[Kevin Camp]

not as easy as that. since the line needs to follow a path, the mask would also need to follow the path too, and that’s where it would become difficult.

if you did this in a 3D app, you’re path could be 3D mesh (like a pipe), and then you could simply animate a simple, long tapered image along the pipe and it would bend an follow it…. but with AE, you’ll need an effect that can do tapered and/or fading ends.

i’d start with the vegas effect and see if that could work for you… it’s pretty simple to set up and looks pretty similar to your example.

if it doesn’t work, i’d look at saber. it has a lot more settings (which complicates things) but the basic set up for this kind of effect isn’t too hard to do. once applied to a layer with a mask, from the customize core, set core type to layer mask, end size to 0 and set end offset as needed (for length of the stroke). then animate the mask evolution to make it move along the mask path and go from there.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

you could also try linear wipe, you just need to link the completion to the y-position relative to the comp height:

target = thisComp.layer(“TITLE – EDIT ME”);
100 – ( 100 * target.position[1] / thisComp.height );

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

for 2d layers, this should work:
target = thisComp.layer("Null 1"); // set this to the layer to aim at
p = position - target.position;
radiansToDegrees( Math.atan2( p[1], p[0] ) )

for 3d layers you can use lookAt() on the orientation of the layer:
target = thisComp.layer("Null 1");// set this to the layer to aim at
lookAt( position, target.position )

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

maybe try a layer as a track matte for the tab…?

if you position the track matte on the baseline of the text, i think it would work.. you could even parent that track matte to the text layer in case they decide to reposition the text.

or, since you are likely using a shape layer as the tab, you might be able to add another rectangle path to that tab, and use ‘merge paths’ to subtract one from the other…

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

combing the threshold effect and tint effect will get you very close….

add threshold and set the ‘level’ as needed to make a black and white image of the photo.

then add the tint effect to colorize that, setting ‘map black to’ and ‘map white to’ the colors that you want.

you could add the curves effect, or other color adjustment prior to the tint effect to give added image control.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

if its overall kerning of the entire text layer (which adobe calls ‘tracking’), you may be able to use a text animator for kerning on each of the text layer layers and link them all together with an expression (perhaps linking them to a slider control one of the layers).

if you want to adjust kerning between specific characters and have that be reflected in the other layers, you’d likely need to try moving the ‘master’ text layer into another comp and replace the text layers with that ‘master’ pre-comp.

or, you might be able to use the compound arithmetic effect on solids to composite the master text layer onto the solids, using those solids to replace the other text layers.

both of those options may involve reworking how you have done the boarders….

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

the vegas effect can do most of what you are asking for, except the taper…

create a mask on a layer, then add the vegas effect. set it to stroke the mask (rather than image contours), set the segment to 1 and adjust the length, width and other settings as needed. Animate the rotation to animate it around the mask.

it will get you close, but you’ll likely want to add the glow effect and finesse it a little to get closer to what you want.

‘saber’ is a free plugin from videocopilot.net. it will do the taper, but i don’t think it will do the fade… it had glow options built in and gives a very finished look with little-to-no extra finesse work. there are also good tutorials to learn that effect on that site.

‘3d stroke’ from redgiant.com can also stroke a path with taper options… simpler to use than saber, but not free.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

nice. i’ve never found a use for audio spectrum until now

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

much simpler method than my old method 🙂

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

you can distribute layers between 2 layers with expressions. the initial set up is a little complicated, and you’ll have a layer for each dot, which makes the comp a little messy if you have a lot of dots…

but here’s the method i would try:

first, you’ll need the layers that are tracking your points (likely 2 nulls) so make sure those are in your comp.

next, create a null and name it ‘Dot Control’ (really you can name it anything, but then you’d also need to change that in the expression), and add a slider control from effects>expression controls. set the number of dots that you need in the slider (you can change this later if needed).

then create your first dot layer and make sure the ancho point is in the middle of the dot.

for the expression to work properly, the dot layers will always need to be just bellow the dot control null in the layer stack, so drag this dot layer bellow the dot control null. then add this expression to the dot’s position property:
ctrl = thisComp.layer("Dot Control");
nTot = ctrl.effect("Slider Control")("Slider") - 1;
n = index - ctrl.index - 1;
target1 = thisComp.layer("Null 1"); // set this to one of your tracking layers.
target2 = thisComp.layer("Null 2"); // set this to the other tracking layer
p1 = target1.position;
p2 = target2.position;
linear( n / nTot, p1, p2 )
update the “Null 1” and “Null 2” (for target1 and target2) to be the 2 tracking layers’ names.

now you can simply duplicate the dot layer until you have the number that you set earlier in the slider control. as the target layers move, the dots should follow and distribute to create a dotted line..

if needed, you can adjust that value and duplicate or delete dots as needed.

Kevin Camp
Art Director
KCPQ, KZJO & KRCW