Animating Shape Layer Contents Fill

I'm fairly new to After effects scripting and not too familiar with it's objects.
how can I access the contents of an existing shape layer, to change and animate it's fill color property?
thanks in advance

It's going to depend on the type of shape, but as an example, for a rectangle, setting a keyframe at 3 seconds for the color yellow might look like this:
var p = app.project.item(1).layer("Shape Layer 1").property("Contents").property("Rectangle 1").property("Contents").property("Fill 1").property("Color");
p.setValueAtTime(3,[1,1,0,1])
My advice is to get a copy of Jeff Almasol's incredibly usefel script rd_GimmePropPath.jsx here:
http://www.redefinery.com/ae/view.php?item=rd_GimmePropPath
You can use it to get the appropriate syntax for any property.
Dan

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I do not use a mac however on windows if I have a gradient filled shape layer I rotated the the gradient fill. If I accidentally click the solid fill or pattern fill icon when I click back on the gradient fill icon the angle is the default 90 degrees it does not remember that the fill was set to 0 or 180.
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How to get shape layer's content parameters in AEGP?

Hi all,
I have no idea when I want to export the parameters from the Contents of shape layer.
Now I add Polystar Path1, ZigZag 1, and Repeater1, three contents of shaper layer.
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Thanks for your reply and sorry about my unclear question.
I use the picture to describe my question. There is a shape layer include "Contents" and "Effects".
I can use AEGP_GetLayerEffectByIndex to get the parameter of effects (Blue point).
However I can't find out the correct method to get the parameter of Contents (Yellow part, include Polystar, Zig Zag and Repeater).
The yellow part is also not the Stream, I can't not use stream suite to get information.
BTW, I have the same problem about Text Animator. (Yellow part of follow picture)
lapula

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Hi,
When coverting a vector or Illustrator file (such as a logo) into a shape layer any gradient fill is lost. Is there no way to ensure the gradient fill is converted across or is this a matter for a future release of After Effects?
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That's a limitation of the current feature.
If you want a different behavior, you can submit a feature request here: http://www.adobe.com/go/wish

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I can't seem to figure out how to do this, if it is possible. I have a shape layer with a gradient fill, that gradient fill layer needs to be set to multiply, by default its normal. can the be done with scripting?

Indeed it is not that easy to modify the blending mode.
The blending mode is property(1), or property("ADBE Vector Blend Mode"), of the gradient fill.
Normally the blending modes are listed in the BlendingMode object, and mutliply corresponds to BlendingMode.MULTIPLY
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3D Shape Layer Stroke Animation

Hi, I have created a 3D shape layer with a circle to animate a stroke on it. Now the shape layer comes with a stroke already, which has no start / end point to animate though, so I *** effects / generate / stroke ... now thing is I only see the stroke the shape layer comes with, but not the effect / stroke yet ... how do I get my animate able stroke turned on ? Just turning off the 1st stroke doesn’t help.
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Regards,
Frank

fhxfhx wrote:
Another question, is there a way to define the normal of a path in AE so that the stroke is rotated on the path itself, I want to use it stand up rather than lay flat ...
This is not possible, but it is possible with plug-ins or with multiple copies of a stroked layer offset by no more than one pixel in Z using an expression. The camera would have to move to the top and look down on the extrusion.
Using Free Form, now included with AE. Animate a stroke on a layer, then use the mesh controls to bend the layer in a semi circle. A spotlight and some ambient light sell the 3D and AE's camera interact perfectly with the shape.
Another option is Particular. You can use a light as an emitter and then fly the light around the path streaming particles that create the line.
Another option is CC Cylinder, but it will take a bit of trickery through expressions to integrate camera movement and the other 3D objects.
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Hello, using AE CS3 for windows and I can't find this topic on the forums:
I've been able to animate a rectangle along a shape layer by pasting the properties of the shape layer into the position of the rectangle. (also assigned the alpha matte to the shape layer) so that's the good part.
but I want to have this rectangle bend with the circular shape of the layer so it looks like "a swoosh". (if you've seen the circles around the comedy network's logo: http://www.comedynetwork.ca/ it's like that.
I can't beleive it's taken me this long to make a silly line that streaks!
any help is appreciated.

Just using a shape layer stroke will give you the option to have a SQUARE start/end stroke along a path.
You can have it start as a square, and, because it is a stroke, it will bend with your path
(link to reference does not work)
Alternatively, you could stack your solids closely together with an offset.
Also, check out the new path plugins from
Cycore!

Change layer content

Been using pse3, trying pse9 (need to upgrade for new mac).
What happened to change layer content and how do you change
a shape layer to a pattern or gradient (transparent gradient)?
Thanks for your time.

