loopOut Cycle vs Pingpong in After Effects Explained

Both create infinite loops, but the motion pattern is very different. Understanding when to use each will save you time and keyframes.

loopOut("cycle") — Repeat exactly
Plays your keyframed animation, then jumps back to the start and plays again. Identical repetition.

Visual: → → → → (same direction each time)

Keyframe values: 0 → 100 → 0 → 100 → 0 → 100...

When to use cycle:
- Walking/running cycles
- Spinning/rotating objects
- Repeating pattern animations
- Any movement that starts and ends at the same value

Important: For a smooth cycle, your LAST keyframe value should match your FIRST keyframe value. Otherwise you'll see a "jump" at the loop point.

loopOut("pingpong") — Yo-yo motion
Plays forward, then plays BACKWARD, then forward again. Like a pendulum.

Visual: → ← → ← (alternating direction)

Keyframe values: 0 → 100 → 0 → 100 → 0...

When to use pingpong:
- Breathing/pulsing effects
- Pendulum swings
- UI hover animations
- Any back-and-forth motion where you DON'T want to set the return keyframes manually

The key advantage of pingpong: You only need to keyframe ONE direction. Set position from A to B, and pingpong automatically creates the B→A return. With cycle, you'd need to manually add a third keyframe at A again.

The other two loop types:
- loopOut("offset") — Each repeat builds on the previous value. 0→100, then 100→200, then 200→300. Great for progressive movement.
- loopOut("continue") — Continues the velocity of the last keyframe pair forever. Like throwing a ball — it keeps going in the same direction at the same speed.

Combining with keyframe count:

loopOut("pingpong", 2)

Pro tip: Pingpong + Easy Ease = instant breathing/pulsing animation with just 2 keyframes. Set Scale from 95% to 105%, apply loopOut("pingpong"), Easy Ease both keyframes. Done — eternal gentle pulse.