Help with animation

[HugoNZ]

Hi Folks,

Let me start by saying that I know my way around AE, but I am by no means an animator. This is why I am creating this post. I need help or a point in the right direction with an animation. I need a solid shape to animate as though it were paint with a line being drawn through it. Basic idea in the image below:

[Mo Moolla]

Hi Hugo

The line and initial shape are simple

You can use the shatter effect to create the line passing through

This is the easy way. There are mire complex ways but don't want to confuse you

Shatter has tons of variables that you can customise to achieve what you need.

Mo

[Kyle Hamrick]

You'll likely need to do at least some manual work to make this satisfying, but I'd do the base animation with a few shape layers.
A technique like this can probably get you pretty close to the sticky/liquid look.

[HugoNZ]

I watched that video today I also had a play with Animate CC today. The movement of the outward lines is good, but it also animates the static parts of the shape, but I think I might have a way around that 🙂 Ultimately I know that it's not as simple as one click. Will share my progress on here.

[A.I.1]

Isn't there some particle system that could do something like that (or would it be not that difficult to create?). eg. if particles/circles/ovals were created for the overall shape (maybe in a way that there were no gaps) and then as the line moved into them it created a force on the "particles" it came into contact with which created a force on the others which then moved outwards from the line that was moving into the shape, maybe with a bit of randomness. Some effect could be applied to the particles/circles to blend them into each other.

Maybe the puppet tool could also be used to distort things or mesh warp or masks or images with masks that could be moved about to make them move in the directions you wanted.

[Mo Moolla]

A combination of Particular and Form from Trapcode will do the trick but you will need to know your stuff.

Its a bot of a learning curve but the results are pro level (if done correctly)

Mo