Lena Rivera
Adobe After Effects is a powerful tool for creating and manipulating shapes, allowing users to add various attributes and effects to their creations. One of the fundamental steps in working with shapes in After Effects is understanding how to create a shape layer, which serves as the foundation for further modifications. This can be achieved by drawing directly in the Composition panel using the Shape or Pen tool, with the ability to add shape attributes or create shapes within that layer. Once a shape is drawn, a new layer will appear in the Timeline, containing the Contents and Transform properties. The Contents property houses the actual path of the shape, which can be keyframed, along with the Fill and Stroke attributes, also known as paint operations. These paint operations allow users to fill the shape with solid colours or gradients, offering a wide range of customization options. With the ability to link mask paths, paint stroke paths, and Bezier shape paths using expressions, After Effects provides a versatile platform for creating dynamic visuals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to create a shape layer | Draw in the Composition panel with the Shape or Pen tool |
| Create a shape layer from a vector art footage layer | |
| Copy paths from Illustrator or Photoshop and paste into After Effects as a mask path or shape path | |
| How to add attributes | Use the Add menu in the Tools panel or Timeline panel |
| Rules for rendering a shape layer | Within a group, the shape at the bottom of the Timeline panel stacking order is rendered first |
| All path operations within a group are performed before paint operations | |
| Paint operations within a group are performed from the bottom to the top in the Timeline panel stacking order | |
| To override this default behavior for a specific fill or stroke, choose Above Previous In Same Group for the Composite property for the fill or stroke in the Timeline panel | |
| Path operations | Wiggle Transform, Zig Zag, Wiggle Paths, Trim Paths, Pucker & Bloat |
| Paint operations | Strokes and fills |
| Paint effects | Gaussian Blur, Roughen Edges, CC Vector Blur, Turbulent Noises, CC Toner |
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What You'll Learn
Create a shape layer
To create a shape layer in After Effects, you can draw in the Composition panel using the Shape or Pen tool. You can also create a shape layer from a vector art footage layer.
If you draw in the Composition panel when a shape layer is selected, you will create a shape within that shape layer, above the selected shapes or group of shapes. If you draw in the Composition panel using the Shape or Pen tool when an image layer other than a shape layer is selected, you will create a mask.
Before drawing in the Composition panel to create a shape layer, press F2 and deselect all layers. A new shape will usually have a fill and a stroke that correspond to the Fill and Stroke settings in the Tools panel at the time the shape is drawn. You can also copy a path from Illustrator or Photoshop and paste it into After Effects as a mask path or shape path.
Shape paths have two varieties: parametric shape paths and Bezier shape paths. Parametric shape paths are defined numerically by properties that you can modify and animate after drawing in the Timeline panel. You can add, delete, and edit vertices in the composition using the Pen tool. To create a closed path, simply connect the last vertex with the first.
Once a shape is drawn in the Composition panel, a new layer will show up in the Timeline. Open this Shape layer and you will find two properties: Contents and Transform. Go inside the Contents to find your shape. This shape resides inside of a group, which contains all of the attributes and properties that make up the shape.
You can add attributes such as paths, paint operations, and path operations by using the Add menu in the Tools panel or Timeline panel. New paths are added below existing paths and groups, and new paint operations are added below existing paths and above existing strokes and fills.
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Add attributes and properties
To add attributes and properties to a shape layer in After Effects, you can use the Add menu in the Tools panel or Timeline panel. The new attributes will be inserted into the selected shape group or groups. Here are the default rules for adding new attributes:
- New paths are added below existing paths and groups.
- New path operations (e.g., Zig Zag, Wiggle Paths) are added below existing path operations. If no path operations are present, they are added below existing paths.
- New paint operations (strokes and fills) are added below existing paths and above existing strokes and fills.
You can override these default rules by holding the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key while selecting an item from the Add menu. This will place the new attribute at the end of the group, below all other attributes. The Repeater operation, which creates multiple copies of a shape with specified transformations, is always added at the end of the group.
Within a group, the rendering order follows a specific hierarchy. Shape layers are rendered from the bottom to the top of the Timeline panel stacking order. All path operations within a group are performed before paint operations. This means that any distortions or effects from path operations will be visible on top of paint operations. To change this default behaviour, you can select "Above Previous In Same Group" for the Composite property of the fill or stroke in the Timeline panel.
In addition to the Add menu, you can also use the shape tools or the Pen tool to draw and modify shapes within a shape layer. This allows you to add shape attributes to existing shapes or create new shapes within the layer. When drawing in the Composition panel, the selected tool will determine the result: if a shape layer is selected, you will create a shape within that layer; if an image layer is selected, you will create a mask.
