Animating arrows to show windflow

[Aharon Rabinowitz]

I’d create a path (with the pen tool) on a solid layer that matches the shape you want the arows to follow.

Then I’d copy the Mask Shape, and paste it into my Arrow’s position property.

Then I’d turn on Layer > Transform > orientation > Orient to path (so that it rotates to follow the path as it moves)

Then I’d use the rotation property to correct the rotation of the arrow incase it wasn’t facing forwards.

You can always duplcate your arrow layers and move them over in time to have many follow the same path.

Does that make sense?

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Aharon Rabinowitz
aharon(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com
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Creative Cow Master Series DVD
particleIllusion Fusion Volume 1
available @ http://www.pIllusionFusion.com

[Louai]

Thanks! Very helpfull!

[Matt Hall]

I was just working on a project and found a cool way to make an arrow with a stroke that follows the arrowhead’s path. First, you keyframe the motion of the arrow head (which it set to align along path). Then you make a new layer the size of the comp and apply the “write-on” effect. Next, add an expression to the brush position of the write-on and link it to the position of your arrow head. Tweak the other write-on settings until you get a stroke you like. Now, you can fiddle with the position of the arrowhead as much as you like and the stroke will always follow automatically. pretty nifty, if i do say so myself.

Matt Hall
Director, Digital Post
CCG MetaMedia, Inc.

[Mike George]

Cool idea Matt!!

Call me slow but do you have a simple stupid example of this?

Thanks

Mike

[John francie Leo]

Thanks! That’s brilliant and way easier than the other way I did this, namely to stroke a mask path on one layer then copy that path to the motion of the arrowhead layer (which meant that if I changed the one, I had to redo the other.