Shape Layer Morphing in After Effects |Adobe Tutorial

Project file and icons:
www.dropbox.com/sh/nyjh4q2gl7...
The Power of Shape Layers:
www.udemy.com/course/power-of...
Hey everybody, and welcome back to another episode of 7 Minute AE Tutorials where you learn tips, tricks, and shortcuts usually in 7 minutes or less. No BS, just AE. The topic I'm covering today has been a source of frustration for me for years, and now I finally have a cohesive method that I'd like to share with all of you for morphing shapes.
Like I said, there are a host of tutorials out there about morphing shapes. All the ones I've come across are cumbersome, time consuming, they require a lot of steps that just aren't effective, and few (if any) have consistent rules for this technique. Until now. There are just a few rules that you need to remember, which I'll be displaying on screen as we get to them. I'll also put these rules in the description below. I recommend you watch this tutorial a few times to really get a solid hold on this technique - once you understand the theory behind it, you'll be morphing shapes with ease.
RULES:
1. Use the shape that's being animated in as a reference for the Guide Shape, making sure that the Scale of the Guide Shape is the same as the Scale of the Animation In Shape.
2. Convert all Shape Paths (including the Guide Shape) to Bezier Paths, unless the shape uses an Animation Tool, such as Trim Paths, Merge Paths, Repeater, Zig Zag, etc.
3. When a Path uses Trim Paths, don't morph the shape. Instead, animate the Trim Paths.
4. When a Group uses any other Animation Tool, don't morph the shape. Instead, animate the Group's Scale.
5. Morph large shapes only using the Path of the Guide Shape. Animate the Scale of small shapes.
6. Animate the Color of the Animation Out Shape into the Color of the Animation In Shape.
7. In-between animations, line up the Animation Out and Animation In Shapes, making sure Scales are consistent.
I hope this helped you out. Please comment, like, share, and subscribe. Make sure to click the bell so you're notified every time I upload a new video. I'd love to get your feedback about this course and any other topic you'd like to see covered. Don't forget to check out my new Udemy course, the Power of Shape Layers. It's a comprehensive course that literally covers every aspect of shape layers. The link to that course along with the project file for this episode is in the description below. Thanks for watching, everybody. I'll see you next time.

[@prembasky]

Brilliant! Now I have to try it out myself - 65y old grandpa having fun.

[@cema.3211]

thats the spirit! its never too late to learn.

[@ginormica2282]

Inspiring! Keep going Grandpa 😊👍

[@vincentsequeira3723]

Your patience in explaining has helped me in understanding,and I m practicing again and again.

[@rajmeetsingharora]

Thank you for putting these rules together. Super helpful! There is definitely truth to the statement that knowing the rules well gives you the freedom to then bend them and get creative :)

[@rosycspencer]

This was a great tutorial. I like how concise you made it. Looking forward to more like this.

[@micheledyer1287]

Amazing tutorial. This is one of the best I've run across in a while.

[@anyulp777]

Wow, it's the best tutorial ever! I've been looking for a proper morphing guide for a long time. Thank you a lot!

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

I'm glad it helped you out! Thanks so much for watching.

[@fouezdesign]

My god Jeff , every time you nail it with your tutorials , thx so much

[@tanakachiriga5291]

Great method.. looks clean, dynamic and it’s so easy. Thanks

[@pbox5293]

great tut and very clear instructions . Thanks a lot, buddy

[@sreejarathish]

This video pushed me to take your course on Udemy...love the way you explain...

[@dineshjadhav6748]

Awesome Tip Sir. 👍 Really very useful to Motion Graphic works... Thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏

[@Snowmurai]

I googled here after Motion Beast Course, lesson nr 9. The way you explain it gives more 'why' over 'how'. Thank you for that.

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

I really appreciate that - thanks!

[@iamvmsulthan]

Oww woow my man, this is cool, i am gonna need to practice it a bit i think.. either way, thanks you maan for sharing it 🙌🏻😇😍

[@resadsahverdizade256]

Absolutely incredible man I can not thank you enough!

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Thanks. for being a part of the 7 Minute AE community! It's much appreciated.

[@PratikParija]

Really great! Thank you!

[@lukebunting4571]

Thanks for sharing your technique on this, it's really helpful and much appreciated!

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Luke Bunting thanks for watching

[@TheMilesFaberShow]

@@7MinuteAETutorials Great tutorial thanks you so much! If you wanted to go into the nitty gritty of it to smooth out the corners, would you go into the path and do it frame by frame? Or do you have another suggestion? Thank you!

[@rne1223]

This very useful. Thank you

[@J3joooo3]

this is super , thanks man

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Thanks for watching

[@cochinito.motion]

Great rules, ,Thank you 🙂

[@sanaadama513]

Great Job✨👍

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Thanks so much for watching! I appreciate the comment.

[@nikyabodigital]

I'm learning this so that I could animate a blinking eye animation smoothly. xD It's all about theory friend.

[@ajeet1994]

The Best, very useful Tutorial on Internet.

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Thanks so much for watching! I appreciate the comment.

[@ajeet1994]

@@7MinuteAETutorials I have watched it in fews days after you uploaded.. And It has helped me.. Yeah I need more practice and I will do it.. Thank you very much for making such useful content for us for free ... I find it most decent bUt Most effective Content provider KZbin Channel.. Your videos silently making huge impact.. Thank you Sir

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Ajeet Singh I truly appreciate this. I wish I had a lot more subscribers. I have the content but not the marketing. I’m excited to hear that these tutorials are making such an impact.

