Stroked paths / masks

Is it possible to stroke a path or mask shape in EdgeAnimate?
I'd like to animate a rope moving, but it only requires a single color. Do I need to create a sprite sheet for this? or can I create a path, and stroke it with color?
alt: I may look into using SVG sequenced elements from Illustrator. can svg files be used like a sprite page?

Hi, Ko-
Non-canvas HTML is limited to rectangular masks, unfortunately. You can do sprite sheets using SVGs and clipping, but you should definitely check to see what the file size is and optimize as much as you can. Also, SVGs are not always served properly by webservers, so you should make sure that your server is configured to serve SVGs as image files.
Hope this helps to point you in the right direction, and welcome to the Animate forum!
-Elaine

Similar Messages

How to remove a stroked path from an ellipse?

made a circle with the ellipse tool. filled it with a color no stroke. i have a design i drew with the pen tool and put a thick stroke on it. i want to delete each line stroked path of the design from the circle behind it. but using the divide objects below is not working.
basically i want the circle with the design cut out of it. ill then be bringing that circle into photoshop and extruding it in 3d and going from there. how do i cut that design out? TIA

coonasty,
You may:
1) Give the design a black stroke and Group it if it consists of multiple paths;
2) Select everything and in the Transparance palette flyout click Make Opacity Mask with both Clip and Invert Mask unticked.
This is fully editable.

Problems Stroking Path with the pencil cs6

I´ve been making pixel art for a while now and recently I upgraded to cs6.
all was fine till I tried to stroke a circular path with the pencil tool.
The Circles it makes are completely uneven. I cant figure out a way to fix this. Help please.
These are the paths i traced in different sizes
this is the stroked path with a 1 x 1 pixel pencil
as you can see the the bottom and right part of the circles is different from the top left. it is more noticeable on smaller circles.
it also happens with bigger stroke sizes.
this diddn´t happen in cs5.
I would appreciate any input.

If a path is in precisely the same location in CS5 and CS6 then strokes made with the Pencil will be almost (or possibly actually) identical in both versions. However, CS6 has an added preference to restrict the positioning of paths with respect to the pixel grid and I think that the positioning of your paths is not as you intended. You'd have got reasonably symmetrical Pencil-stroked circles if the N, E, S and W points of the circular paths lay mid-pixel. These points in your example are lying on pixel boundaries, hence the asymmetrical strokes.
To get CS5's free positioning of paths in CS6, disable Preferences > General > Snap Vector Tools and Transforms to Pixel Grid. Then it'll be possible to get in CS6 the result that you got in CS5.

How to use a path (mask) as a guidance path for an object?

Hello,
I want to use a path / mask as a guidance line for an object. I know i can draw a mask, then cut the path parimeter and paste it into the the position, but that seems to come with all kinds of restrictions. For example; when i use that method, i can't make the object stop moving halfway trough the animation. Also i cant animate the object further along because the object starts to do all kind of weird things, like flipping horizontally / vertically.
I was wondering if there isn't just a function build in After Effects to track a path? Or a plugin?
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks in advance!
Kind regards,
Yori

My keyframing skills are pretty developed, but all rules i know regarding keyframing seem to go out of the window as soon as i paste the path into my position parameter... How come it flips the object for example?
What i went to do is: have my object follow a path, then stop, move up a bit, stop again, and then follow another path, but i can't seem to get that done. Also, when i have animated the first path, and i put another keyframe 12 frames further AE makes up some kind of extra path which is supposed to fill the gap between the last keyframe of the path animation, and the next keyframe. I really don't get it...

How to create (open-ended) stroked paths?

OK, this might be a newbie Q, but I couldn't find an answer...
Is it possible to draw a bezier path (using the Pen tool) that isn't closed, then stroke it, where there is no line connecting the two end points? In other words, drawing lines just like in Illustrator (instead of of "masks")?
Currently, if I right-click on an open-ended path, the 'Stroke Path' command is grayed out -- why? On the other hand, I am able to apply a stroke through a 'Layer Style' but those always draw as closed, despite the fact that I do not have a segment connecting the ends.
Is there a way to do draw a regular ole bezier line?? Thanks!