Here's what i'm trying to do in pse9.
The first example is a shape layer changed to a pattern fill
using a transparent pattern and the second example changed the
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I wrote a simple script for After Effects and it works well but there is a weird problem.
My script creates a shape layer which includes group, ellipse path, stroke and fill. Why does the "Group 1" have "Material Options: Group 1" property group? It's empty and it disappers when I click on its eyeball button. I don't want to display the property group. It seems like this problem doesn't happen on CS5.
Are there any solutions to avoid this? Is this a AE CC bug?
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After Effects: version 12.2.1.5
Here's my script code.
app.beginUndoGroup("Add new shape layer");
var curComp = app.project.activeItem;
if(curComp){ var shapeLayer = curComp.layers.addShape();
var shapeGroup = shapeLayer.property("Contents").addProperty("ADBE Vector Group");
shapeGroup.property("Contents").addProperty("ADBE Vector Shape - Ellipse");
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Just ran a quick test on MAC:
AE CS3, CS4, CS5 don't produce that Material Options
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LACK OF FULL PEN TOOL FUNCTIONALITY WHEN CREATING A SHAPE LAYER

Hello, I'm going through Chris Meyer's video course on being an AE apprentice and have spent over an hour on the following issue.
Here is what I know.
I know I am trying to create a shape layer, not a mask, to create a frame to surround the video of the green field on the attached screenshot. Therefore, I pressed "F2" to make sure I am doing so.
I want to define the borders of this picture frame by using the pen tool to draw a path on the layer entitled "Windy Peak".
I have highlighted that layer in my timeline.
This video was pasted on to a placeholder shape that I had created using Command Option "/" on my Mac.
I do have limited use of the pen tool, because it displays properly when I hover it above the borders of the video to be framed.
But I lack access to the toolbar controls I want to complete my assignment.
For example, I would like to create a gradient to define the internal coloration of this frame, but I have no use of the eyedropper when I click on the Color Picker.
Also, I am unable to access or manipulate any of the standard fill or stroke options for use of my pen.
This is what I know.
Thanks for your help! Matt
Message was edited by: Matt Dubuque to add the fact that the video had been pasted on to a placeholder shape image by pressing Command Option "/" on my Mac.

Thanks for pitching in Todd and Rick, I appreciate it very much.
As previously stated, I do have use of the pen tool, but it only has limited functionality as demonstrated by the path I created on the green meadow. My Tools Panel remains activated .
My core problem remains that I am unable to adjust the fill or stroke settings for my pen.
I have tried changing and resetting various work spaces and this has not helped.
I'm scratching my head here.
Matt

Is there a way to gather all shape layer and all text layers?

Hi -
I have 250 multi-layered PSD (CS5/Win) files. Each file shows 2 views of a product. Parts of the product are labels (Text layers with different words). Then Shape layer arrows point from the label Text to the specific point on the product.

Does this help?
// move text and solid fill layers to newly created folder;
// 2011, use it at your own risk;
#target photoshop
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
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////// function to move certain layers //////
function moveLayers (theParent, theSet) {
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// apply the function to layersets;
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Shape layer questions

I’m a web designer that’s used to using Illustrator for all my work. Recently many of my new jobs want me to work in Photoshop, so I’m getting back up to speed with it. I have a few nagging issues that I haven’t been able to figure out:
With the direct selection tool, how do I select a small shape that’s overlapping a larger shape? For example, a small line on top of a large rectangle. When I try to do this Photoshop automatically makes me select the larger shape in the background. I have to zoom in super close and individually shift-select each corner of the smaller shape before I can move/transform/whatever it. This gets tedious and slow real fast!
Recently in a document I’m working in, whenver I make a new shape it automatically adds a bunch of layer styles like drop shadow, stroke, etc. These styles aren’t turned on, but it adds unecessary styles to my layers and my client is very strict about recieving only super clean .psd’s.
How do I make a line that is truly 1px stoke width? My lines seem to always start out as fuzzy 2px worms until I zoom in and surgically make them 1px. Again, what a waste of time! is there some sort of antialiasing setting that I need to turn off?
Thanks!

1. With smaller shapes that are difficult to select, try selecting their layer first. If you are not sure which layer, switch to the Move tool (V), hold Ctrl and click on the small shape. With the default behavior in Photoshop you should be able to select the layer and then use the Direct selection tool to select points on the vector path of the small shape. If you want to just move the entire shape when its the only path on a layer, aside form using the Path Selection tool (black arrow), you can just use the Move tool (V) to change the position of the layer. If you have to deal with a lot of shape layers that you just want to click and move, enable the Auto Select for the Move tool in the Properties bar. Then holding Ctrl while using the tool will toggle to its non - Auto Select mode.
2.On the Tool's property bar under the main menu, make sure the chain button is not pressed then click on the Style swatch or arrow to the right of the chain button to open the style swatch popup and from its menu there choose No Style. Next shape layer you make will not have the current style automatically applied.
3. I'm using CS5 on a pc and creating 1 px straight line with the Line tool is buggy with its alignment to grid. The Line Tool draws lines in Shape mode as rectangle vector paths. The difference between the Rectangle Tool and the Line tool is that the Line tool aside from having a Weight attribute, it draws the rectangles starting from the middle if its side. In order to snap it to grid you have to set the grid in the settings to Gridline every 1 pix and Subdivisions 2. If properly working this is supposed to solve your problem if you enable snap to grid and draw your lines starting in the middle of a pixel. The problem is that this doesn't work properly with the Line Tool which does not snap perfectly to the grid. The work around is to draw your lines with the Line Tool in Fill Pixels mode which has an Anti-aliasing option that you can turn off.
Another alternative for drawing lines on raster layers without anti-aliasing is to use the Pencil tool and hold Shift while dragging with it. The Pencil Tool in Photoshop is the same as the Brush tool but without anti-aliasing. I think more proper name would be non - anti-alised brush.

