Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual page 566

AFTER EFFECTS CS3 560
User Guide
Return type: Number or Array.
random(maxValOrArray)
Argument type: maxValOrArray is a Number or Array.
If maxValOrArray is a Number, this method returns a number between 0 and maxValOrArray. If maxValOrArray is
an Array, this method returns an Array with the same dimension as maxValOrArray, with each component ranging
between 0 and the corresponding component of maxValOrArray.
Return type: Number or Array.
random(minValOrArray, maxValOrArray)
Argument type: minValOrArray and maxValOrArray are Numbers or Arrays.
If minValOrArray and maxValOrArray are Numbers, this method returns a number between minValOrArray and
maxValOrArray. If the arguments are Arrays, this method returns an Array with the same dimension as the
argument with the greater dimension, with each component between the corresponding components of
minValOrArray and maxValOrArray. For example, the expression returns an
random([100, 200], [300, 400])
Array whose first value is between 100 and 300 and whose second value is between 200 and 400. If the dimensions
of the two input Arrays don't match, higher-dimension values of the shorter Array are filled out with zeros.
Return type: Number.
gaussRandom()
Returns a random number. The results have a Gaussian (bell-shaped) distribution. Approximately 90% of the results
are between 0 and 1, and the remaining 10% are outside this range.
Return type: Number or Array.
gaussRandom(maxValOrArray)
Argument type: maxValOrArray is a Number or Array.
When maxValOrArray is a Number, this method returns a random number. Approximately 90% of the results are in
the 0 to maxValOrArray range, and the remaining 10% are outside of this range. When maxValOrArray is an Array,
this method returns an Array of random values, with the same dimension as maxValOrArray. Ninety percent of the
values range between 0 and the value in maxValOrArray, and the remaining 10% are outside of this range. The results
have a Gaussian (bell-shaped) distribution.
Return type: Number or Array.
gaussRandom(minValOrArray, maxValOrArray)
Argument type: minValOrArray and maxValOrArray are Numbers or Arrays.
If minValOrArray and maxValOrArray are Numbers, this method returns a random number. Approximately 90% of
the results are between minValOrArray and maxValOrArray, and the remaining 10% are outside of this range. If the
arguments are Arrays, this method returns an Array of random numbers with the same dimension as the argument
with the greater dimension. For each component, approximately 90% of the results are between the corresponding
components of minValOrArray and maxValOrArray, and the remaining 10% are outside of this range. The results
have a Gaussian (bell-shaped) distribution.
Return type: Number.
noise(valOrArray)
Argument type: valOrArray is a Number or an Array [2 or 3].
Returns a number between -1 and 1. The noise is not actually random; it is based on Perlin noise, which means that
the return values for two input values that are near one another will also tend to be near one another. This kind of
noise is useful when you want a sequence of seemingly random numbers that don't vary wildly from one to the
other—as is usually the case when animating any sort of apparently random natural motion. Example:
rotation +
360*noise(time)