[@thePaintedMoon]

Excellent-you're a very good teacher :-)

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Thanks for watching and the kind words

[@UjjwalSinghMaharjan]

Awesome like other videos of yours thank you

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Very much appreciated, my friend. Thanks for watching.

[@kaimana_exe]

sir, i love you

[@flyingart.budapest]

Thank you.

[@bilhon]

vry nice tutorial

[@workoutmuzic]

Niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, thanks mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn! :))))

[@blackjimmy1972]

This is a great tutorial. How do you get all of the shapes on one layer? The headphones for example?

[@vincentsequeira3723]

Thanks SIR.

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@muhammedthalith2990]

Thanks so much. Please, how did you arrive at single layer for the headphone and and single layer for hand phone. For example, I imported illustrator file for headphone, it still creates separate layers for the component of the head phone. I am also keen to know if your original file is from illustrator and how you arrived at a single layer for each of headphone and hand phone. Thanks in anticipation. Thanks in anticipation.

[@AmritSingh-sc7fr]

I am facing a problem when I am copying an object's path and pasting to another object's path with creating key frame after some time it is converted but, jurckly, not slowly as yours. Can you please give some reason for that? Thanks

[@happytrailsphilippines5193]

Very nice tutorial. may I know if you're using a laptop or pc? I'm using a laptop but it's kinda slow when I try to practice After effects. That's why I keep using premiere pro for making some income. I'm hoping to learn more about AE so please keep making tutorials. Thank you and Godbless.

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

I use both but most of my work is on a desktop

[@muhammedthalith2990]

In addition, I created my one illustrator file. Imported as usual and created shapes from vector layer. Turning it to single layer is my problem. I tried my little best. Its not working out for me

[@lopsangdlama]

question: does trim path appear in a shape layer automatically when you create it from vectors, I thought you add trim paths from animation tool or were these shapes created within after effects. The project file you generously provided is of the completed project, I wish there was a fresh comp in there for practicing along with the video.

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

Lopsang Lama if you create a shape using the shape tool, it automatically adds in a stroke. When you create it from LAYER/NEW/SHAPE LAYER you have to add it with the add button.

[@Limitlesvision]

Where to get those shapes

[@loomonda18]

Great explanation, but I have a few questions - 1.) When I animate, the morph does this weird flip thing before it gets to the final image, and it just doesn't look very nice. It's not a smooth transition like yours. How do I fix that? 2.) I didn't use an animation tool (Ex. zigzag), however, I did use an FX - do I still use the same rule and just convert to bezier paths, since it's not an animation tool from the list you mentioned? 3.) The initial mask guide shape that you drew, is a simple rectangle, but what if the shape I am using is an organic custom shape? Do I have to draw my mask guide shape to match the organic custom shape, or can I just use either a rectangle or circle that would resemble it as close as it can be? Thanks so much!

[@ajakayejoshua9886]

Am having an issue, my initial shape changes position after pasting the keyframe from the guide shape

[@ajakayejoshua9886]

@kanishka is Live sorry for late reply, but i don't remember how i got past this.. I think it has to do with the anchor position

[@rhodanaman4722]

In your Udemy course do you teach this topic more in-depth?

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

My Udemy course is more nuts and bolts shape layer information. I go through how to create and use them from the ground up, but it doesn't get into more advanced topics like this. There are several lessons that include creating icons and animating them but not at this level. I do need to create a more advanced version of this course.

[@rhodanaman4722]

@@7MinuteAETutorials I really hope you do!! Advanced motion graphics from you would be a killer course cant wait!!

[@starboy3802]

Tutorial is good, you just messed up with the dropbox file which is a completed file. How can I follow the tutorial with already completed file?!

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

The project files are always the completed projects. If you want to start over from the beginning, you can create a new com, bring in the shape layer icons, and. remove all keyframes and expressions.

[@starboy3802]

@@7MinuteAETutorials I deleted the expressions and keyframes and with those I somehow also removed the object fills (and maybe some other stuff that was supposed to be there) so the layers were not the same. It's hard to guess what exactly to delete without making mistakes and messing the comp.

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

@@starboy3802 here is a new link to download everything again. There is a folder called "icons" - this contains all the shape layer icons that were used in this tutorial. There are no expressions or keyframes on these layers. Let me know if this works!

[@starboy3802]

@@7MinuteAETutorials I downloaded dropbox files from first link in description "Project file and icons" and inside is your logo with animated shadow. The file name is "37SQT_19_Edit.aep"

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

@@starboy3802 Try it now - www.dropbox.com/sh/nyjh4q2gl7b5e4u/AACMUVLlRcoUd2qaJVBUjT0ha?dl=0

[@dandrem.4074]

What he neglects to tell you is that you have to create the illustrations in AE. You can't import from Illustrator...

[@7MinuteAETutorials]

You can absolutely create the illustrations in Illustrator. When you bring the artboard into AE simply Convert Vector to Shape Layer, and follow the tutorial :)

[@tkthree]

Also, you could use the plugin Overlord. It directly pulls shape layers AI to AE, and AE to AI preserving all paths

[@aryanrawat2398]

very confusing