You can also copy and paste paths from Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop into After Effects as mask paths, shape paths, or motion paths. To ensure compatibility, specific settings must be considered when copying from these external sources. For Illustrator paths, the AICB option must be selected in the Files & Clipboard section of the Adobe Illustrator Preferences. For Photoshop paths, the document resolution must be set to 72 dpi.
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Use the pen tool
To paint on a shape layer in After Effects, you can use the Pen tool. This tool allows you to create and modify shapes within a shape layer. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use the Pen tool:
First, create a new shape layer by going to the Composition panel and selecting the Pen tool. You can use the shortcut "G" to select the Pen tool quickly. Before drawing, press F2 to deselect all layers. This ensures that you are creating a new shape layer and not drawing on an existing layer.
With the Pen tool selected, click on different locations in the Composition panel to create vertices. To create a curved segment, drag the direction line handle to form the desired curve. To reposition a vertex, hold the spacebar while dragging before releasing the mouse button.
To create a straight line, simply click and release with the Pen tool to create two vertices. Continue clicking to create additional straight segments connected by corner points. Shift-click to constrain the angle between segments to a multiple of 45 degrees.
To close the path, hover the pointer over the first vertex. When a closed circle icon appears, select the vertex. Alternatively, you can double-click on the last vertex or go to Layer > Mask and Shape Path > Closed.
If you want to create a shape within an existing shape layer, select the desired shape layer before using the Pen tool. This will allow you to add new shapes or modify existing ones within that specific layer.
Additionally, you can use the Pen tool to create a Bezier mask on a selected layer in the Composition or Layer panel. Simply select the Pen tool and draw the desired mask shape.
By following these steps, you can effectively use the Pen tool to paint and create shapes on a shape layer in After Effects.
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Convert vector art to a shape layer
To convert vector art to a shape layer in After Effects, you can follow these steps:
- Open your vector art file in Adobe Illustrator.
- Save your file and import it into After Effects.
- Separate your layers in Illustrator to ensure a smooth workflow in After Effects.
- In After Effects, go to "Layer > Create > Create Shapes from Vector Layer".
- A matching shape layer will appear above the footage layer, and the footage layer will be muted.
- You can now modify the shape layer by adding or editing attributes such as paths, paint operations, and path operations.
- To add attributes, use the "Add" menu in the Tools panel or Timeline panel.
- New paths will be added below existing paths, and new paint operations will be added below paths and above existing strokes and fills.
- You can also use the Pen and Shape tools to create and modify shapes directly in After Effects.
- To create a shape layer, draw in the Composition panel using the Shape or Pen tool with a shape layer selected.
It's important to note that not all features of Illustrator files will be preserved during the conversion. For example, opacity, images, and gradients may not transfer accurately. Additionally, gradients may appear as grey fills, and files with thousands of paths may import slowly.
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Copy and paste paths
Copying and pasting paths in After Effects allows you to duplicate a path within the same project or import it from another compatible Adobe application, such as Illustrator or Photoshop. This functionality is particularly useful when you want to replicate a specific path or use it as a starting point for further editing.
To copy a path from Illustrator or Photoshop and paste it into After Effects, ensure that the data is compatible. For Illustrator, select the AICB option in the Files & Clipboard section of the Adobe Illustrator Preferences dialog box. For Photoshop, ensure that the document has a resolution of 72 dpi. Once the path is copied, define the target for the paste operation in After Effects. To paste the path as a mask, select a layer. To replace an existing path, select its Path property.
If you encounter alignment issues when pasting a path from one shape layer to another, ensure that the Position properties of both layers have the same values. If they don't align correctly, you can manually realign the path visually. Additionally, if the layer containing the copied path has been moved, rotated, or scaled, you can fix the position by adding a null to the composition and making it the parent of the new layer with the offset path. Then, use Shift + Parent to parent the new null to the original layer.
You can also copy and paste multiple paths from Illustrator into After Effects. One method involves using the free svg2ae importer, which allows you to paste all paths into a path layer, making them visible and editable. Another approach is to copy and paste each path into the Position property of a pencil layer or a Null that the pencil is parented to. This creates keyframes that can be aligned with the Trim Paths keys, allowing the pencil to move between paths naturally.
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Frequently asked questions
You can create a shape layer by drawing in the Composition panel with the shape tools or the Pen tool. You can also create a shape layer from a vector art footage layer.
You can add paint operations to a shape layer by using the Add menu in the Tools panel or Timeline panel. Paint operations refer to the fill and stroke attributes.
You can modify a shape path by applying path operations such as Wiggle Paths and Pucker & Bloat. To create a closed shape path, simply connect the last vertex with the first.
