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shmiths
Known Participant
May 11, 2021
Question

Create shapes from vector layer - converts paths to fills/outlines instead of stroke paths

  • May 11, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 1968 views

Hi all

Have used the Create shapes from vector layer feature a thousand times before but I'm running into this problem today and can't work it out.

 

I have been sent a piece of Ai artwork, which I have imported into AE as a composition. One of these layers contains 20-30 simple line paths, some 10pt red lines and some 2pt black. The Variable width profile is set to Uniform and the brush definition is set to Basic. Fine. All I want to do is convert it to a Shape layer so I can add a trim paths to them, but when I do this only the path stacked at the bottom of the layer converts to a stroked path, the rest all convert to fills (outline stroke). I've tried anything I can think of, such as setting all to the same stroke width, removing round cap/join, stacking in a different order (changing the order still makes the bottom path convert OK), pasting into a new document etc

 

If I create a new document, draw a few paths out on a layer with the same stroke settings, and convert in AE it works absolutely fine and the paths convert to strokes as I want them.... so It seems like a problem/setting with the setup of the document I have been sent.

 

With the time I've spent it would have been quicker just to re-draw them in AE, but there are multiple artworks and I'd like to solve if possible. Probably something really simple!

 

Thanks

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

Mylenium
Mylenium
Legend
May 12, 2021

You answered your own question - messing with variable stroke profiles is never a good idea even if the widths are set to uniform. The internal data generated still sticks. Similarly, there could be additional stuff applied to those paths that causes the output data to be converted to area fills. You need to check the appearance panel in AI and apply a new basic stroke to those elements. Other than that of course screenshots of the layers palette in AI vs. the result in AE might tell a lot.

 

Mylenium

S
shmithsAuthor
Known Participant
May 12, 2021

Thanks - this was just how the artwork arrived, so struggled to diagnose as wasnt my workflow. 

I ended up re-drawing in the end, but looking at the artwork there was an "Outline stroke" in the appearence panel which when deleted has fixed the issue.

 

Thanks again

Y
Yoho15A9
Participant
April 23, 2024

I had the same problems today. I did re-draw all the path in AI. when I

"Create shapes from vector layer" AE shape layer path still outlined.

there was no effects applied to the vector line in AI. Variable Width is Uniform, BUT the Brush Defination is " 5 pt. Round" this costed the problems. Make sure set Brush Defination to "Basic" ..... I was using Eyedropper to pickup the stroke colors from my client's vector artwork file.

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