• Adobe After Effects

  Possible to ‘expand’ or make an offset path editable?

  Posted by Tom Brunsdon on February 16, 2016 at 1:07 pm

  Hi! New here. Relatively new to animation and motion design as well so apologies if this is relatively straight forward or if I get some of terminology wrong.

  I’m trying to create a little test animation with a seesaw / pivot; the initial motion was created using a single path which was then duplicated and then had an offset path added within the shape layer. My problem is that, ideally, I’d want to be able to edit and cut up this new offset path so I can create the other four sides of plank / see-saw. I can’t for the life of me figure out how- maybe I’m missing something very obvious?
  I’ve attached the animation thus far which will hopefully be a better example than my rambling (ignore the fact the balls aren’t landing in the right place, still a WIP 😀 ).

  

  Thanks in advance!

  Tom Brunsdon replied 10 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Chris Evans

  February 16, 2016 at 3:31 pm

  I’m not sure I understand what you’re looking for, but I don’t think you can achieve what you’re trying to do. It looks like your current animation is in 3d and I’m not sure how you duplicated a path in a shape layer and offset it in 3d space because that, as far as I know, it’s possible. That means you didn’t do what you think you did or I don’t understand what you meant. You’ll have to make new shape layers to create the other sides of the plank, but you won’t be able to match the bending you’ve got in that animation because shape layers can only bend in 2d.
• 

  Tom Brunsdon

  February 16, 2016 at 4:03 pm

  Thanks for the response!
  I’ve asked around and most others seem to think the same (that I’ll have to redo the initial path as a rectangle and bend that rather than a single path (line) with an offset path within the shape layer.

  This is just created within AE using a 3D camera. So it’s the same path in a different shape layer moved across to create depth.

  I’ve taken these quick screenshots- not sure if they’ll be of any use but it’s worth a shot! If not I guess I’ll just have to redo it :(- you live and learn.

  ***

  The initial path- I just edited the anchor points to create the bend/curvature of the plank.
  

  The same path ‘offset’.
  

  What I hope(d) to create- in this instance the top face of the plank by connecting the top lines from the offset paths.
  

  Hopefully that gives my issue a bit more clarity, even if there’s no solution with how I’m currently working.

  Thanks again!

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