What's the best process for animation multiple objects on a the same path?

[Shaun5FC3]

Hi

I have a bunch of different characters, each on a separate layer, that I need to move across the same path, one behind the other.

Would the idea be to add all the layers to a pre comp, then add a path to the pre comp that all the layers should follow, or am I better to apply the same mask to each layer, and have them each follow their own one?

Thank you

[Mylenium · Accepted solution]

Yes, if the movement is identical, pre-composing the animated character would be the most efficient way to go about it. You could then even retime the animation relatively easily with time-remapping instead of putting up with tons of individual keyframes for the limbs and whatnot. Of course you may want to make things a bit more interesting by e.g. building/ duplicating three pre-comps with slight variations, so it doesn't look all that repetitive.

Mylenium

[Shaun5FC3]

Thank you Mylenium. Rather than one character that has multiple movements over time, it's actually 10 different characters (animals), static ie they have no moving limbs etc, that I need to have moving along the same, curved path, one after the other. With this in mind, is the process you suggested still what I should follow? Thank you.

[Byron Cortez]

I think it depends a bit on the movement that the characters are making but here's another idea. After pre-composing you can create a Null Object, you animate this Null Object in Position in the path you need, then you duplicate the Null Object the number of characters you have and each one you put as a child of a different Null Object (with the Parents), then you make a kind of ladder with the Null Objects in the Timeline to delay them one after the other and that's it. 

[Shaun5FC3]

Thank you Bryon. That lead me to a tutorial on null objects. Just to get my head around your suggestion - how is using your null object method better than to creating an animation path for one of the layers, then copy/pasting this path to each layer? ie what's the advantage, as they seem to be roughly the same amount of work for the same outcome. Of course, my newbie-ness is most likely overlooking something here. 

[Shaun5FC3]

Ok - I found what I was looking for - it lets you tell totally independent layers with a different object on each to follow the path of a "leader" layer using expressions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFT6W9uSwbY

Note: this is not to do with "echo", where you're repeating the same object behind itself. This is more for creating a conga line of totally independent objects.

You can even purchase the project the tut is on so you can export its pre comp ready to import into your own project (here's a tut that helped me export/import it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdIqw6AxlIs ) 

[Mathias Moehl · Accepted solution]

also see this expressions solution by Dan Ebberts:

https://www.motionscript.com/mastering-expressions/follow-the-leader.html

unfortunately the site is so old that the flash-based previews don't play in modern browsers anymore. But the text might still be helpful.

[Shaun5FC3]

Thank you Mathias - I went with this solution - it seems to be more efficient and easier to change characters around in.