Is it possible to export a line drawing animation with the wiggle effect intact using Bodymovin in Adobe After Effects?

You can export a line drawing animation with the wiggle effect using Bodymovin (Lottie), but only under specific conditions. The wiggle expression must be compatible with Lottie’s supported feature set.

1. Understand Wiggle Support in Lottie

• Lottie (Bodymovin) supports a limited set of After Effects expressions.
• The wiggle() function is supported as long as it is applied to transform properties such as position, rotation, or scale on shape layers or supported solids.
• Wiggle must use static values (i.e., wiggle(5, 10)), not values linked to precomps or external expressions/data.

2. Confirm Compatible Layer and Property Types

• Do use: Shape layers, null objects, and supported text layers.
• Do not use: Raster or pre-rendered videos, complex pre-comps, or unsupported effects.
• The wiggle should be directly applied to a property on a supported layer, such as a shape stroke’s position or rotation.

3. Bake the Wiggle as Keyframes if Needed

• If the wiggle doesn’t export properly, convert the expression into keyframes:
• Select the property with wiggle, then go to Animation > Keyframe Assistant > Convert Expression to Keyframes.
• This creates actual keyframes that Bodymovin can export.
• This ensures full compatibility without relying on Lottie to interpret expressions.

4. Use Bodymovin Extension and Target Lottie Output

• Install and open the Bodymovin plugin (Window > Extensions > Bodymovin).
• Select your composition and enable “Include Expressions” in the settings.
• Export the Lottie JSON file.
• Test the animation in a Lottie preview tool (like LottieFiles Preview) to confirm the wiggle effect is working.

Summary

You can export a wiggle effect via Bodymovin/Lottie if it’s applied to supported properties and layers. If in doubt, bake the expression into keyframes to guarantee compatibility.