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Gotta Dance
Gotta Dance
Inspiring
September 19, 2023
Answered

Shaper Layer Path Morph Animation Flipping/Wonky -- Need to move Primary Node...?

  • September 19, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 1214 views

Hi Everybody,

 

I have a situation where I'm morphing three icons. The first two work fine, the last does a 180 flip and everything is all messed up. I went back into illustrator, made it a compound path (all of them), made sure the directions were all the same, then re-imported the vector back into AE, made shapes, and still had the same problem. 

 

Now, I see that there's a primary or starting bezier node witha circle around it. That's my problem. In the third shape it's on a bad spot, I even rotated it without avail. So I need to know how to reset that spot to be another bezier node so the whole thing moves smoothly.

 

Does anybody know how to do that? Screengrab attached to point out what I'm alluding to.

 

 

 

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Mylenium

Select the point, right-click, Mask & Path --> Set First Vertex

 

Mylenium

2 replies

Mylenium
MyleniumCorrect answer
Legend
September 20, 2023

Select the point, right-click, Mask & Path --> Set First Vertex

 

Mylenium

Gotta Dance
Gotta DanceAuthor
Inspiring
September 20, 2023

Amazing. Brilliant. Thank you!

R
Community Expert
Rick GerardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 20, 2023

I am not sure what the uploaded screenshots show us. If you are animating paths, the vertex count should match, the First Vertex should be in the same position, and you have to consider that path points animate in a straight line.  Sometimes, you can use Window/Mask Interpolation to solve some problems. You can also change the direction of a shape layer path in the Timeline. You'll find the icons to the left of the Path property in the Switches and Modes column (the second icon at the bottom left corner of the Timeline panel - looks like two intersecting circles). 

 

 

Gotta Dance
Gotta DanceAuthor
Inspiring
September 20, 2023

If you look closely the red circled dots have a ring around them. That is where the shape line originates from. It's the key/index bezier 'dot'. All morphing is based on that dot. If you look closely you'll see that no other dot has that blue ring around it. For whatever reason, that's how it's marked in AE.

 

If you animate a square into a octogon (regardless of node count) you will see that one of those bezier nodes  of the shape has a small blue circle around it. That's what I'm pertaining to. The first two shapes morph fine based on the 'circle dot's positioning within the scheme of things. The third one is an an obscure position on the shape in relation to the other two. So it has to cross over when animated. Like, the other two dots on the other two shapes are on the left, while it is on the right (well, it was before the photo, I tried rotating it). So as far as designation when animated it is calculated to cross over. It's a bad designation spot for that "index dot".

 

So, I want to move this 'index' dot to another spot on the shape but I don't know how. I guess I coiuld maybe trace it guessing that it's the origin, but was wondering if there was an easier way to re-assign the order with which the shape is designated start to finish.

 

I hope that makes sense. Look for the small blue ring inside the red circled dot, you'll see what I mean.

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