A short tutorial on converting After Effects shape layers into masks. In this video, you will see how to quickly convert vector graphics from Illustrator to shape layers and animate the paths in After Effects CS6. At the most basic level, an After Effects shape is a vector graphic made up of vertices and segments. I made some graphics in Illustrator and brought the files into After Effects. But with the new Shape Layers in After Effects CS3, you may run into a little snag when trying to paste paths to shapes. Get the most out of your motion graphics workflow with After Effects Tips and Techniques, the series that introduces new shortcuts, hidden gems, and overlooked effects to experienced After Effects artists.In this course you'll learn how to make the most out of shapes, masks, text, and path effects: some of the most flexible and design-friendly elements of the software. It's the raw material of shapes but not quite a shape in-itself. Select the Illustrator layer to convert. First create a new document and just draw any path on the canvas. Click the new vector file to add effects. Select your Mask Path, copy it and paste to Path of the shape layer; So when you have your shape layers, you can animate your properties Using the rectangle tool, draw a rectangle on the composition.Don’t worry too much how this looks as this won’t be your actual morphing shape. Download The Ultimate Guide to Shape Layers in After Effects Skillshare – Free Course Download. Together, these vertices and segments create paths. Image via Sander van Dijk. Understanding how these layers work will help you master how to use them. repeater explode trim break after-effects. Ask Question Asked 6 years, 4 months ago. So before we move ahead working with our little sprout here, let's turn these layers off temporarily and just make a couple of new shape layers so we can explore this idea a little further. The layout of a shape layer isn’t exactly intuitive. 5 Modes. Select the Illustrator layer to convert. Open your vector layer in After Effects. A dialogue window will appear where you can browse and find your PSD. Just type in some text, or draw some masks, and then click a button. Explode Shape Layers will take a shape layer in After Effects and split each of its content paths or even groups into individual layers, ultimately giving you much better control and access to shapes. If you want to use the sample file beyond this tutorial, you can purchase a license on Adobe Stock. 1. Selecting a region changes the language and/or content on Adobe.com. In order to animate it using Plexus I had to convert a large number of shape layers to null objects. Couldn't have done it without Layer Converter! Automatic Whiteboard converts After Effects text layers and masks into write-on animations, automatically! After Effects will create new shape layers with all the vector assets and keyframes included at the same time that it will hide the visibility of the old Illustrator layers. Creating Multiple strokes on text in After Effects isn't as easy as it could be and can require a lot of messing about with duplicating layers, that is until you convert the text into a Shape Layer! 1. convert the vector layer to shape by right clicking and choosing "Create Shapes from Vector Layer" and this will give you hopefully and exact instance of your layer, as Ae shape layer. Drop down the shape properties and go into contents, then rectangle 1. I had to convert the layers into shape layers in order to get the effect I needed. Convert to bezier path. Convert text layers into editable shape layers. Drawing the Path. I just want to explode / break the individual shapes created by repeater and trim options. Divide text at white spaces and line breaks and create a shape layer for each with a centered anchor point. Right click on rectangle path and convert this to bezier path. In the lower left hand corner of After Effects you will want to make sure you have the "transfer controls" toggled as visible. Advanced Shape Layer Techniques in After Effects. Open and adjust the layer options for the newly created shape layer to take advantage of the unique animation possibilities provided by shape layers. That’s it. These tutorials are designed for After Effects CS4 through CC, and can be used on their own or as a companion to the Meyer's book, After Effects Apprentice. Online Privacy Policy. A Path in Contents will be created. I made some graphics in Illustrator and brought the files into After Effects. Southeast Asia (Includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) - English, الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا - اللغة العربية. But I want to change some of the colors on the graphics now.   |   Converting imported vector graphics from Illustrator to Shape layers. All these FX are created with just one Shape Layer. Change vector files to shape layers Anchor points. The After Effects CC (12.2) update makes creating a Bezier path for a shape easier and more discoverable, as well as adding the ability to convert from a parametric path to a Bezier path. Download a sample file to practice with. Note that a path is merely a series of points like an outline which can become a selection. ... During this conversion into shape layers the gradients are converted into solid grey shapes. The After Effects Apprentice series was created by Trish and Chris Meyer. after-effects. Sample files to practice with (ZIP, 2 MB), Southeast Asia (Includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) - English, الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا - اللغة العربية. The Ultimate Guide to Shape Layers in After Effects details can be found below by pressing Buy Here or View Demo Button. All of them are very common path-based FX that are featured in Illustrator. Post questions and get answers from experts. — Jesper Bolther Friction Art Director & Animation Director. I have text that is animated using Animators in After Effects. Convert Illustrator layers into shape layers. One of the coolest features in After Effects is the cross-compatibility with other Adobe programs. In this quick tutorial I'll show a useful expression to control a 3D layers parameters using its distance to a camera. Converting the layers from Illustrator file into After Effects vector shapes is fairly straightforward. Notice how I've also created a new layer group named “Separate Layers”. Right-click the file and choose Create Shapes From Vector File. Select your Mask Path, copy it and paste to Path of the shape layer; So when you have your shape layers, you can animate your properties ; share | improve this answer | follow | answered Jun 20 '19 at 8:27. This also means you can apply layer effects and even filters if you convert the same into a smart object. Toby Pitman shows how inside, with video examples, too. Post questions and get answers from experts. You can make a layer into a mask by assigning it as a "track matte". Is there any way? Isn ’ t seem to get a clean shape I made some graphics in Illustrator and brought files. S working easy in my AE CC Trish and Chris Meyer inside, with or without a hand draw. Animation possibilities provided by shape layers I encounter a problem with the aliasing. Ae will import those as raster layers with Vector masks ; Create a new shape layer to mimic rotations. 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