Animate a stroke path tutorial
Published April 1st, 2006 in After Effects Tutorials, Intermediate After Effects Tags: 7, adobe, after, after effects, effects, interface, tip, tips, tutorial, tutorials.
After you get the hang of this technique, it can be used for all types of write-on and playful effects.
- Create a new composition to your desired dimensions and duration (Composition/New Composition)
- Create a new solid the same as comp size, color is not important (Layer/New/Solid)
- Select the pen tool from the toolbar menu at top.
- Ensuring the new solid layer is selected in the timeline; use the pen tool to draw a line squiggle, curve line, whatever line, but not a closed shape. Draw this directly in the composition window.
- Still with the new solid selected; choose Effect/Generate/Stroke
- In the Effects Control Panel
- Click the stopwatch on brush size and set to 6
- Click the stopwatch on Start and keep set to 0
- Click the stopwatch on End and set to 10
- Set the Paint Style drop down to “On Transparent”
- We have now set our keyframes for the beginning of the Timeline, now we want to go to the end of the Timeline and set the next set of keyframes.
- In the Effects Control Panel
- Set Brush Size to 3
- Set Start to 80
- Set End to 100
That’s it. Render it out or just play it back within After Effects and have a play with the settings.
