Creating shapes

You create a shape layer by drawing in the Composition panel with a shape tool or the Pen tool. You can then add shape attributes to existing shapes or create shapes within that shape layer. By default, if you draw in the Composition panel when a shape layer is selected, you create a shape within that shape layer above the selected shapes or group of shapes. If you draw in the Composition panel using a Shape tool or Pen tool when an image layer other than a shape layer is selected, you create a mask. For more information, see Create masks in After Effects.

Usually, a new shape has a fill and a stroke that correspond to the Fill and Stroke settings in the Tools panel at the time that the shape is drawn. You can use the same controls in the Tools panel to change these attributes for a selected shape after it has been drawn. Shapes created from the text are created with fills and strokes that match the fills and strokes of the original text.

You can create a shape layer from a vector art footage layer, and then modify it. With the ability to bevel and extrude objects in After Effects, you can extrude the artwork, for example, extruded logos. For more information, see Extruding text and shape layers.

To convert a vector art footage layer to shape layer, choose Layer > Create > Create Shapes from Vector Layer. A matching shape layer appears above the footage layer, and the footage layer is muted.

Create a shape dragging with shape tools

The shape tools are the Rectangle , Rounded Rectangle , Ellipse , Polygon , and Star tools.

A polygon is a star without an Inner Radius or Inner Roundness property. So, the name of the shape created for a polygon or a star is the same: polystar.

You can create a mask by dragging with a shape tool on a selected layer in the Composition or Layer panel. You can create a shape by dragging with a shape tool on a selected shape layer in the Composition panel. If you drag with a shape tool in the Composition panel with no layer selected, you create a shape on a new shape layer.

When you create a shape by dragging with a shape tool in the Composition panel, you create a parametric shape path. To instead create a Bezier shape path, press the Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) key before you select to begin dragging. You can release the key before you complete the drag operation. All mask paths are Bezier paths. (See About shapes and shape layers.)

Dragging starts when you click in the Composition or Layer panel to begin drawing and ends when you release the mouse button. Pressing modifier keys at different times during a single dragging operation achieves different results:

• To reposition a shape or mask as you are drawing, hold the spacebar or the middle mouse button while dragging.

• To scale a circle, ellipse, square, rounded square, rectangle, or rounded rectangle around its center while drawing, hold the Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) key after you begin dragging. Don’t release the key until you have released the mouse button to finish drawing.

• To cancel the drawing operation, press Esc.

Draw rectangles, rounded rectangles, squares, and rounded squares

2.  (Optional) If drawing a rounded rectangle or rounded square, do the following before releasing the mouse button:

• To increase or decrease the corner roundness, press the Up arrow key or the Down arrow key, or roll the mousewheel forward or backward.
• To set corner roundness to the minimum or maximum, press the Left arrow key or the Right arrow key.

3.  Finish drawing by releasing the mouse button. If drawing a square or rounded square, release the Shift key after releasing the mouse button.

Draw ellipses and circles

Draw polygons and stars

2.  (Optional) Do the following before releasing the mouse button:

• To add or remove points, press the Up arrow key or the Down arrow key or roll the mouse wheel forward or backward.
• To increase or decrease the outer roundness, press the Left arrow key or the Right arrow key.
• To keep the inner radius of a star constant as you move the mouse to increase the outer radius, hold the Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) key.
• To increase or decrease the inner roundness of a star, press the Page Up key or the Page Down key.

3.  Release the mouse button to finish drawing. If Shift-dragging to prevent rotation, release the Shift key after releasing the mouse button.

Create a Bezier shape or mask using the Pen tool

You can create a Bezier mask using the Pen tool on a selected layer in the Composition or Layer panel. You can create a shape with a Bezier path using the Pen tool on a selected shape layer in the Composition panel. If you draw with the Pen tool in the Composition panel with no layer selected, you create a shape on a new shape layer.

Creating a RotoBezier path is similar to creating a manual Bezier path. The primary difference is that direction lines for vertices and curvature for path segments are automatically calculated.

Create a manual Bezier path using the Pen tool

Draw straight manual Bezier path segments with the Pen tool

The simplest path that you can draw with the Pen tool is a straight line, made by clicking with the Pen tool to create two vertices. By continuing to select, you create a path made of straight-line segments connected by corner points.

Draw curved manual Bezier path segments with the Pen tool

You create a curved path segment by dragging direction lines. The length and direction of the direction lines determine the shape of the curve.

Create a shape of the size of the layer

Create shapes from text characters

Use Create Shapes From Text to extract the outlines for each character, create shapes from the outlines, and put the shapes on a new shape layer. You can then use these shapes as you would any other shapes.

Use Create Masks From Text to extract the outlines for each character, create masks from the outlines, and puts the masks on a new solid-color layer. You can then use these masks as you would any other masks.

Copy a path from Illustrator or Photoshop

You can copy a path from Illustrator or Photoshop and paste it into After Effects as a mask path or shape path.

To make the data copied from Illustrator compatible with After Effects, the AICB option must be selected in the Files & Clipboard section of the Adobe Illustrator Preferences dialog box.

For a path imported from Photoshop to be scaled correctly, the Photoshop document must have a resolution of 72 dpi. 72 dpi is the resolution setting of documents created in Photoshop using a Film & Video preset.

You can also use a copied Illustrator or Photoshop path as an After Effects motion path. See Create a motion path from a mask, shape, or paint path for more information.

Create a shape from a motionpath

You can copy position keyframes, anchor point keyframes, or an effect control point’s position keyframes and paste those keyframes into a selected mask path or shape path. When you create mask paths or shape paths from motion paths, make sure that you copy keyframes from a single Position property only—do not copy the keyframes of any other property.

Create a mask path from a motion path

To do it, see Create a mask from a motion path.

Duplicate a shape group while transforming

When a shape group is selected in group selection mode, you can duplicate the group while moving, rotating, or scaling it in the Composition panel.

Hold the Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) key as you drag to transform a group.

The pointer changes to a duplication pointer ( or ) as you hold the key and place the pointer near the group transform box.