5 Replies Latest reply: Oct 27, 2014 2:14 PM by Netcommercial RSS

    Null to follow a mask shape's path

    Netcommercial Community Member

      Hi All,

      I am racking my grey matter and I cannot remember if CS6 version will allow me to instruct a Null to follow a mask shapes path?

       

      IE: Draw an ellipse and then have a null follow the ellipse's path....

      If so maybe a path > on  > how to > please?

      Thanks

      SF

        • 1. Re: Null to follow a mask shape's path
          Dave LaRonde Community Member

          If the solid with the elliptical mask is the same H&V resolution & PAR as the comp, you can copy the mask and paste it into the null's position property.

          • 2. Re: Null to follow a mask shape's path
            Netcommercial Community Member

            Thanks Dave...

            • 3. Re: Null to follow a mask shape's path
              Rick Gerard CommunityMVP

              This short video shows the procedure for copying a path then turning it into a motion path. It has to be a busy bezier path or a Roto spline path. If it is not you can right-click the shape and convert it in the timeline.

              This video specifically shows how to copy a mask path to a camer, but the technique is just the same.

              • 4. Re: Null to follow a mask shape's path
                Netcommercial Community Member

                Hi Rick,

                How you been? Good I hope. I have been in Blender for 8 months straight, only to stop and do two movies (shorts for contests out here) Other then that 3d world. Thanks for the video refresher on the camera and orient transform.

                 

                I am having a brain stall over here...

                I followed Dave's advice on copying my mask and pasting it into my Pre-Comps position and then stretching the KF's to animate accordingly. However, instead I pasted the info into a NULL due to having 4 Pre - comps that I would like to follow that path  Parenting it...

                Here is the dealeo... When I park my preComps at the 12, 9, 6, 3 positions (like the face of a clock) the one at 12 that got the 1st position, while the other 3 positions 9,6 & 3 were positioned in their respective positions, but upon parenting and RAM prev, I am not getting the desired animation of my precomp's following that mask path ( an ellipse) Rather they move off screen. The only one that obey's the path is the 1st pre comp which was at the 12 position to begin with...

                 

                What am I missing?

                A pic is worth a 1000-

                clockwork.JPG

                • 5. Re: Null to follow a mask shape's path
                  Netcommercial Community Member

                  Got it.... I rotated the mask 90 degrees before copying it's path to THEN paste to that next precomps postition. Making sure that the preComps attributes are equal EVERY where./

                   

                  No parenting, just copy and paste after rotating mask's position 90-   Unless you have a better approach?