Animated Signature and Stroke Paths

[Tim5C22]

I am trying to animate my signature and I have it working, however where two stroke paths cross is not drawing properly.  My name is Tim and I start out writing the top of the "T", then the vertical of the "T".

When I animate this AE is drawing the top part and including just a bit of where the top and vertical cross (see attachment).  I cannot figure out how to correct this.  Any ideas?

tim

[Tim5C22]

Just so you know it writes the vertical part as it passes over the vertical line instead of "after completing the horizontal line".

[Warren Heaton]

This can be a little tricky. You could try to get the stroke value low enough so that it doesn't reveal where the signature crosses vertically.  You'll probably be happier with the results if you take the time to break your signature layer in the multiple layers based on how the lines would appear as wrote them (probably via a quick trip to Photoshop). It becomes a little more to work with as you have to apply the right on effect multiple times, but the improved and result is usually worth it.

[Kyle Hamrick]

100% this. Think about the way your pen tip moves when you're doing this in the real world. After Effects doesn't know that you're trying to recreate a realistic write-on, it's just revealing what you tell it to reveal. 

Trimming/dissecting the letter forms into the actual lines you want to appear is the key here, via masking or in Photoshop/Illustrator.

If this is a font, you can usually be clever and re-use letters that appear more than once in your word(s) to save having to re-dissect them. 

[Tim5C22]

Thanks for the input from both of you.  That sounds exactly like what I want.  This is the video that I was using to learn how to do this and AE is using masks (see attached), is there any way to edit the mask with a brush as you can in PS.

If not then in PS I assume I would place each component of the signature (at least the problem areas) on a layer.  I'll have to find some tutorials on how to handle this with PS and bringing it into AE and the next steps.  I've used PS quite a bit in my photography, new to AE though.

tim

[Tim5C22]

Just found the brush in AE, i'm editing the mask to see if I can get it to work how I want now.  My sig is a professionally produced .png so this may be better, my handwriting sucks....lol

[Tim5C22]

okay i'm following your advice, the mask in AE is not quite like PS and Im used to PS, so I am working now in PS.  I took the .png and opened it in PS and covered it with a hide all mask.  Now in successive layers I'm revealing the signature as I would write it.

I'll have to figure out how to import it into AE and animate it appropriately.

[Tim5C22]

Thank you guys for the advice, I have gotten the PSD into AE and working on the animation now.....

[Tim5C22]

Is there a keyboard shortcut or command that will reverse the order of layers in PS?

[Rick Gerard]

I will typically add masks to the path and animate the opacity and/or the shape so that the reveal does not look get fouled up. The mask just needs to be wide enough to hide the intersection. This is how I set it up. The animated shape layer with the stroke is still turned on so you can see the path. The mask layer is on top and Set Matte is used to hide the problem intersections. Animate mask opacity as the stroke passes the intersections. 

[Tim5C22]

Thanks Rick....