Mikey Borup shows how you can use the little known Layer Control expression controller in After Effects. Mikey shows how you can easily set up some layers so that you can change one effect and have it work on more than one layer.

The Layer Controls effect allows you to set the control of a layer through expressions, which can be a really useful thing.

The Layer Control has been a bit of a mystery that is kept under the expressions controls section of the effects menu in After Effects.  A while back, Felt Tips offered a more in-depth look at using the Layer Control expression controls in After Effects, demonstrating some of its possible and practical uses. This is a great watch as it runs through some best practices for using the layer control in Ae, as well as some practical examples. Check out Felt Tips’ Fundamentals for Using Layer Control in Ae Expressions.