Dropdown Menu Control

What is a Dropdown Menu Control in After Effects?

A Dropdown Menu Control is an expression control effect in After Effects that lets you create a simple menu with selectable items. Think of it like a mini setting selector you can build right inside your comp.

How to Add a Dropdown Menu Control

Step 1: Apply the Control

1. Select the layer where you want the control.

2. Go to the top menu:
   Effect > Expression Controls > Dropdown Menu Control

You’ll see a new effect appear in the Effect Controls Panel called “Dropdown Menu Control” with no options yet.

How to Customize the Dropdown Menu

This part's easy to miss, but super important—you need to actually add items to the dropdown.

Step 2: Add Menu Items

1. In the Effect Controls Panel, find Dropdown Menu Control

2. Choose Edit.

3. You’ll see a dialog that lets you name each item in the dropdown (just double click to rename). For example:

   • Style 1

   • Style 2

   • Style 3

4. Hit OK.

Now your dropdown menu is ready to go.

How to Use Dropdown Menu in an Expression

The dropdown returns a number, not text.

• The first item in the dropdown = 1

• The second = 2

• Third = 3, and so on

So if you have three items in the dropdown, and the user selects the second one, the value is 2.

Example: Control Position with Dropdown

Let’s say you want to move an object to different locations based on what’s selected in the menu.

Apply this expression to Position:

ctrl = effect("Dropdown Menu Control")("Menu").value;

if (ctrl == 1){
  [100, 100]
} else if (ctrl == 2){
  [500, 200]
} else {
  [300, 500]
}

What’s happening here?

• ctrl grabs the selected index (like 1, 2, or 3)

• Then we use an if-else chain to assign a different [x, y] position based on the selected item

Bonus: Create Shorter Code with switch

Instead of using a long if-else chain, you can make things neater with switch.

ctrl = effect("Dropdown Menu Control")("Menu").value;

switch (ctrl){
  case 1: 
    [100, 100]; 
    break;
  case 2: 
    [500, 200]; 
    break;
  case 3: 
    [300, 500]; 
    break;
}

It does the same thing, just in a cleaner format, especially when you’ve got more than 3 items.