How To Use Pick Whips in After Effects

https://youtu.be/vdW7c387-ow

Adobe After Effects CC 2024: How To Use Pick Whips

**Description:
**This tutorial will show you how to use three different types of Pick Whips in Adobe After Effects CC 2024 to create Parent & Child Relationships between Layers, Properties & Expressions.

Pick Whip:

Look for the spiral icon in the Layers Panel that looks like the end of a ‘lasso or rope’ that you can use to ‘link’ elements to one another to create ‘Parent & Child’ relationships. The ‘child’ layers inherit the Parent attributes.

Types of Pick Whips:
Parent:
Create parent-child relationships between layers

Property:
Link properties between different layers or effects

Expression:
Create expressions that reference other properties

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro: About The Tutorial
00:10 What are Pick Whips?
00:39 Pick Whip #1: Parent Layers
00:56 Parent & Link Column
01:22 Pick Whip & Drop-Down Menu
01:47 Parent & Child Behavior
02:03 CTI & Pick Whips
02:30 Pick Whip #2: Property
02:55 Linking Layer Properties + Expression
03:43 Disable & Remove Expressions
04:01 Property Pick Whip Example (Color)
04:27 Pick Whip #3: Expressions
05:07 Pick Whips & Slider Controls

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**Software Used:
**Adobe After Effects CC 2024 (Click To Try or Buy)

How Link Layers Using Parent Pick Whip:

1. Create New Composition
2. Add at least 2 layers
3. Go to the Layers Panel
4. Right-click the Header
5. Click on ‘Columns’ and then ‘Parent & Link’
6. Click on the Pick Whip Icon of 1 Layer & Drag to another layer or
7. Click on the drop-down menu under ‘Parent & Link’ and select Parent Layer.
8. Child Layer will ‘follow’ the Parent Layer.

How To Use Property Pick Whip:

1. Create New Composition
2. Add at least 2 layers
3. Twirl open Transform Properties on both layers
4. Go to Rotation, Scale, or Opacity
5. Click on the Pick Whip Icon next to Rotation Property (for example)
6. Drag Pick Whip next to Rotation to RotationProperty of the other layer
7. Change Rotation of the ‘Parent’ layer and the ‘Child’ will change Rotation

How To Use Expression Pick Whip (example from tutorial):

1. Create New Composition
2. Add Logo Layer
3. Tap P for Position
4. Right-click on Position and ‘Separate Dimensions’
5. Add Expression Slider Control & Duplicate for a total of 4
6. Rename Slider Controls for Position X&Y and Wiggle (frequency, amplitude)
7. Option/Alt + Click on X Position Stopwatch
8. Select Expression Pick Whip and drag on the X Slider Control
9. Option/Alt + Click on Y Position Stopwatch
10. Select Expression Pick Whip and drag on the Y Slider Control
11. Tap R for Rotation
12. Option/Alt + Click on Rotation Stopwatch
13. Type wiggle(2,20)
14. Highlight frequency (2) value
15. Click on Expression Pick Whip and drag to Frequency Slider Control
16. Highlight Amplitude (20) value
17. Click on Expression Pick Whip and drag to Amplitude Slider Control