PetrikM wrote:
Could you maybe give a more detailed step-by-step info? (I'm using CS3)
Draw a path with the pen tool, using the Paths option, top right in the options bar
Then click on the MENU at the top right of the paths palette and save it as Path 1.
Then right-click in the path layer to stroke with the current brush.
You can also stroke from the Edit menu to get more control.

Create clipping path, mask

I love fireworks, but can't seem to figure this part out...
when I create a web button (for example), then want to place
another image over top of it so that it bleeds off the edge, but I
don't want anything past the edge of the button to be visible - how
would i do that in fireworks
correct me if I'm wrong, but that would be a clipping mask or
clipping path?
anyone know of a good online tutorial or how-to guide for
this sort of thing?
thanks
--bp

brandonjp wrote:
> I love fireworks, but can't seem to figure this part
out...
> when I create a web button (for example), then want to
place another image
> over top of it so that it bleeds off the edge, but I
don't want anything past
> the edge of the button to be visible - how would i do
that in fireworks
> correct me if I'm wrong, but that would be a clipping
mask or clipping path?
> anyone know of a good online tutorial or how-to guide
for this sort of thing?
> thanks
> --bp
>
Here is a series of tutorials for those kinds of operations.
http://www.projectseven.com/tutorials/images/photo_magic/index.htm
Linda Rathgeber [PVII] *Adobe Community Expert-Fireworks*
http://www.projectseven.com
Fireworks Newsgroup:
news://forums.projectseven.com/fireworks/
CSS Newsgroup: news://forums.projectseven.com/css/
http://www.adobe.com/communities/experts/

Meshes behind compound path masks.

I have a gradient mesh which is masked behind several squares I grouped together as a compound path. However I'm finding it aggravatingly difficult to select points of the mesh to edit. For some reason I can only select the mesh in isolation mode. Furthermore when you try to select points in the mesh that are within the interior of the squares which making up the mask you end up selecting the squares instead of the mesh. Is there any easier way to edit the mesh when it is masked? Illustrator CS6

Alright, nevermind I think removing the fill solved it. Thank though.

Linking position to mask path?

I know I can copy and paste a Mask Path to a layer's Position and vice versa.
But is there a way to link them live with an expression? I think I'm running into a problem with too many dimensions in an array -- I'm trying to link a Light's 3D position into a 2D Mask Shape (for Particular). I can copy and paste the motion path & mask shape between them just fine, but pickwhipping gives me an error.

Not directly, but there may be a work-around, depending on what you're trying to do. If you paste the path into the position property of a null, AE creates a smooth 2-second animation. You can like to the null's position and use a positon expression with the light (using valueAtTime()) to traverse the path on any timescale you want - stop, back up, etc. If what you're looking for is a live link between the path and the light though, then this doesn't help.
A script has access to all the mask stuff, so depending on exactly what you're trying to do, you could use a little helper script to update your light position keyframes after you edit the path.
Dan

Problem creating vector mask with Pen Tool

Using Photoshop CS5, Mac OS 10.6.8
I'm trying to create a simple vector mask using the pen tool to create a curved line at the top and bottom of a photo. Here's what I'm doing:
1. Create a new layer and select it.
2. Select Pen tool.
3. Choose "work path" by selecting button at top menu.
4. I draw my shape with the pen tool.
5. Now comes the problem... I can not select this shape, or assign it a color. When I create a clipping mask, it does not recognize my path. When I throw away the layer, the shape is still there in outline only. What am I missing here? I'm familiar with doing this in Illustrator, but I don't understand how it works in PSD.
I need some help, please.
Thanks.

The main thing i use paths for in photoshop is extracting objects from photos.
Other uses include stroking paths with the paint tools. For example, if you had
a powerline to remove, one could trace the line with the pen tool and then stroke
the path with spot healing brush set to content aware fill.
more info on photoshop paths:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-73ada.h tml
MTSTUNER

Drag clipping mask layer to new layer problem

Ran into something I think is a bug.
I have an object with a clipping path on Layer 1. I have a simple stroked path on Layer 2. I marquee select both items.
As usual, I can only drag one "Selected Art Indicator" layer color dot at time in the Layers palette. I drag Layer 2 color dot to Layer 3. Now if I immediately drag Layer 1 color dot to Layer 3, the object being clipped suddenly escapes its boundaries.
I have to click on Layer 1 in the Layers palette to highlight the layer. Now I can drag Layer 1 to Layer 3 and the object and clipping path move perfectly.
Is this correct behavior?

Please show some screenshots including the layer panel. Most probably you have a layer based clipping mask. They come in to flavors: object based (via the menu) and layer based (via the layer panel)

Create path or outline just like text

hi , For text i can easily use TYPE / Create Outlines
but what about Create Path Around Object or PNG with Transparancy ?
i know about using Pen Tool and create Path , but it takes much time and my final work not perfect as i want
is there any tips to create path around and image object ?

Arioman,
For vector artwork (if you refer to that by Object), you may use the Appearance palette flyout and Add New Stroke (you may add multiple ones with desired Stroke weight and Colour (and Transparency>Opacity maybe set to 0%). You may drag the new stroke below the fill to have only the outer half of it appear (so you may have to double the stroke Weight).
For raster images with transparency, you may redraw the outer shape with the appropriate tools (Pen Tool, Ellipse Tool, whatever suitable), or you may Auto/Live Trace the outer shape (you may need to expand), and then apply whichever Stroke Weight, Colour, whatever, desired.
For raster images with just a rectangular border, you may Object>flatten Transparency, then Ungroup and Flatten Transparency and apply the stroke to the path that was a Clipping Mask; you may use Object>Offset Path by half the Stroke Weight if you want the stroked path to be outside the image. There may be other ways in the newest version(s).

"Text on a path" and "paths" rasterised when printed from a PDF on an iGen

I have just obtained from the printer the first proof of my book (printed on an iGen) and I'd like to find out where one of the problems lie. I'll ask the printer his opinion before second proof, but I don't like to annoy him unnecessarily.
One of the chapters in the book has a lot of maps. I drew rivers by stroking a path, and named the rivers using 'Text on a Path' so that the text follows the curve of the river. Some of the maps have a pale background image on a different layer. And this is where the problem seems to lie.
1. Rivers (and their names) appear normal on a map WITHOUT a background. By 'normal' I mean they look sharp. When magnified they seem to have been drawn as vectors.
2. On maps WITH a background layer, 'Text on a path' appears very chunky (as if it has been rasterised at about 300 dpi) and paths (the rivers) appear to have the jaggies. Horizontal text does not appear to be affected.
I can't be certain that (1) and (2) exactly define the problem, but it's as close as I can get at the moment.
When I opened the original PDF file from which the book was printed, no matter how much I enlarge it, all paths and 'type on a path' retain their smoothness. i.e they are obviously vectors. However, I noticed when I opened the PDF in Acrobat 7 and tried to edit the 'text on a path', the PDF went haywire: the text I tried to edit disappeared, and other text frames on the page were shifted around.
A sample PDF (6.7 MB, including an original two-page spread, and a scanned copy of the iGen print of the same), can be downloaded from:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?oe4omuzoqzz
Two questions:
Q1: On the maps with a background image, is the rasterising of stroked paths, and 'text on a path' due to the iGen mishandling the file? Or might there be another explanation?
Q2: Re Acrobat 7 mishandling my 'text on a path': is this a bug that has been fixed in later versions of Acrobat?
To reproduce this bug do this: Open the PDF described above, and within Acrobat 7 select Tools > Advanced Editing > Touchup Text Tool. Then click inside the name "Georgina River", backspace to try and delete a letter, and the PDF should go haywire.

