Add gradient to stroke (After Effects CC)

[stephm16479017]

Hello there!

I created a path and wanted the path to have a color gradient. I found the option for it, but AE doesn't show me the right colors?
It only shows the color which is put in position 0 of the gradient (I switched them and then the stroke was pink).
See attached image for clarification.

Did I miss something?
Opacity is set to 100% for both colors.

Thanks
Steph

[Roei Tzoref · Accepted solution]

there is a gotcha with gradient for shapes and that is you won't be able to modify the color mapping using the visual bar unless your selection tool is active and the gradient is highlighted in the timeline. so this makes it harder to see where your gradient is. by default its in the center of your layer (not your shape which is a layer inside a layer).

this is probably where you are. you got your layer selected but your gradient is somewhere else in the composition space. see how I am taking the gradient mapping bar and moving it to place.

[stephm16479017]

Thanks a lot! I had the Gradient Stroke selected, but because I zoomed in, I didn't see the gradient "path" I could adjust

[Roei Tzoref]

I had the Gradient Stroke selected

remember that's not enough! you also need to have the selection tool active and not the pen tool which is a real gotcha.

[ananthaKrishna1]

Hello @Roei Tzoref , Can we flip the gradient colour by expression control.

[Roei Tzoref]

yes but only layer style gradient has reverse parameter

you can connect it to a checkbox control if you want.

otherwise for shape layers you could create on of each direction and use a checkbox to control which one is opaque while the other is not.

[michaelp28721996]

This could be a solution for you:

https://youtu.be/4qE06UDNG04 

[Temístocles Gonçalves]

Adding to @Roei Tzoref's comment, make sure the gradient is inside a group, I wasn't seeing my gradient anchor points (the "visual bar") because it was directly inside the layer contents, but outside the strokes' group. I put it inside an bam, the controllers appeared.

[maciejos1223]

where you find Stroke Gradient?

[Temístocles Gonçalves]

Click the add button inside the shape layer > Contents. Remember the Gradient Stroke property you create needs to be inside of the shape level where the stroke is (in the case of the picture, inside of "Shape 1").