Create Paths from Motion in Adobe After Effects

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Create paths and trails from the motion of any layer, even layers with complex rigging, expressions or parenting. We look at a few methods that should get motion trails from anything you have moving around. We start with simple effects-based techniques and work up to more expression-driven approaches. By the end, you’ll be able to bake any motion into a path or spline.
00:00 Intro
00:56 The Problem
03:01 Ad Read
03:52 An Easy Solution
06:06 The "Paint Bucket" Technique
09:57 Bakes Better, Bakes Best
12:14 C4D Bonus Round!
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[@brandonwilson387]

I don't think I would have career in this industry if it weren't for this channel. Thanks Evan for always bringing more ways to learn our favorite Adobe program!

[@blinn40x]

came here to say exactly this

[@CreativePunk5555]

This is amazing! I would be embarrassed to show how I went about achieving this before. haha. This makes life so much simpler when achieving this effect. Thank you Evan as always!

[@AppliedMetaphysician]

Dude. Even when I have no immediately-vested interest in the topic under discussion, I truly enjoy it when I get to experience when someone can take a complicated thing and "make it simple". I tripped-over this video and thought "Hmmm... that's something I've not heard of before." Nicely done!

[@theunidentifiedchannel]

Your tutorials are the best I’ve ever seen. Such good information and so well presented.

[@ECAbrams]

Glad you like them!

[@ultravioletidea]

Idea: Reduce number of points in the curve [at abt ~11:30 in video]: Once you paste position keyframes to the shape layer, copy the path from there. Next, paste it into Illustrator. From there use Object > Path > Simplify… to reduce number of points used. Copy result, and paste back into Ae Shape Layer. From there you can copy and paste the path into a position property elsewhere. It doesn’t totally solve the tweak/update problem, but it reduces the number of spline points you have to mess to adjust the shapes. Love your videos, Evan!

[@muhammedthalith2990]

Thank you for always considering the beginners like us. I look forward to more tutorials for beginners. Thank you

[@ECAbrams]

Everyone's a beginner once. I hope this channel is helping people get a leg up.

[@Totorus]

Great tutorial, thanks for sharing!!!

[@4chinny]

Great video: helpful and clearly presented. Thanks!

[@mimmog2251]

Cool stuff!!!

[@sentiny]

many many many thanks

[@rebelvv]

I've been finding actual tutorials like these! exactly what i've been finding, thank you@!!

[@ECAbrams]

Glad I could help!

[@marcpelletier3229]

Oh yeah I love seeing some C4D making its way into your tutorials. Lovely as always, Evan !

[@ECAbrams]

And there may be more to follow if that's what people are into. I would probably stick with c4d lite though just because I know more people have access to that with their Ae.

[@filmkaar-nitin]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you.

[@ECAbrams]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AbstractBlackArt]

Wow. How have I not heard about this channel before! This was an indepth and insightful video. Thank you for sharing!

[@ECAbrams]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dsalainti]

ive been looking for this for ages. love ur tutorials, ur tutorials are for professional not for amateurs like "changing eye color, zoom transition, etc." 🤣

[@ECAbrams]

I don't know about that. I'm sure I've covered both those topics on here in some capacity.

[@overdigitize]

Actual. Built In. Trails. Thank you Evan

[@Joeblax88]

Thanks Evan.

[@zahraranjbarian3946]

Okay this is a reallllll tutorial that I always wanted to seeee

[@ECAbrams]

Glad this channel delivers

[@carltonnjuguna6748]

Hi @ECAbrams.Thank you for sharing your process and breaking down this effect. I find that I'm always leveling up my motion skills after watching or following along your tutorials and content. I appreciate the comparison in Cinema 4D as well. Hope you can make some more After effects and Cinema 4D workflow content.Thank you

[@ECAbrams]

For sure. I'm working on another one of those right now actually.

[@MisterCkris]

Heyyy! Welcome to 2022, hope you enjoy your stay. So glad to see you droppin’ knowledge in the New Year🤓😁

[@ECAbrams]

I'm hoping to be more consistent this year in getting content out. But, I do say that every year...

[@MisterCkris]

@@ECAbrams I believe you can do it. If your posting schedule is one per year you’re already winning😂 Seriously though, your perspective and insight are massively helpful. Whatever intensity of consistency you settle on is welcome 🙏🏾

[@alializadeh8195]

Thanx so much! ...

[@ECAbrams]

No worries!

[@jfandries]

Good Morning 🌞 Easy Easy Tutorials. Congratulations 👋 LIKE 👍

[@ECAbrams]

Thank you 👍 I'm happy to hear they're easy to follow.

[@gopoo]

Hey Evan! could you do a tutorial on incrementing object size and at the same time follow some path. I tried with strokes and echos, but invain.. The size of all the the objects remain same at a give time or frame. Appreciate if you could reply on this. As always, thank you for the awesome tutorials!

[@chaardewar]

Nice

[@ECAbrams]

Thanks

[@zohaibmalik819]

Really nice tutorial. Thanks for sharing these useful methods.

[@ECAbrams]

You're very welcome!

[@blinn40x]

They should pay you a hero's wage! ..haha thanks so much for sharing your expertise, you tutorials have helped my work IMMENSELY over the past 18 months!

[@ciaranoc]

Paint bucket method at 8.30 - Seems that using a light as an emitter in an identical rig using Particular just works with parenting layers. Swapping it for a null or other 3d layer's position as shown above doesn't work though

[@Mathing]

Hey Evan, cool tutorial as always! Btw, there's a 'write-on effect' in After Effects that maybe works the same way as the 'paint bucket method'. I use it a lot for making mathematical graphs for my videos. This video will certainly help improve my techniques!

[@ECAbrams]

Absolutely, anything that can take position as input can be used in this way. I hope it helps.

[@jiyadachorona8684]

coucou! instead of using the echo, is it also possible to feather a line path??? for example for the infinite blue 8! it seems i cannot find the feather option on the panel:p

[@ECAbrams]

We can make a shape layer appear feathered with a blur, is that the kind of look you're after?

[@michalcohen549]

hi do you know why i cant copy the keyframe to a path?

[@ECAbrams]

I'm not sure. What's happening when you try?

[@Holy_frr]

Might sound dumb... but why not parent to the anchor point for the particle method

[@ECAbrams]

In what sense?

[@Holy_frr]

Just tried it.. doesn’t work.. nvm

[@AudioPervert1]

transform.position x = Math.sin(time)*640 y = Math.sin(time*2)*320 value[x,y] did not work, again the AE Expression Disabled

[@ECAbrams]

At first glance, you need to close your variables with a semicolon. Without a ; Ae thinks that the line continues. It's like a run-on sentence.