Adding support essential property support for paths.

[Taylor Jon Peters]

Hi Devs!!

Although Essential properties is a really powerful tool for toolkitting and templates.

I NEVER use it for that, I just use it to re use other design elements, and even for some more advanced rigging. All that being said I would really love if you added paths support.

Would make it quick to have more complicated rigs that you can make based of of shapelayers

ie, hair rigs, chains, wind socks, leaves. etc. 

Demo below! Thanks to Greg Stewart for building the demo script

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

[JohnColombo]

Hi @Taylor Jon Peters,

Thanks for this request! It certainly would be a great addition to workflows in After Effects. I can personally attest that it is not as simple as "dragging the Path property into the 'Show in Essential Graphic' column" though 😉

There is a way to accomplish this with the existing supported properties by using a Text Essential Property to pass the path information. I've attached an .aep that demonstrates how this works using Shapes and Masks as input to a pre-comp. Credit to @Brent Walker for the original idea. In all fairness, this is essentially (ha!) an EP-powered version of the cross-comp expression rigging you showed in your video but should be more robust and function almost exactly as it would if you could use Path properties directly.

I'll also move this post over to the Ideas section of the After Effects forums where it can gather more support and discussion.

Cheers,

- John, After Effects Engineering Team 

[Brent Walker]

Thanks for the cred @JohnColombo! I would LOVE to have this option available (stock) in EPs so also thanks to @Taylor Jon Peters for posting it. I've added my support, and hope it gets about 5000 more votes ASAP 🤞

[Szalam]

I think this is an excellent idea, but lovely to have the clever workaround in the meantime.

[Taylor Jon Peters]

Ahhhh I think I tried to do something like this to no avail. GENIUS! Native support would be amazing of course, but this is a great solve for now. 

[Taylor Jon Peters]

Great ideaaa for this Brent! Will tide me over until we get that sweet single click solve!