How to Keyframe a Wiggle in Adobe After Effects
Graham Quince July 31, 2023
0 Comments
Use Expressions Controls effects to set keyframes for your wiggle expression.
Here's a quick tutorial video covering one of the most frequently asked questions about expressions in @AdobeAE. Using the Expressions Controls effects you can link values to keyframeable sliders. This allows you to increase or decrease wiggle values with keyframes.
The tutorial also includes how to include the Transform effect so that you can save a Fading (reducing) Wiggle as a preset.
Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!
This happens because the functionality/content marked as Google Youtube uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.
One frequently asked question that I see on the forums is How do I keyframe a wiggle expression?
There's a straightforward method for doing this, but it's not obvious.
With a comp featuring a square solid in the middle, we want to wiggle it, but only as the blue circle zooms past.
So before I dig into expressions, make sure the red square is selected, and then go into Effect > Expression Controls > Slider Control. Hit enter and rename the effect Amplitude .
Now, re-select red square and tap P on the keyboard to expose the position keyframes. Now click on the stopwatch to open the expressions area and type in the regular wiggle expression.
wiggle(5,100);
That means reposition the solid 5 times per second within 100 pixels of the original position.
A quick playback sees the solid wobbling constantly. Not what we want!
So now expand the layer properties so we can see both the amplitude effects, slider value, and position property. Click into the expression, highlight the 100 value, and using the pickwhip select the slider.
A quick playback, and the solid isn't moving. That's because our amplitude slider now sets the value for the wiggle amplitude and it's set to 0. And look! The slider has a stopwatch, meaning we can keyframe it. So using the current time indicator, scrub along until the blue circle is just before the red square, and set a keyframe on the slider.
Use the Page Down key to move a couple of frames forward, and now use the slider to set a maximum wiggle amplitude.
July 31, 2023How to get Uniform Scale Wiggle in After EffectsAn Expressions tutorial. The wiggle expression is a great way to introduce
July 24, 2023Need a 3D Phone in your After Effects comp?In this video, Ill show you how to use the @AEJuice plugin
Quick aside: If you right-click on the slider value and choose Edit Value, you can change the minimum and maximum values of the slider.
Back to the comp, drag the current time indicator to the point we want the wobble to stop, and set a new keyframe back to 0. Right-click on the keyframe on the timeline, and in Keyframe Assistant choose Easy Ease In.
A quick playback, and the solid is not moving frequently enough. I can edit the expression to change the 5 to 15, or I could add a new expression control to keyframe the frequency too. Same procedure: Effect > Expression Controls > Angle Control.
Hit enter and rename this frequency, and then expand it on the timeline. Click to edit the expression and replace the 5 with the frequency value.
Quick aside: if you can't see the pickwhip, right click in the area and choose Columns > Parent & Link.
Playing back, the frequency set to 0 makes one weird bounce in the red square solid, and messing with the two slider values gets you a pretty good fading wiggle.
Now, if you're not keen on having to use expressions each time you want to do something, you can always make a preset. Go to Effect > Distort > Transform. Edit your position expression so that you can copy it just CTRL A to select all and CTRL C to copy. Then Alt-click on the Transform effects position and CTRL V to paste in the expression.
Then, either click on the Position property's Equals sign to disable the expression there, or edit the expression to delete it.
The transform effect does the same job, but this time, it's an effect, meaning we can save it. Select the Effects Controls panel and CTRL A to highlight all the effects, then go to Animation > Save Animation Preset to save your wiggle fade for next time.
Next, learn How to Get Uniform Scale Wiggle in After Effects.
Enjoying this tutorial? Sign up for the Creative COW Newsletter! Sign up for the Creative COW newsletter and get weekly updates on industry news, forum highlights, jobs, inspirational tutorials, tips, burning questions, and more! Receive bulletins from the largest, longest-running community dedicated to supporting professionals working in film, video, and audio.
Enter your email address, and your first and last name below!
-- Sign up: * indicates required
Email Address *
Name
--
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
How to Keyframe a Wiggle in Adobe After Effects 