Is it possible to access to the path property of a shape layer by AEGP API?

Hi everyone! I recently started depeloping AE plug-in and trying to access to the path of shapes on the layer from AEGP API. Sorry in advance if my question has been already asked by someone before, but I couldn't find exact answer to my question so let me ask.
In a composition, I have a shape layer and the shape layer has a vector shape depicted by the pen tool. The constitution of the layer looks like below.
Apparently, those streams of the layer like Anchor Point, Position, and Scale can be accessed by AEGP_GetNewLayerStream. However, I have no idea how I can get the pointer to the Shape 1 and get the Path from it because the these valuse are not categolized into any AEGP_LayerStream types.
Very similar question was asked in the following link and the it was advised to use MaskOutlineSuite, PathQuerySuite, and PathDataSuite, although these suites are for making effect plugins, not for AEGP plugins, so I am not sure if they can be used here.
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1068528
So would someone kindly enlighten me about this??
Thank you very much.

hi hagmas! welcome to the forum, where there are plenty of existing answers
but never for exactly what you seek.
first off, every suite who's functions name start with AEGP, were actually
created for AEGP's plug-ins use, but most of them (including the suites you
mentioned) can also be used in effects. (and not as you thought, the other
way around)
the shape layer's stream indeed are not indexed, and that's because then
are added dynamically by the user and can be re-ordered.
look into the "dynamic stream suite", using which, you'll get the first
stream of the shape layer, and start navigating though there by getting the
stream name, type, parent group ect...
you'll eventually find the "content" group, and in it the "shape" groups,
and in them the... you get the picture.
yes, it's somewhat tedious, but since nothing in these gourps order is
pre-determined or guaranteed, there's no other way to go (that i know of).

What happened to Change Layer Content?

This question is related to Photoshop Elements 10.
Photoshop Elements 5.0 had the command "Change Layer Content" under the "Layers" menu. It would allow me to select from solid colors, gradients and patterns in shapes (rectangles, circles, or pre-made shapes. I used it a lot but I don't see it in this new version of Photoshop! What happened to that command? Is there some new command to replace it that I just don't see because I am really having a difficult time locating it!

I have some actions i made for elements to do that if your interested.
You can do it without actions, but it's far from convenient.

Strange problem undoing a shape layer move in Photoshop CS5

Hi. I have a strange recurring problem in Photoshop CS5. Basically, it manifests like this:
I have a shape layer, or several shape layers. I will move the shape with the move tool (usually via holding Ctrl, depending upon which tool is selected). If I then use undo or step backward, the image does not revert properly. It's like there is a discrepancy between the position of the layer mask and what is displayed on screen. Clicking on the vector mask of the shape layer to reveal its outline shows that the shape is where it should be (i.e. in the position it was originally), but the element of the image it represents is somewhere else. Sometimes, if I move a group of such shape layers, the problem seems to affect some of them but not all. Once so far, I have managed to rectify the problem by simply turning off an unrelated layer and turning it on again! Very strange.
It's a difficult problem to deal with, because it doesn't happen every time. And when it does, it's a case of reverting to a previous save. Luckily I save reasonably often, but it's still an annoying thing to deal with.
Hope I've described it well enough to understand. Any ideas?
I'm using CS5 12.0.4. Windows 7 64-bit. Intel i5 2300. Integrated HD2000 graphics with latest drivers.

I realise I seem to be talking to myself here (perhaps no-one's still using CS5 here, plus it's a fairly specific problem), but I have discovered a factor that makes for repeatable demonstration of this behaviour.
It appears that the problem I'm having is related to using feathering on vector masks. Create a shape with the pen tool, add an amount of 'feather' in the mask options panel, use the move tool to move the shape and then undo. This displays the problem I'm seeing where the image is not refreshed. I have at least found a way to workaround the issue for now. Simply changing the feathering amount updates the image to how it should be.
I'm glad that I can at least continue to use CS5, because I'm totally content with its functionality for my uses, and an upgrade seemed overkill (not to mention having to adjust to the changes made in CS6+ versions).
Perhaps there is still a cure for this bug somewhere. I will keep looking, and update this thread if I find it, in the hope that it may help someone else out there with the same problem.

Animating Shape Layer Contents Fill

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