How is this done: Line following a point with waves?

[J Woods]

How is this done: Line following a point with waves?

I've spent hours on it, and neither wave warp nor displacement maps work.

Creator: https://dribbble.com/shots/19960714-Changing-together

[Rick Gerard]

If you have the budget, Trapcode 3D Stroke would be my tool of choice. 

You could also animate a shape layer path. You won't be able to wrap one path around another like you can with Trapcode 3D Stroke, but you can get close. 

[J Woods]

Thanks, I might have to have a crack at it in Blender/C4D instead. I've spent an age trying to get it with shape layers, not there yet though.

[Mylenium]

Simple mask paths or shape layer paths will suffice. There is no genuine motion anywhere. It's all just wavy paths being pushed around and being revealed, a.k.a. a classic stroke reveal, just with a creative twist.

Mylenium

[J Woods]

Thanks— it indeed does look simple, but oddly after hours my efforts haven't quite cut it, so far anyway.  Could you point me to a URL/tut anywhere that has a little detail on the technique?

[Mylenium]

Create the paths as shape layers or masks, copy & paste them to the position properties of the dots. Apply Trim Paths operators or a Stroke effect to the paths, animate the completion. Tweak the timing of everything. Pre-compose, move the layer around as a whole in the parent comp to create the illusion of motion.

Mylenium

[J Woods]

Thank you, I can have a crack at this and reply back.

[thepixelsmith · Accepted solution]

Evan Abrams has a tutorial on this technique. 

Diverging Paths

https://youtu.be/v7XWyc_zsWA?si=ETvH4-Usdqg_yMsX

As he did, I would use shape layers as the lines and use the Trim Path effect to reveal them.

Then I would use the Create Nulls from Paths panel command Trace Paths to create a null that follow the lines and attach the circle to follow the null.

[J Woods]

Thanks, this looks like it.