Time Conversion

Note

If you want more control over the look of timecode in your footage, use the timeToCurrentFormat method or other timeTo methods to generate the timecode instead of using the Timecode or Numbers effect.

Create a text layer, add an expression to the Source Text property, and enter timeToCurrentFormat() in the expression field. With this method, you can format and animate the timecode text. In addition, the timecode uses the same display style defined by the current project settings.


timeToFrames(t=time + thisComp.displayStartTime, fps=1.0 / thisComp.frameDuration, isDuration=false)

Desciption

Converts the value of t, which defaults to the current composition time, to an integer number of frames. The number of frames per second is specified in the fps argument, which defaults to the frame rate of the current composition (1.0 / thisComp.frameDuration).

The isDuration argument, which defaults to false, should be true if the t value represents a difference between two times instead of an absolute time. Absolute times are rounded down toward negative infinity; durations are rounded away from zero (up for positive values).

Parameters

t

Number

fps

Number

isDuration

Boolean

Type

Number


framesToTime(frames, fps=1.0 / thisComp.frameDuration)

Desciption

The inverse of timeToFrames. Returns the time corresponding to the frames argument, which is required. It doesn’t have to be an integer. See timeToFrames for explanation of the fps argument.

Parameters

frames

Number

fps

Number

Type

Number


timeToTimecode(t=time + thisComp.displayStartTime, timecodeBase=30, isDuration=false)

Desciption

Converts the value of t to a String representing timecode. See timeToFrames for an explanation of the t and isDuration arguments. The timecodeBase value, which defaults to 30, specifies the number of frames in one second.

Parameters

t

Number

timecodeBase

Number

isDuration

Boolean

Type

String


timeToNTSCTimecode(t=time + thisComp.displayStartTime, ntscDropFrame=false, isDuration=false)

Desciption

Converts t to a String representing NTSC timecode. See timeToFrames for an explanation of the t and isDuration arguments. If ntscDropFrame is false (the default), the result String is NTSC non-drop-frame timecode. If ntscDropFrame is true, the result String is NTSC drop-frame timecode.

Parameters

t

Number

ntscDropFrame

Boolean

isDuration

Boolean

Type

String


timeToFeetAndFrames(t=time + thisComp.displayStartTime, fps=1.0 / thisComp.frameDuration, framesPerFoot=16, isDuration=false)

Desciption

Converts the value of t to a String representing feet of film and frames. See timeToFrames for an explanation of the t, fps, and isDuration arguments. The framesPerFoot argument specifies the number of frames in one foot of film. It defaults to 16, which is the most common rate for 35mm footage.

Parameters

t

Number

framesPerFoot

Number

isDuration

Boolean

Type

String


timeToCurrentFormat(t=time + thisComp.displayStartTime, fps=1.0 / thisComp.frameDuration, isDuration=false)

Desciption

Converts the value of t to a String representing time in the current Project Settings display format. See timeToFrames for a definition of all the arguments.

Note

An optional ntscDropFrame argument was added to the timeToCurrentFormat() function in After Effects CS5.5 and later. Default: ntscDropFrame=thisComp.ntscDropFrame.

Parameters

t

Number

fps

Number

isDuration

Boolean

Type

String