Skip to main content
A
Ayosmart
Participating Frequently
September 14, 2022
Question

Animating along a path

  • September 14, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 765 views

After changing the position of a shape, the animated object along the path still retains the previous position of the shape 

Please help 

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

Mylenium
Mylenium
Legend
September 15, 2022

In addition to what the others said it also appears that your rectangle isn't perfectly centered in the shape layer to begin with. You might not even have run into this problem if it were. Also as a general tip for such scenarios it usually makes sense to put everything in separate shape layer groups, so even without parenting you can re-align stuff by manipulating the transform values of the group.

 

Mylenium

R
Community Expert
Rick GerardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 15, 2022

There are two solutions to this problem. Both involve parenting. If you start with the masked layer at the default Transform properties (Comp center and not scaled or rotated), you can copy and paste a vector path (mask or shape) to a motion path on your target layer. If you Parent the Target layer, the layer that will follow the path to the Masked or Shape layer before you move it, the layer following the path will always follow. 

 

The second option, the one I use most often, is to select the path and then open Window/Nulls Follow Paths.jsx script and select Trace Path; a null will be created that follows the path no matter where you move or how you scale the layer with the path. You can then Shift + Parent the Target to the NulNullnd it will always follow the path, even if you animate the path or change it after creating the null. If yoNulln't want the Target to orient to the path you can tie the Position and of the Target to the Null with a simple pickwhip expression. 

 

I've uploaded a project file that shows all three scenarios.

 

A
AyosmartAuthor
Participating Frequently
September 15, 2022

A newbie question ⁉️

 

How do I parent a layer

R
Community Expert
Rick GerardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 15, 2022

User Guide

    Jose Panadero
    Community Expert
    Jose PanaderoCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 14, 2022

    This is because when you copy the path it is relative to the path position inside the Shape Layer (shape layers acts as containers). Probably the easiest way to move the complete motion path once pasted over you target layer is to parent this layer to a null object and move the null object.

    A
    AyosmartAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 15, 2022

    Yes you're right

    The path is relative to the path position after copying it.

    But I feel, even after changing the position of the shape, and I copy the path again and paste into the target layer, it's the new path that should be copied not the former path.

    So why does it still retains the former path?

     

     

     

    R
    Community Expert
    Rick GerardCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 15, 2022

    The vector path is based on layer space. When you paste it into another layer, the coordinates are based on Comp space. It's as if you never moved the original layer with the mask.  You cannot successfully copy a path and paste it to a motion path unless the original layer with the path has not been moved, rotated or scaled from it's default position.

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
      Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices