Jim Krause | Classes | P354/J560 Program Graphics & Animation
Lab 16
Agenda:
- Review Ads with motion tracking
- AE Shape Layers & Repeater
- Reminders: AE Quiz tomorrow (Wednesday) and screen Final Projects on Thursday
- Please fill out the OCQ Questionnaire!
Shape Layers Review (Meyer, Chapter 32)
Resources:
The same tools used to make masks can make shapes. If you have no layer selected, they will make shapes. Note that when this tool is selected, Fill and Stroke options become visible on the right. Pressing the Q key will cycle through the various shapes you can create.
As you are dragging the mouse to make a new shape, press the curser up/down & left/right keys to modify it (See p 532).
You can use the Pen tool to create interesting shapes. You can use the G key to toggle between the Pen tool's various vertex modes.
You can create open/transparent shapes by checking the "no fill" option.
Try this:
- Making sure no layer is selected, choose the Polygon or Star tool
- Click and drag to make a shape. Before releasing the mouse try toggling the up/down arrows and the left/right arrows. (The up/down arrows control the number of points/vertices, while the left/right arrows control the inner or outter bulge.)
- Move the Anchor Point to somewhere that makes sense (E.g. the middle)
- Click the tumbnail next to Fill to bring up the Color and Opacity stops
- Use the Select Tool (V) to select your shape. You'll see that you can manually change the Stop and End points.
Reality check: Can you create a rectangle or shape with feathered opacity and color?
The Repeater
The Repeater allows you to duplicate and animate components within a Shape Layer.
Experiment with making shape layers for 10 minutes. Be sure to use the repeater function. Then carry out the in-class exercise:
Shape Layer Exercise (5 points)
Watch these two tutorials:
1. Making Animated Paths for Maps - This lesson from Aharon Rabinowitz shows how to use Shape Layers to make animated paths for maps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP4FYq6f2xQ
2. Repeater - Here's a good overview of How to use the repeater to make abstract eye candy by Evan Abrams.
- Start out with a 1920x1080 Comp
- Use Shape Layers to do either:
- Make a dashed path on a map with a start, mid-point, and end (like in the Rabinowitz example).
- Make a flower blossoming or an abstract animation (like in the Evan Abrams example)
- Upload an Apple ProRes 422, mp4, or H.264 version called "shapes" into the appropriate Canvas assignment
Homework:
- Please fill out the OCQ Questionnaire!
- Study for our last AE Open book Quiz (tomorrow/Wednesday)
- Work on Final Projects (screening on Thursday)
