Oscillate Position Tool (Fusion)

Overview & Purpose

The Oscillate Position tool, part of the Anim Toys pack, simplifies creating complex positional animations. It's designed to overcome the often fiddly nature of manually keyframing oscillating patterns, especially for effects like an object bouncing or settling into place elastically.

By default, this tool will move an input image back and forth horizontally, but its versatile controls allow for a wide range of repeated or damped motions along any axis.

Parameters

The Oscillate Position tool offers several groups of controls to fine-tune your animation:

Basic Controls

Parameter	Description	Default
Amplitude	Determines how far the object moves from its center point. This value is relative to the input image's size (e.g., an Amplitude of 1.0 means the object moves one image-width to either side of its oscillation center).	1.0
Frequency (cycles/sec)	Controls how many times the oscillation pattern repeats per second. This calculation takes the timeline's frame rate into account. Be cautious with standalone Fusion compositions, as they may default to the project's frame rate.	1.0
Wave Type	Selects the mathematical wave function used to drive the animation: Sine: Smooth, flowing motion. Triangle: Linear motion with abrupt changes in direction. Bounce: Parabolic motion, simulating a bounce. Bounce - Inverted: Inverted parabolic motion. Sawtooth: Repeated linear motion in one direction, then resets. Sawtooth - Inverted: Inverted sawtooth motion. Square: Alternates instantly between the high and low points of the amplitude.	Sine

Damping Controls

These controls allow you to make the oscillation's amplitude change over time, perfect for effects where an object settles into place.

Parameter	Description	Default
Amp/Damp Frames	The number of frames over which the damping or amplification effect occurs. 0: No damping; amplitude remains constant. Positive Number: Amplitude decreases from its set value to 0 over the specified number of frames. Negative Number: Amplitude increases from 0 to its set value over the specified number of frames (absolute value is used for duration).	0
Damping Type	Determines the curve of the damping effect: Linear: Amplitude changes at a constant rate. Quadratic: Amplitude changes follow a squared curve (eases in/out). Exponential: Amplitude changes follow an exponential decay/growth curve. Logarithmic: Amplitude changes follow a logarithmic curve.	Quadratic

Spatial Controls

Parameter	Description	Default
Oscillation Center (X, Y)	Sets the central point (X,Y coordinates) around which the oscillation occurs. Values can be interpreted relative to the image being oscillated (e.g., Y=-0.5 on a centered image might move it down relative to its height). The tool's default is (0,0).	X: 0.0, Y: 0.0
Oscillation Angle	Rotates the axis along which the oscillation animation happens. For example, an angle of 0 degrees results in horizontal oscillation, while 90 degrees results in vertical oscillation.	0.0

Timing Controls

Parameter	Description	Default
Start Frame	Delays the beginning of the oscillation (and any associated damping) until the specified frame number.	0
Phase Shift (degrees)	Shifts the starting point of the oscillation wave. For example, with a Bounce wave type, a phase shift can make the animation start at the peak of the bounce instead of the baseline. (0-360 degrees).	0.0

Common Controls

Like standard Fusion Transform nodes, the Oscillate Position tool also exposes common controls found under the Common tab in the Inspector, such as Motion Blur, Quality, etc.

Usage Guide

Add the Oscillate Position macro from the Anim Toys pack to your Fusion composition.
Connect the image or video element you wish to animate to the input of the Oscillate Position node.
Select the Oscillate Position node to access its parameters in the Inspector.
Adjust Basic Controls:
- Set the Amplitude to control the extent of the movement.
- Define the Frequency for the speed of repetition.
- Choose a Wave Type for the desired motion characteristic.
Apply Damping (Optional):
- Set Amp/Damp Frames to a positive value to make the oscillation die down, or a negative value to make it build up.
- Select a Damping Type to control the curve of this change.
Define Spatial Properties:
- Adjust Oscillation Center to shift the entire animation.
- Modify Oscillation Angle to change the direction of movement.
Control Timing:
- Use Start Frame to delay the animation.
- Employ Phase Shift to alter the starting point of the wave cycle.

Examples & Tips

Elastic Landing:
1. Animate your element using a standard Transform node (or keyframes on another tool), bringing it to its final resting position at a specific frame.
2. Add the Oscillate Position tool after the initial animation.
3. Set the Start Frame of the Oscillate Position tool to the exact frame where your initial animation ends. For example, if your animation stops at frame 36, set Start Frame to 36.
4. Set the Oscillation Angle to match the direction of the incoming movement from your initial animation (e.g., if it slides in from the left, set angle to 0 or 180; if from top, set to 90 or 270).
5. For a nice elastic damping effect, try these starting points:
  - Amplitude: A small value (e.g., 0.05 to 0.2), relative to how much overshoot you want.
  - Frequency: Around 3 to 4 for a quick settle.
  - Wave Type: Sine.
  - Amp/Damp Frames: About 1 to 1.5 seconds worth of frames (e.g., 24-36 frames for a 24fps comp).
  - Damping Type: Exponential often gives a natural feel.
6. The beauty of this tool is the ease of experimentation! Adjust these values to achieve the perfect elastic landing for your animation.
Gentle Sway: Use a Sine wave with a low Frequency and moderate Amplitude.
Impact & Settle: Combine a Bounce wave with positive Amp/Damp Frames and an appropriate Damping Type.
Character Idling: A very low Amplitude and Frequency Sine or Triangle wave can create a subtle idling animation.
Relative Sizing: Remember that the Amplitude is relative to the input image's dimensions.
Frame Rate Awareness: Pay attention to your comp's frame rate when setting the Frequency.
Visual Feedback: Play your animation frequently as you adjust parameters.

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