How do I animate a shape layer composed of different animated paths along another path?

[Neon Tundra]

First of all, thanks in advance for your help!

I have a word made out of different animated paths. It's a shape layer, and it has 8 shapes wich are the glyphs (strokes animated with trim paths).



I need this shape layer to follow a curved path (like moving along the curve of the eye, see image below).



I know how to do this with a text layer, but I can't seem to make it work with a shape layer (and it must be a shape layer because I need the handwritten effect).

I've tried creating a curved path in a new layer and copying the path onto the shape layer's main position, but it doesn't work the way I want. I also pasted that path onto each one of the shape's independent transform positions with no luck either.

Any ideas on how can I do it?

Thank you!

Luigi

[Neon Tundra]

I discovered that pasting the curved path's 'path' onto the shape layer's position worked better once I pre-composed it. I still think it looked much better as a text layer, but I think I can make it work. If anyone knows a better way, I'd love to hear it!

[Neon Tundra]

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention another thing I did. Layer > Transform > Auto-orient helped the word to adapt better to the path. What I meant about the effect looking better on a text layer is that I think you have more options when working with texts.

[P.M.B]

Pre composing is the way to do it.  You could have also put all the layers under a null (or any single layer with a position property really) and put the null onto the path.  It's simple really you just need them all under a single position property.  As for the text layer having more option...what options exactly are you refferring to?

[Neon Tundra]

Hi there Gutterfish! Thanks for your reply!

Yes, it got easier once I pre-composed the shape layer. With the null suggestion, do you mean copying the curved layer's path and pasting that path to the null's position (having the shape layers parented to that null)? It sounds like a nice solution.

When I said I had more options with text layers I meant that, for example, when I was working with text layers I added some animations to the texts. I used scale, position and character spacing animations, so the words could animate in from smaller to bigger, the position of the words could change and also the space between the characters. Overall, you can tweak more parameters and it feels more dynamic and rich. Also, when I needed that text to follow a path, I found it easier to just draw a path on the same text layer and then go to 'Path Options' and select the path I just drew as a mask. The options you have there (reverse path, perpendicular to path and the possibility to edit the margins parameters) are really cool too, and I kind of missed that options when I re-worked the word as a shape layer. Of course, with a shape layer you can make lots of things you can't with text layers, for instance I was interested in creating a hand-written effect, but the possibilities of adapting that layer to a custom path felt limited compared to the possibilities you have with text layers.

Sorry for the extended reply, I hope I'm making myself understand, and thanks a lot for your reply!

Have a nice day!

Luigi

[Ali Jaber]

Copying the mask path into the layer's position will work directly, just be sure to do the following:

• Adjust the text's layer anchor point where you want it to be on the path
• Create a solid that is the same size as your composition, draw the mask on it, then copy and paste that mask into your text layer's position

Masks are calculated based on layer space, so creating the mask on a layer that is the same size as your comp will help you avoid any problems with copy-paste masks into position