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  • Adobe After Effects

    Creating a path to move both text, image layer and masks together

    Posted by Jeanette Wilkinson on March 12, 2013 at 5:18 am

    Hi there,

    I’m pretty new to Adobe After Effects and apologies if this is a really simple solution but I appreciate your feedback:

    I have some 3 photos over which I added some text, subtracted it so I could see through it and then added a stroke/mask for each individual letter to create the vintage postcard effect where the inside of the text also has a white border.

    I therefore now have one Text layer, and one pre-composed layer with all of the individual text masks and the stroke that created the white outline for the letters.

    How can I now create a path for this entire composition? I’d like to add a curve to the entire image/text rather than it be in a straight line.

    If I create another pre-comp from these 2 layers, I can’t seem to select the entire image to add a path.

    Thanks in advance!

    Jeanette Wilkinson replied 13 years, 4 months ago 4 Members · 9 Replies
  • 9 Replies

  • John Cuevas

    March 12, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    One approach is to use a mask as a path, twirl open your text > Path Options > Path and choose the mask as the path. Copy the mask to the other text layers. You can create a “parent” mask that controls the child masks also, so you only have to adjust one path. Just copy the first mask to the child layers, open up the mask properties, alt-click on “mask path” and pick whip that to your “parent” mask path.

    I made an example project that should help you start out: 5641_curvetext.zip

    Also, under the obsolete effects is a Path Text effect that will accomplish what you want, but if you use that, you are giving up a lot of control and animation properties that you have with the text tool.

    Johnny Cuevas, Editor
    Thinkck.com

    “I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
    —THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb.

  • Vishesh Arora

    March 12, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    Jeanette

    I have some 3 photos over which I added some text, subtracted it so I could see through it and then added a stroke/mask for each individual letter to create the vintage postcard effect where the inside of the text also has a white border.

    Can you upload the text image that you have created so that If possible I can give you an alternative method to create that without using Precomps.

    Vishesh Arora
    3D and Motion Graphics Artist
    Films Rajendra

    Blog:
    https://digieffects.wordpress.com

    2011 3D Demo Reel:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHPgIJU_BR8

  • Jeanette Wilkinson

    March 13, 2013 at 6:37 am

    Hi Vishesh,

    Thanks for your reply.

    Here is a screen shot of what I have right now…

  • Jeanette Wilkinson

    March 13, 2013 at 6:38 am

    Hi John,

    Thank you very much for those suggestions and for the sample project. Looking forward to checking that out!

    Thanks very much for your time!

    Jeanette

  • Jeanette Wilkinson

    March 14, 2013 at 4:45 am

    Hi John,

    I am trying to do something similar to what you described but I’m wondering if it’s possible given that one of my layers is now a pre-comp with all the individual masks for each letter. Would you mind taking a quick look at this screen shot of where I am at and adding any pointers on what I might be doing wrong? I created another line mask in the pre-comp, copied it to the text and told the text layer that the pre-comp was its parent and to follow that path…but not sure how to define the parent mask as such.
    screenshot2013-03-13at9.37.59pm.png

    Thanks in advance John!

    Jeanette

  • Ashish Gupta

    March 15, 2013 at 11:44 am

    Jeanette,

    Instead of using masks on the precomp why dont u just duplicate the Text layer with path and use that as an alpha matte …

    Here’s a quick example:

    5652_curvetext.rar.zip

    Ashish Gupta
    Motiongraphics artist and 3d generalist

    aashi.29nov@gmail.com

  • Jeanette Wilkinson

    March 17, 2013 at 1:03 am

    Hi Ashish,

    Thank you very much for preparing the file. It has a “rar” ext however, and doesn’t appear to be recognized by AE.

    Would you be able to re-upload the AE file?

    Thanks in advance!

    Jeanette

  • Jeanette Wilkinson

    March 17, 2013 at 3:58 am

    Hi all,

    Just wanted to share where I am at with this. Would appreciate any further suggestions. Given the images are wrapped up in the pre-comp, I wasn’t sure how duplicating the text layer alone would help – as I need to move those with the text as one piece. Therefore, I have attempted to create a Parent Mask in my text layer (first image below) and then started to create an Expression for each letter Mask in the Pre-Comp (second image). However, now my images are simply disappearing. I may be totally off track…with more experience I’m sure I’d have this licked in a few minutes but it’s taking me hours to figure out. I really want to learn however and really appreciate any further feedback 🙂 Thank you so much!

  • Jeanette Wilkinson

    March 25, 2013 at 4:23 am

    Thanks everyone. I have resolved the issue and learned a lot in the process! Jeanette

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