Number Counter in After Effects

Download Project Files here.

Intro

A Number Counter effect is really what it sounds like. It is basically a combination of a Text layer and a Slider effect, which displays numbers ticking upwards in sequence.

It’s actually pretty simple, and what’s great about it is how easily customizable the effect is. This tutorial will teach users some simple code Snippets, and how to use the pick whip tool as well.

Overview

First off, we’ll be navigating inside the Text layer. We’ll add the Slider effect off the bat, then get into the Text itself to start adjusting the settings. From there, we’ll go to using the pick whip to connect the Slider effect to the Text, add in a code Snippet, and keyframe the effect.

Finally we’ll make sure to go back to the Main Comp and adjust the layer location in the layer stack.

So let’s get started!

Slider Setup

1. Once the file is open, navigate to the Text layer by double clicking on the layer named Numbers.
2. Go up to the Text tool.
3. Click and drag a vertical rectangle within the middle of the composition.
4. Type in 0.
5. Go up to the top toolbar, and navigate to Effects > Expression Controls > Slider Control.
6. Toggle open the Text layer.
7. Toggle open the Text layer’s Text options.
8. Now toggle open the Effects options.
9. One more time, toggle open the Slider options.
10. Click on the swirly Parent Pick Whip next to the SourceText, and drag it to the Slider effect.
11. Alt-click on the stopwatch next to the SourceText.
12. In the Expressions line that opens, type in Math.round(effect("Slider Control")("Slider")). This will allow the Slider to manually control what number is displayed within the Text layer.

Animating the Numbers

1. With the Playhead at the origin, 0;00;00;00, hit the stopwatch next to the Slider to start keyframes.
2. Move the Playhead to 0;00;17;00. We want the values to change gradually over time.
3. Change the Slider value to 10.
4. Click on the words Background at the top of the project window to navigate back to the previous composition.
5. If not in position, click and drag on the Numbers layer to position it below the grass layer.
6. Go up to Effects > Perspective > Drop Shadow.
7. In the Effects panel in the top left, double click on the Shadow Color.
8. Change it to dark blue, or #000F4C.
9. Change the Distance to 27.
10. Change the Softness to 10.
11. Now go to Effects > Stylize > Glow.
12. With the Playhead at the origin still, 0;00;00;00, change the Glow’s settings within the top left Effects panel. Change the Radius to 20.
13. Move the Playhead to 0;00;02;14.
14. Change the Radius to 50.
15. Toggle open the Glow options within the layer stack.
16. Select both keyframes.
17. Cmnd-C (Mac) / Cntrl-C (PC) to copy both keyframes.
18. Move the Playhead to 0;00;05;09.
19. Cmnd-V (Mac) / Cntrl-V (PC) to paste the keyframes.
20. Move the Playhead to 0;00;07;21.
21. Cmnd-V (Mac) / Cntrl-V (PC) to paste the keyframes once more.
22. Move the Playhead to 0;00;09;09.
23. Finally, Cmnd-V (Mac) / Cntrl-V (PC) to paste the keyframes again.
24. In the Effects panel, Shift-click on both the Drop Shadow effect and the Glow effect.
25. Select the Learn motion graphics layer.
26.  Hit Cmnd-V (Mac) / Cntrl-V (PC) to paste the Effects onto this layer.
27. Select the at Noble Destkop layer.
28. Once more, Hit Cmnd-V (Mac) / Cntrl-V (PC) to paste the Effects onto this layer.

And that’s it!

Conclusion

It’s a very simple technique, but one that comes with a lot of power. By using that particular Expression, the right typeface and the appropriate Effects, designers can create anything from digital clock animations, to explainer videos to all sorts of slick industrial style animations.

By altering the keyframes’ length, the numbers can tick up faster. Increase the max numbers, and watch the Text speed upwards. Simple to start with, the Number Counter looks great placed within all sorts of projects and layered with a wide variety of Effects.

Happy animating!

Credits

Star vector created by upklyak - www.freepik.com

Flower vector created by freepik - www.freepik.com

Video Transcript

Hi everyone. We're going to be doing a number of things today, and I'll try to do them right away. So let's get started. We're going to double-click on the background layer. Once you download the files that are in the description, that's what you'll be presented with. And then we'll double click on the numbers layer, which is a section you want. We're going to be filling it with stuff.

So the first thing I'm going to do is layer new. You layer new text and we're just going to type in here. Start with this. It is pretty small. We could make this bigger. I'm going to select my text, I'm going to increase the size.. Let's get you at around 170. You're going to deflect anywhere else in my position when I select my zero, and then I'm going to go to affect expression controls, slider control.

And then we're just going to start toggling open this layer to open text layer and then we're going to toggle open effects and then open slider control. And let's make sure that the plate's at the origin very start and within this layer stack, we're going to pick up the surface text by clicking the swirly thing, drag it over slider.

So now the slaughter is going to be controlling source text and we're going to strain the numbers that can be displayed. So it's not like decimals or whatever but you all click on certain objects, source text I'm going to put in this code snippet. You know, it's, it's messed up round the parentheses affect the parentheses, control reference keys of parentheses, slider, and then you close oil references.

Once you start typing this in After Effects should give you the option to fill it in on its own. I'm going to select anywhere in the interface to do that. So with the Playhead, it's origin going to hit stop a slider and set at zero, but we're actually going to change that zero to one at once. Sheep appear on screen and we're going to move our plate all the way to 17 seconds.

Then I'm going to change it slider to ten because we would like the change to be pretty gradual over time. So we're going to head back to our background layer, but with the background and you can see that we've got our numbers here right as we playhead they will change accordingly. Now let's add some effects. We'll go over to the effects panel over here already type and drop shadow.

You can do that on your own and we will be clicking and dragging a drop shadow on to the numbers layer. Let's double-click the shadow color, bring it over to the blue. We're going to pick the nice navy color and the distance of put in 25 to 27. Maybe softness will be ten got a shadow now put in a glow effect so we can drag highlights blue onto the numbers this is one we're going to be animating actually so the first thing we're going to do if this objects will radius change it 20 move it to about 2 seconds then change that glow radius 50 now with the number layer selected you show all these selected keyframes you got all the animated keyframes we're going to select both these keyframes hit command to your control see on your keyboard to copy it move forward about 4 seconds in throw your command see on your two where to set and then maybe read another text after that in seconds again they sit in we've got these repeating quote going on and then we're going to be clicking on both the flow effect and the drop shadow effect within our layer stuff.

Again, trust your command, see on your keyboard to copy that. We're going to go over to the text layers within our composition and control your control frenzy on your Mac to is set do the same with other layer. As you can see as we head to that part of the composition now, those two have as well these same effects that we apply to the slider controlled layer and that's about it.

This has been surprising since from the older stuff. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I'm happy and waiting.