Layer follows Stroke start

[Dan Ebberts]

When you paste the path into the position property, you get motion in the xy plane only, correct? Are your map and graphic both 3D layers, and are they separated in z space?

Dan

[Aaron Pozzer]

that was actualy my first thought as well, but they are on the same z plane. both sitting right at 0, and neither are parented.

regardless, i talked with the client yesterday and we are NOT going to use the graphic afterall, just the line…. isnt that always the case!?

though, if you DO think of some reason they might have become misaligned after rotating the camera, it would still be good to know.

thanks!

[Aaron Pozzer]

so, many months later the misaligned travelling dot comes back to haunt me!

turns out the client now wants the dot back. so to recap the above conversation your suggestions worked great, but when i rotate the camera, the dot no longer follows the line. there is no parenting or different in z space, so im wondering what is causing this.

any ideas?

[Darby Edelen]

Instead of using ‘Stroke’ you should consider using the Generate > Write-on effect. You can paste the mask path property from your current stroke into the brush position property of the Write-on effect.

Then you have a layer position to work with in expressions. You can simply link your head point layer’s position to the write-on effect’s brush position.

Darby Edelen

[Warren Willmott]

Dan you sir are a a legend been struggling with this for 2 days, thanks bud

percent = thisComp.layer("line").effect("Stroke")("End");
valueAtTime(percent*key(numKeys).time/100)

[Scott Arledge]

Thank you Dan. Works perfectly!

[Marticus Kilverticus]

percent = thisComp.layer(“map layer”).effect(“Stroke”)(“End”);
t = linear(percent,0,100,key(1).time,key(numKeys).time)
valueAtTime(t)

Thanks, this is a great help in handling acceleration across animated paths with multiple points!
Only issue; it totally breaks auto orient to path ☹ Any rotation solution to this?