expression. see project file if you have questions.

   rad1 = radius 1 
   rad2 = radius 2
   offset = offset
   v=velocity
   s=scale 

   Play with these numbers until you get the effect that you want.
4. For added fun, keyframe the color settings in the write-on plug-in.

Learn more about the math involved in creating a "Spirograph"?
A history of Spirograph