Need to "attach" multiple image layers to one shape layer or mask path.

[djamplifide]

Hello all, thanks in advance for your help. I need to add multiple (like 50) .png layers to one path so that I can animate the path and create a "wave" effect to make it look like the images are all doing a wave up and down in the "y" direction.

Kind of like this: (if all the "o" shapes started in a single flat line and then animated in the "y" only (up and down. ) (Just using the --'s as spacers)

-------------o

-------- o ------o

--- o-----------------o-------------------- o

o------------------------ o ----o---- o

I thought about maybe creating a sine wave on a path and attaching all the layers to one path, but I can't seem to figure out how to attach separate image layers to one path on a separate layer. I'd really like to avoid having to do an individual mask path and pasting to each separate layer because if I want to tweak the motion after I have all the layers set up, i'd have to start all over.

If you can think of another way to do this, maybe like attaching all the image layers to a slider control via expression, but I need to be able to control the layer "y" positions a little better than just offsetting the "y" transform expression or wiggle. Maybe a particle replicator with the image set as the particle and multi-object? I'm struggling here, but it seems like a solution should be so simple. Perhaps i'm overthinking it.

Thanks so much!

[angie_taylor]

Here's a link to one of my tutorialswhich teaches you how to use expressions to create wave animations;

Sine and Cosine functions in Expressions

You can also use index to offset each one by a factor.

I hope this helps 🙂

Angie Taylor

[djamplifide]

I watched it and am a couple more down now trying to figure out how I could make this work for my project. I'd need a line of graphics to go in a wave but need to be able to control different parts of the wave, like the center part of the wave settles down first as the wave ripples out, which is why i'd really like to just be able to attach the images to a path that I can control them all from.

[angie_taylor]

In that case, create your path, you can draw a mask with the Pen tool. select the Mask shape property copy it and then paste it into the position property of all of your layers. You can then offset each one using an expression on the Position property. Or if you prefer a manual method, select all layers, hit A to open the anchor Point value and scrub the anchor point to offset their loctation.

Hope this helps,

Angie Taylor | Creative Cabin Ltd

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

If you animate a shape and paste those keyframes to a motion path for an image or a shape your image will follow the path of the vector path at the first keyframe and then return to the start of the path  in a straight line, then move on the path of the second keyframe and then repeat the pattern. If you just need the images to follow along a path and the path does not need to change shape then one keyframe, a paste, and an offset in time based on index or Dan Ebbert's follow me expressions would do the trick.

If you needed to change the shape of the path and have the images follow along you could design a motion path that had the shape you want for maximum deflection, then set up an expression that looked at the color values of points on an animated gradient and turned them into offsets for the position values based on layers. You could also attach a slider to each of the position keyframes and then animate the sliders to increase or decrease the offset value of the motion. Either of those approaches would work but they would take me a very long time to work out.

If I understand your design goals I think the easiest solution may be to invest in  BAO Mask Brush or BAO Boa.​ I have them both and they are amazing and a great value.

[djamplifide]

I ended up doing it a little more archaically because of time constraints, but BAO looks pretty close to what I was looking for. I see what you're saying with the paths, masks, and expressions, but it's rather advanced, and it seems like there would be an easier way to attach lots of objects to a single path which you can then edit across time.

Maybe in AE 2020.

Thanks for the help everyone!