# Time offsets in Action

**URL:** https://forum.logik.tv/t/time-offsets-in-action/5116
**Category:** Flame Questions
**Tags:** action
**Created:** [February 18, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/time-offsets-in-action/5116 "2022-02-18T13:25:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Lightningad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/lightningad/32/2191_2.png) [@Lightningad](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Lightningad)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/time-offsets-in-action/5116/1 "2022-02-18T13:25:12Z")

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Is there a way to offset the timing of an animated shape when using the Replica Node (or a way to affect start times using mimic link)?

I have a shape that needs lots of duplicates each starting to animate several frames after each other, and i would rather try do this procedurally than by hand keyframing so many copies.

thanks  
adam

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### Author: ![randy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/randy/32/6122_2.png) [@randy](https://forum.logik.tv/u/randy)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2022, 2:44pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/time-offsets-in-action/5116/2 "2022-02-18T14:44:34Z")

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Id use SelectionOrder and offset timing by a multiplier.

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### Author: ![Sinan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/sinan/32/155_2.png) [@Sinan](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Sinan)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2022, 2:46pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/time-offsets-in-action/5116/3 "2022-02-18T14:46:26Z")

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Replica doesn’t do that, but you can use expressions with the eval function and using SelectionOrder parameter.

So you would need to make a master animation, say on master\_axis.position.x and select all your other axes’ x channels in the editor IN THE ORDER YOU WANT and write this expression:

eval ( master\_axis.position.x, frame - (SelectionOrder \* multiplier) )

The SelectionOrder parameter will be replaced with a value of one on the first channel you selected, with two on the second one, etc…  
I usually use a control\_axis to control the multiplier so that can easily be adjusted as well. There is also the Variables matchbox as an action node that you can use as, well variables 🙂

I hope this helps

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### Author: ![Lightningad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/lightningad/32/2191_2.png) [@Lightningad](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Lightningad)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/time-offsets-in-action/5116/4 "2022-02-18T16:32:00Z")

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Thanks chaps!

Thats definitely something to play around with.