Sandee: Almost certainly below the text, but I'd have to check them all.
But before I do that, we'll have to go back a step. I can almost handle layers in InDesign, but didn't know they existed in PDFs. The printer printed from the PDF and as far as I can tell after a brief visit to HELP, there aren't any layers in the PDF. When I go to View > Navigation Tabs > Layers and click on the Layer Tab when it appears, there's nothing there; and all the items under Options are grayed.
Q1: Why do I need a layer in a PDF? By not having layers, can that cause problems?
Q2: Re Robert's suggestions: what do you mean by "move all the text to a top layer"? Within InDesign before I export to PDF?
Q3: Is printing more foolproof when I export to PDF, if all my text is on the one layer in InDesign and that layer is above any images? There are several hundred river names, place names etc, sitting on lower layers, but if need be I'll move them all.

Stroking outside border of an object with holes. {scrn shots}

Probably a really simple fix to this, but I'm still new to Illustrator so any help is appreciated
This is the image that I need to be outlined, but only around the very outside border.
Applied a regular stroke:
Grouped it with another part that also needs outlining on just the outside edge, and tried using a method I saw on here:
and the results:
Sort of helped but not really for what I'm looking for. If anyone could help my out, again it'd be much appreciated.

Fisheye,
As I (mis)understand it, you may:
1) Select the whole group and copy it, then work with the copy;
2) Ungroup and then with everything selected either just Pathfinder>Unite or Object>Compound Path>Release and Pathfinder>Unite to get one simple path with the outer shape;
3) Give the path the desired Stroke and no fill.
You may move the stroked path down beneath the original artwork (and use twice the desired stroke) if you want the stroke outside the original filled shape, or depending on version you may set the Stroke to be outside.

How to turn path back to stroke?

i have a line art drawing and have expanded the strokes to paths. now i'd need to turn part of the paths back to strokes and can't find an (easy) way to do it.
inserted is an example of the situation. instead of closed path i'd like the form to be a stroke.
i would really appreciate if anyone could help me.
a.

ankkip,
You may (always keep a copy of the original artwork):
1) Cut the outlined path at the Anchor Points where the end rounding of the original boundary of the stroke begins and change to Stroke/No Fill for all the boundary paths;
2) Object>Blend>Blend Options, set Specified Steps>1 and Orientation>Align to Path;
3) Select the two side boundary paths from 1) and Object>Blend>Make (you may need to add one or more Anchor Points to either if the middle step looks funny);
3) Object>Blend>Expand and Ungroup;
4) Select the middle path and give it the right Stroke (corresponding to the distance between the side boundary paths) and Round Cap/Join.
The new stroked path should now fill out and fit the side and end boundary paths. You may need to make adjustments.

Is there a way to adjust paths to a new stroke after tracing?

Hi,
I've used image trace to trace the outline of a street grid and expanded the trace into paths. However, after doing so, I realized I wanted the streets a bit thicker, so I increased the stroke value.
Is there a way to adjust the old paths to match the new outline? I tried saving it as a .jpg and retracing but the quality was subpar. Any way to "redo" the trace in the original file, or somehow tell Illustrator to move the paths to match the increased stroke? I need them to coincide once more with the edges of the streets.
Link to the file is here - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sv7yyzwanap9ps5/vBGffyKv8Y
Thanks very much for your help,
Matthew

mgreig,
The was I (mis)understand it, you may go back to the original image and trace it anew with new settings
You may obtain stroked paths rather than filled areas, if you look at the Trace options and tick Centerline Mode along with Stroke, not Outline and Fill.
Once you have (access to) the paths you can change their stroke(s) to whichever Weight you wish.
There is a very relevant screenshot and some more explanation about the Trace options in this thread:
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1001689?tstart=0
A few things you probably know:
To get rid of the white in the image you can tick Ignore White; that is much easier than having to get rid of it later.
In newer versions, you have to Expand the traced artwork in order to access it for further work, such as editing, changing Stroke Weight and colour, and whatever else.

Stroked paths / masks

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