Copy shape from one layer to another IN SAME PLACE?

[samy21257410]

Hey everyone, I'm having a real tough time with something that should totally have a plug in by now for AE.

I'm working on a composition where we have this line path on screen and... when this bubble mask opens up above it, you see the colored/filled composition inside it. So it's like it's filling in the lines with this mask! But it's really just one line layer and one compositon masked.

Now all you'd really have to do here is copy the shapes/outlines of this first composition and then put on "merge paths" from the add menu on contents of this single shape layer, then its just that outline! No problem!

But I'm working on someone elses file who just outlined it instead and now that we have to do editing, everything's getting messy! I'm trying to do it the way I did before but the shapes/sizes of the shapes inside the comps are all different and....

To be brief, I can't copy and paste the shape layers in the same place into this shape layer I'm using as the single merged path comp!

I'm also working in 3d.

Can anyone help?

[Jose Panadero]

Hi Samy12157410. Try this:

Copy the original path shape. Then create a new empty Shape Layer and add a new point or add a new point to an existing Shape Layer. Twirl down the Shape Layer > Contents > Shape X (where X is the number of the new shape) > Path X > Path. Select the Path parameter and use the Paste command. The original Shape will be pasted into the exact same position.

[Newelle]

What does "add a new point" mean? I have same issue, want to paste existing shape in another layer into a new layer while retaining properties/position etc. Thank you!

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

If copy and paste moves a path to a new location on the screen then the layer containing the path was scaled, rotated or moved in the composition panel. To make a copy of a shape layer or a mask use the duplicate command, not copy and paste. This works with masks on the same layer or on shapes on the same layer. If you need the shape or the mask on a new layer then duplicate the entire layer.