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Auto-drawing a vector line?
Hey All,
So I’m trying to achieve something that I feel should be simple, but I can’t seem to find an answer. In Apple’s Motion program, you can draw a vector line with the pen tool, and if you want that line to draw on or off you just keyframe the start or end offset in the inspector; super easy. I’m looking to do the same thing in After Effects, where I’m more comfortable working in 3D, but for the life of me can’t find a way to do it.
You don’t really have to use the archaic “write on” filter or painfully keyframe a mask to reveal your line, do you? Thanks in advance.
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6 Replies
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for an open path, you’ll need to add the stroke effect…
i would do this on a separate layer (but you could do this directly on an image/footage layer)… create a solid, use the pen tool to create a path then add the stroke effect. set the pain style to either ‘on transparent’ or ‘reveal original’. then you can animate the end property (or start property) as needed and set color, thickness, softness etc…
Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
Thanks Kevin! That did the trick for writing on the line, but unfortunately it doesn’t give me the crisp vector edges I was hoping for. And if I turn on the “continuously rasterize” option the layer becomes all distorted and After Effects starts to behave like I’m working in the most complex composition known to man. I can’t apply the stroke start/end directly to a pen-drawn vector line?
cbauer@mac.com
https://www.sboobtv.com -
i missed the part about stroke on a 3d layer… 3d on 2d effects with continuously rasterize can be tweaky…
try creating a solid, draw the vector and apply stroke the way you want it, then pre-compose that layer. then make that pre-comp a 3d layer in your main comp and see if that works better.
also, you can usually get a smoother line with the stroke effect by tweaking the spacing parameter in relation to the brush size (and maybe a little mod to the brush hardness).
Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW -
Use a Shape Layer instead of a mask path on a solid.
Shapes can do everything Masks with fill and shape can do, and a LOT more.
+ they are true vectors that will always be sharp. -
amazing work
soft
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Hi kevin, after applying the stork to the path i got a line and increesed the thickness. actully i want both end of the line very thin and rest of the line is thik. Please guide me how i can do
Thanks,
Vishal
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