how make object follow path

[Dan Ebberts]

Here’s one way. Let’s say your layer with the stroked path is called “Stroke Layer”. Copy the mask shape for the path and paste it into the position parameter of your follower layer. This should create keyframes that cause the follower to trace out the path over a 2-second period. Then just add this expression for position to sync it up with the animation of the “End” parameter of the stroke effect:

percent = thisComp.layer(“Stroke Layer”).effect(“Stroke”)(“End”);
valueAtTime(2*percent/100)

Dan

[Darasmith]

nearly have it working except when i paste the path into the position the shape it creates is streched out wider and so when i put in the expression i follows it right but it just goes out much wider left and right .

does any of the foolwing nmake a difference

i,m using pal wide screen
its not a closed path

thanks for the help

Dara

[Dan Ebberts]

It must be some mismatch in pixel aspect ratio between the comp and the layers. Does the path start out in the right place? What happens when you change the expression to this:

percent = thisComp.layer(“Stroke Layer”).effect(“Stroke”)(“End”);
valueAtTime(2*percent/100)/thisComp.pixelAspect

What are the pixel aspect ratios of your layers?

Dan

[Raymond Fung]

Hi Dan,

The expression to follow an object is really neat. Can you please help with modifying the expression though? Because I haven’t created the animated stroke via an effect, and instead I used the “Trim Paths” on a Vector Layer to animate the stroke, the expression doesn’t seem to work. I have tried modifying it to:

percent = thisComp.layer(“outline”).contents(“Trim Paths 1”)(“End”);
valueAtTime(2*percent/100)

But doesn’t seem to work. Any advice please?

Expression feelings