Double stroke on open path in After Effects

[Graham Quince]

Do you want the lines to cross over, like in the image with the S or not, like the second image?

Second image option – I’d suggest a second layer/shape underneath a white shape. The underneath layer to have a single thick stroke, then just keyframe it.

Lines crossing option, I’d be tempted to use two shapes and offset, one for each side.

[Nikki Van onna]

Thank you for your reply Graham. I want to have it like the first image.
The second is what happens when I add an Offset Path to the stroke.

Your suggestion for two shapes and an offset will not result in a stroke with an even width, it will be more like a calligraphic stroke. I really want an even stroke.

A good reference would be a pattern brush in Illustrator; the you can draw any path and the double stroke will always be in the same with around it.

Hope that makes sense!

[Filip Vandueren]

Hey Nikki,

I achieved it with text on path (force Alignment =true):

https://imgur.com/a/usmE2F5

There’s a text-animator with expression selector which alternates the Y-position offset for odd and even characters.

With a few hundred _ characters (or . characters for finer detail, but that would need maybe thousands) you get two continuos lines. You can fatten up the lines using a stroke on the font.

Strokes via text on Path

[Nikki Van onna]

Hi Filip, thank you, that is actually a great and really smart solution!
Only problem is that I want to use the stroke on an animated path inside a shape layer. It’s dynamically animated with Connect Layers Pro, that means I can’t copy the path in a mask on a text layer. Do you have an idea how to apply this method to a path outside the shape layer?

Dank je wel alvast! (ik dacht ik schrijf de rest in Engels, dan hebben anderen hier wellicht ook nog iets aan :))

[Filip Vandueren]

I don’t have Connect Layers Pro, but as long as its result is a (single) shape, you can pick-whip the path on the text-layer to that path and it’ll copy the path, and it should work ?

Otherwise, can you give a screenshot of what exactly Connect Layers Pro outputs ?

[Nikki Van onna]

Yes, you’re totally right, works like a charm. Thank you Filip!

[Nikki Van onna]

The only problem I’m running into now is how this is handled at path point’s. Once the the curve gets to a certain extreme, the distribution of the characters on the path is off.
See attached screenshots

Do you have any idea how to fix this?

[Filip Vandueren]

Hey Nikki, I can’t see the screenshots.

[Nikki Van onna]

That’s strange, I did attached them. Again below!

[Filip Vandueren]

I believe you will have almost exactly the same problem if you want do to an offset paths in shape-layers or even in illustrator: if the curves are too sharp, then mathematically they will “fold over” themselves.

I think the easiest solution is to tweak the design so the corners are less pointy