Shape Path animation

[Naima-Naima]

Hi Adobe Community,

I am wanting to make this kind of animation is PP. I am following the instructions of using rectangle and track matte key.

The issue I am encountering is when keyframing the shape. I first keyframe where I want my rectangle to be. The I go to the beginning and select where I want it to start from. In ths case, I want the rectangle to appear from the upper left corener. Then I want it to exit to the lower right corner and set a keyframe there. But the shape will only go in one direction. It will only allow me to exit the same way it entered. Do I make sense? It is really strange!

Here is a screenrecording https://youtu.be/R6rkB7WwwHw

[Ann Bens]

Before animating anything, you have to put the anchor point in the middle first.

[Naima-Naima]

Hi Ann, Thanks for your reply.

Before posting my request, I thought it would be the reason, but it doesn't. I've tried it again. Made another screenrecording for it so you can see and tell me if there is something I am not doing right.

When I create the rectangle, the anchor point is at the center by default. But when I change the size of it, it doesn't stay in the center. So not sure why this simple animation is complicated.

https://youtu.be/ZS-kOyGdbVQ

[Ann Bens]

After resizing put the anchor point in the middel.

[Matt Young]

I'm seeing the same behavior when I try to replicate your workflow.  Ann's suggestion didn't work for me.  Did it work for you? 

The only way I was able to accomplish what you're trying to do (without resorting to After Effects) is to have the path selected in the effect control window, then click the pen tool from the Tools window.  Now you can keyframe the shape to build from top left and then shrink to bottom right, but unfortunately you can only do it by moving all four vertices.  

[Ann Bens]

Cannot replicate (on a side note the anchor point does not affect the path, I thought it did)

which version is this? and OS?

I am still on 22.5 windows.

You dont need to use the track matte effect. You can put the clip in the EGP and mask with shape.

[Matt Young]

I'm on 22.6.2 with Windows 10.

Neither the original poster or I are using the track matte effect.  To replicate what Naima did, I created a simple solid rectangle on the screen with the rectangle tool and then tried to replicate her animation by keyframing the path parameter of the shape in the Effect Controls window.

[Ann Bens]

Have you scaled the clip with the track matte on the timeline?

Scaling clips with track matte does not work. Clip needs to be the same dimension as the sequence.

[Matt Young]

There does not have to be any other clip in the timeline to replicate this glitch.

1. create a new sequence (any settings will do)
2. select the rectangle tool
3. draw a rectangle in the program window.  A new 'Graphic' clip appears in the timeline.
4. move playhead to the center of that 'Graphic' clip in the timeline
5. in Effect Controls window, navigate to 'Shape (Shape 01)' and enable keyframes on the 'path' parameter
6. move the playhead to the beginning of the clip, then with selection tool drag the bottom right vertex to the same position as the top left vertex.  Now you have a new 'path' keyframe at the start of the clip in addition to the first one you created in the middle of the clip, and if you drag the playhead through the clip you see the animation of a rectangle expanding to the bottom right
7. move the playhead towards the end of the 'Graphic' clip in the timeline
8. with the selection tool, try to pull the upper left vertex down to meet the bottom right vertex.  This is the part that myself and the OP cannot do.  The vertex does not pull down.  If I hover over it I see the diagonal double-arrow symbol as expected, but if I pull down and to the right nothing happens.  I can, however pull up and to the left, causing the rectangle to regenerate upwards and to the left from that top left point.

[Naima-Naima]

Matt,

Thanks for your time and clarity. I tried the pen tool trick you recommended. It works but it would be very time consuming for me to do.

Ann,

The track matte and the presence of other clips doesn't have anything to do with the issue. The issue is in the animation of the shape itself. I think that at this point, it is a PP glitch.

Matt,

My questions to you is how would you go about it in AE.I know how to use the basics of AE. But my job as an editor has me work on PP mostly. And anytime I want to use AE, I am intimidated by the dynamic links and the workflow around them. Do you have any tips? Basically, I am trying to accomplish this effect on certain clips of my PP sequence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElOvpV_vxzs&t=73s

[Matt Young]

Matt,

My questions to you is how would you go about it in AE.I know how to use the basics of AE. But my job as an editor has me work on PP mostly. And anytime I want to use AE, I am intimidated by the dynamic links and the workflow around them. Do you have any tips? Basically, I am trying to accomplish this effect on certain clips of my PP sequence

By @Naima-Naima

Since you need to be getting on with your work, maybe the best thing to do is to roll back to a previous version of Premiere Pro and see if the problem is unique to the latest version.  But don't ask me how to do that...looks like Adobe recently changed how to roll back to previous major version, and I can't figure it out!

[Naima-Naima]

Thanks Matt, it wasn't something I was requested to make, I wanted to offer this option to my client. Do you know how we report a glitch to PP? Because I think it relly is as in the tutorial made a year ago, you can see the youtuber doing what I am trying to repeat.

[Matt Young]

Sorry for the delayed response.  You can submit bug reports here:  https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro/

I wrote this bug report up last week, so you can just go to this link and upvote it: https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro/suggestions/45773254-bug-keyframing-sha...

[Ann Bens]

I just updated to 22.6.2 and tried the OP's workflow: cannot reproduce. Path animation works as expected.

Maybe its time to trash preferences.

[Matt Young]

I just trashed preferences in PPro (non-beta) for a separate problem, but haven't checked this issue since.  However, I could reproduce this problem in Beta as well.  Beta doesn't share preferences with regular PPRO, does it?

[Matt Young]

I can now confirm that the bug can still be reproduced even after trashing preferences.  I can reproduce this in PPro and PPro Beta.  

I just updated to 22.6.2 and tried the OP's workflow: cannot reproduce. Path animation works as expected.

By @Ann Bens

So the behavior captured in this video does not happen for you?

[Ann Bens]

 This is so weird. First few time worked as expected. Now its erratic....

[Matt Young]

Please upvote bug report to encourage investigation: https://adobe-video.uservoice.com/forums/911233-premiere-pro/suggestions/45773254-bug-keyframing-sha...

[Ann Bens]

Voted!