WEEK 7: Animate Shape Layer Arms & Legs Tutorial
Content
Introduction / Task information.
Description of what you are doing.
How it was done.
Final Output.
Software Used.
Reference.
Introduction / Task Information.
This will be the seventh task assigned which is given after the completion of the First Assignment. It is to be due on Wednesday. In this task, we were given a task to recreate an animation scene where the shape layer of a certain body parts are animated.
This tutorial is referred from the channel " ECAbrams " on YouTube. Our task was basically to amend the background theme, and create our own character based from the reference given.
Description of what you are doing.
The task is clearly simple, create a moving arms and legs. Based from the video tutorial all i need is to make a subtle movement based from the shape layer tool by using just Adobe After Effects. The character i'm choosing is an 'Anime' character from a series "One Punch Man" named " Saitama". Saitama will be doing a workout exercise, carrying 2 huge boulder as an indication to a dumbbell.
How it was done.
Similar from the past tutorial, use After Effects. Start by creating a new composition. Activate a grid and make sure the composition is set up "snap in grid'.
Work towards creating layers for the body figures from one section of the object to another and organize its sections properly.
Select a Rectangle Tool first to create an upper body part. Ensure the shape is in the center of the grid to make it symmetrical in line.
Then select the Ellipse Tool to create the lower part of the body. Arrange the shapes in order and clip between the corner point.
For the arms, create using the Pen tool. Attach the pen tool on to the corner of the upper body and set the outlines to 40px. Start animating the arms by setting a keyframe.
Name the layer Arms and create a content name 'skin', 'sleeves' and 'sleeves 2'. Under Skin, use a Round Cap by changing from Butt Cap. Duplicate skin and rename to Sleeves.
On Sleeve, select path, hold down Alt to enter expression. insert reference to a target, which is the Skin path in the previous layer. The other path will follow its parent.
Duplicate the arms and rename it 'Legs'. Move the duplicated shape onto the lower body part. Remove the old key frames from the path and set a new key frame.
To get both arms and legs a pair, add a repeater instead of duplicating the shapes. Simply click the 'add' button and select repeater. The repeater will automatically add the selected shapes in an opposite direction. Changer the repeater copies to 2 instead of 3.
To make the repeated shapes symmetrical, click on transform repeater. Set the position to nil and scale to negative.
Copy down the repeater and paste it on the Legs layer. Set the copies to 2.
Parent the legs and the upper body with the lower body and make reference on the arms with the upper body.
Adjust the rest of the shapes and finish up with adding a head, face and cape. Ensure to color the shapes as a finishing touch.
Next is to add an Object intact with the shape layer. Name the object ' rock ' and ' rock 2 '. Also,create a Text layer for credits. Parent both Rocks onto the arms and Parent the texts onto each rock.
Once the object is done, pre-compose the whole layer to organized and differentiate between the finished material and a new set of background layers.
Final Output.
Here is what the final output look like.
Software Used.
Adobe After Effects
Reference.
ECAbrams, Jan 8, 2017.
Animate Shape Layer Arms & Legs [EASY] - Adobe After Effects tutorial,
Viewed on 29th March, 2020
