quick question td, are you trying to make a write on effect?, if so check out jayse tutorials.
https://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_page_wrapper.cgi?forumid=2&page=https://www.creativecow.net/articles/hansen_jaysen/growing/index.html
hope that helps, it describes how you really don’t need a mask, but a path, about your second question, i really just see it as paths and masks, paths being like lines in the sense that they dont cover areas, rather they make, er, well “paths” and mask being what they are, “masks” areas where things can be covered or uncovered.
and how he made the open ended lines, well with the pen tool, just trace the letter, like a pen would
again, really, check out jayse tutorial.
I’ve been using after effects for three months so don’t be too harsh im just trying to help, never heard about strokes or lines, seems like ilustrator or photoshop stuff
so, don’t know if this would be bad manners but, sorry in andvance, Id like to draw attention to the post, just before yours, its mine, im having trouble scrubbing, i just dont see anything i have to ram preview, check it our, its called scrubbing doesnt wok, maybe you can help.
thankx for everything
Luis Artigas
YANOMAMI FILMS
Caracas, Venezuela