This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Animating a shape
You can animate the Position, Opacity, and other Transform properties of shape layers just as you animate them in other layers. But shape layers provide additional opportunities for animation, including fills, strokes, paths, and path operations.
You’ll create another star, and then use the Pucker & Bloat path operation to transform it into a flower as it falls toward the flowerpot and changes color.
Animating a path operation
Path operations are similar to effects. They modify a shape’s path while preserving the original path. Path operations are live, so you can modify or remove them at any time. You used the Wiggle Paths path operation earlier. Now you’ll apply a Pucker & Bloat path operation.
Pucker & Bloat pulls the vertices of a path outward while curving the segments inward (puckering), or pulls the vertices inward while curving the segments outward (bloating). You can animate the degree of pucker or bloat over time.
Press the Home key or move the current-time indicator to the beginning of the time ruler.
Select the Star tool (
), hidden behind the Rounded Rectangle tool (
) in the Tools panel, and draw another star in the upper right area of the sky.
After Effects adds a Shape 1 layer to the Timeline panel.
Click the Fill Color box, and change the fill color to the same bright yellow you used for the other stars. (We used R=215, G=234, B=23.) Then click OK.
Click the Stroke Color box, change the stroke color to a red color (we used R=159, G=38, B=24), and then click OK.
After Effects automatically changes the stroke options from None to Solid Color when you change the stroke color.
Select the Shape 1 layer, press Enter or Return, change its name to Falling Star, and press Enter or Return again.
In the Timeline panel, choose Pucker & Bloat from the Add pop-up menu in the Falling Star layer.
Expand the Pucker & Bloat 1 properties in the Timeline panel.
Change the Amount to 0, and click the stopwatch icon (
) to create an initial keyframe.Go to 4:01, and change the amount to 139.
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The star shape becomes a flower. After Effects creates a keyframe.
Animating position and scale
The star becomes a flower, but it should be falling as it changes. You’ll animate its position and scale now.
Press the Home key or move the current-time indicator to the beginning of the time ruler.
Select the Pan Behind tool (
) in the Tools panel, and then drag the anchor point for the layer onto the center of the star.
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The anchor point is the reference point After Effects uses when it changes a layer’s position, scale, or rotation.
Select the Falling Star layer, and press P to reveal its Position property. Press Shift+S to reveal its Scale property, too.
Click the stopwatch (
) next to each of the properties to create initial keyframes at their current values.Select the Selection tool, and go to 4:20. Then move the star to the center of the screen, hovering above the flowerpot between the tree and the house, so that it’s in its final position. (You may need to deselect Snapping in the Tools panel to position the flower where you want it.) At this point, the star has become a flower, but it hasn’t changed size.
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After Effects creates a Position keyframe.
Go to 4:01. Increase the Scale value so that the flower is about the width of the flowerpot. The value you use depends on the original size of the star and on the width of the flowerpot.
Press the spacebar to preview the animation. The star falls as it becomes a flower, but its trajectory is straight. You want it to fall in a slight arc. Press the spacebar again to stop playback.
Go to 2:20, and adjust the star’s position up, so that its path becomes a gentler arc.
Press the spacebar to preview the star’s path again, and then press the spacebar to stop playback. If you want to change the path, you can add Position keyframes at other points in the time ruler.
Hide the properties for the Falling Star layer.
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Animating fill color
Currently, the star remains yellow with a red stroke as it becomes a flower. You’ll animate its fill color so that the final flower is red.
Press the Home key or move the current-time indicator to the beginning of the time ruler.
Expand the Falling Star layer, and then expand the Contents, Polystar 1, and Fill 1 properties.
Click the stopwatch (
) next to the Color property to create an initial keyframe.Go to 4:01, and change the fill color to a red color. (We used R=192, G=49, B=33.)
Hide all layer properties. Press F2 or click an empty area in the Timeline panel to deselect all layers.
Press the spacebar to preview your animation. Press the spacebar again to stop playback.
Choose File > Save.
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