• Adobe After Effects

  Shape layers – one shape follows along another path

  Posted by Adam Alphin on October 8, 2007 at 5:15 pm

  I have create old fashion dotted lines that animate along a path by changing the beginning and end of the path with the Trim Paths controls. Now I just need to make a seperate arrow shape move along that same path so that the dotted lines always appear to come from it.

  No luck so far. Would anybody have a suggestion?

  Thanks,

  Adam

  Adolfo Rozenfeld replied 18 years, 7 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  Adolfo Rozenfeld

  October 8, 2007 at 6:31 pm

  Yes, you have to copy the shape’s path attribute and paste into the other shape group’s (or layer’s) position property.

  So, you would have to disclose the dotted line’s shape path property group. Target the path property (not the property group, but the enclosed property inside) and copy it. Then you can choose if you to paste it to a shape object (parametric shapes only!), shape group or shape layer.

  Each shape group has a transform properties group. Select position inside that transform group and paste your path there. If you select position for the whole layer (instead of a shape group) the whole layer will follow that path. You will probably need to adjust the group’s (or layer’s) anchor point afterwards.

  Is it clear?

  Shape layers are terrific, but of course they are a whole new world and it takes some time to get used to all the possibilities.

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