Shortcut to select and modify mask or path point

[Stormadv]

Hello everyone, I would like to know if there are shortcuts to be able to quickly access the modification of the points of a path or a mask path, without having to manually open the various steps of a level (SEE ATTACH IMAGE). Exist a rapid shotcut to select point?

THANK YOU FOR REPLY.

[Rick Gerard]

Select the mask tool by pressing the letter 'g' on the keyboard. Press 'g' again to change the tool to the feather tool. Holding down the Ctrl/Cmnd or Alt/Option tool will also give you other options. If the Path is selected in the timeline you can also use the selection tool (v) with and without the Alt/Option or Ctrl/Cmnd modifiers to cycle through tools, select paths, multiple points, or handles. You just have to pay attention to the cursor. Here's a quick explanation I did a very long time ago.

It's not complete, but it will get you started.

[Stormadv]

Thank you for reply, but is not focus of my questions, read it.

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

You wanted to know how to work quickly. That is how the tool works. Sorry I did not include the feather tool in the old tutorial. If you want to modify a point, a path, a bezier handle, rotobezier tension, or any other parts of a path you can use the keyboard and the Alt/Option or Ctrl/Cmnd modifier keys to select or modify one or more of the path properties by clicking and dragging. You never have to go to the toolbar. Never. 

If you want to manipulate each of the path properties by dragging or entering values then you have to use the Create Nulls from Paths script or the extended version from AE Scripts that also attaches nulls to control handles to connect the path properties to nulls so you can manually edit the numeric properties. You could also write your own scripts, but if all you are doing is modifying and editing paths all you need is the pen tool (g), or the feather tool (g again), or the selection tool, which works much better if a specific path is selected, and the Alt/Option or Ctrl/Cmnd key and a click or a click and drag. I do it every day and I would guess, except for pointing out the toolbar when I'm teaching, I don't think I have clicked on any of the tools in about 15 years. 

[Jamie Northrup]

Hi Rick,

I have the same question as OP. Your video and answer are helpful, but what we're both not understanding is how to select the path in the first place. The only reliable way I've come up with to select the path is the same as OP... I select the Layer then use 'Find' to search for "path", then click on the Group named 'Path' which gets me to the path selected but without all of the Points selected, which then allows me to click on whatever point I need to select and then change it. Once I'm in this mode, I can do all the things you described in your video. It's getting the path selected that is the hard part. I've read in the manual that there's a way to get to the same state using double clicks to dive through the groups down to the path, but I have never gotten this to work reliably without inadvertantly moving the path/shape in screen space (possibly because I don't use a mouse, I use a tablet).

Do you have a shortcut for selecting the Path so that it can be edited?

Thanks so much for your expertise!

[Rick Gerard]

Pressing the U key twice with a shape layer selected and having the selection tool (V) active will give you the opportunity to select a mask in the timeline and then click on a single or drag a selection around multiple points to edit them. No need to search. If you want to see only the paths, select a shape or layer with a mask and type pa in the Timeline Search and all of the paths on that layer will show up.