Slot machine or odometer effect creation

Question

Hi AE Community,
I've done some google searches, but I am still having trouble finding a recent tutorial on this effect. I'd like to take the number 150,000,000 and make it spin over my background like a slot machine, before it lands on the correct number. I consider myself an intermediate user in AE, but I'm really having trouble with this one! Can anyone point me in the right direction? I don't need necessarily need step by step instructions, but I need to get the animation going and I'm not sure where to start.
Thanks for your help!
Rachel

Answer 1

There are ways to automated the number progressions but here's how we did it in the olden days (this is not quite as easy as I'm making it sound, there are lots of subtle things that can trip you up):
Create a vertical comp. Place 10 text items, one for each digit, on top of each other.
Bring this comp into another and use two simple position keyframes to move the strip of numbers from top to bottom. Caution: to create a seamless loop, the last frame of the movies must be set one frame back from the last keyframe in the timeline. You can also use the Offset parameter if you know how to do that.
Render the movie without motion blur (a drawback to using this method).
Import the movie, set it to loop, and place it as many times as you need significant digits.Or you can create a different movie for each digit in the main number.
That's about it.
Of course, you need to be able to finesse the movement of the digits, slow them down on command (you can use expression sliders to control the movie loops), make the numbers move at different speeds, maybe some move backwards, add masks and build a frame graphic, add shadows or reflections--the list of enhancements is long.
You can also do the whole thing with expressions and there must be a script someplace (I do not understand scripting in AE, no clue, sorry can't help you there).