Seamless loop animation

Question

My experience in AE is not so big, so I need your assistance plz. I faced with a task I still can't solve.

I'm trying to make the clouds loop. I wanted if the part of cloud which disappears on the right side out of frame, at the same time seamlessly appeared on the left side in the frame.

Any tips are highly appreciated.

Answer 1

I not know how do this with AE animation software but I do this in Blender:

Basic theory (see picture) for real camera or software:

• Want repeat image every n animation frames

• Assume camera view is w × h pixels

• For camera view w pixels wide, minimum need draw picture wide 2w pixels wide

• Copy picture two times and put left/right each other (draw left and right edge of image for can't see edge)

• Shift picture -w pixels for first animation frame relative to camera left edge

• Step size for each animation frame is ∆s = w/n

• Image position = ∆s*(animation frame number mod n), means at every n animation frames shift image back -w pixels (return to start position)

• Use linear interpolation for image position (need select this for Blender)

• Use repeat cycle (for Blender)

Blue dot show shift for each animation frame

If image is wider than camera view (R ≥ w):

• shift picture -R pixels for start animation frame

• step become ∆s = R/n

• shift image back -R pixels

Reverse Direction

• Shift picture 0 pixels for first animation frame relative to camera left edge

• Step for each animation frame is ∆s = –w/n (∆s = –R/n for image R ≥ w), negative direction