Creating a self-animating shape

Adding a title bar

You’ve created an exciting background and added the video of the DJ and the audio track. The only thing missing is the title to identify the program. You’ll use the Rectangle tool and path operations to create a dynamic shape, and then you’ll add the text.

Wiggle Paths turns a standard rectangle into a series of jagged peaks and valleys. You’ll use it to create a shape that looks like a soundwave. Because the operation is self-animating, you only need to change a few properties for the entire shape to move on its own.

1 Select the Rectangle tool (), which is hidden under the Star tool ().

2 Click the Fill Color box, and select a light yellow. (We used R=255, G=255, B=130.) Click OK.

3 Click the word Stroke. In the Stroke Options dialog box, select Solid Color, and click OK.

4 Click the Stroke Color box, and select a light gray. (We used R=200, G=200, B=200.) Click OK.

5 Change the Stroke Width to 10 pixels.

6 Draw a rectangle across the composition—near the bottom and approximately 50 pixels high.

_ Tip: If you need to reposition the rectangle, use the Selection tool to drag it into place in the Composition panel.

7 In the Timeline panel, expand Rectangle 1 > Rectangle Path 1.

8 Unlink the Size values, and then change them to 680, 50.

9 Expand Stroke 1, and then change the Stroke Opacity to 30%.

10 Hide the Rectangle 1 properties.

11 Select Shape Layer 1, and choose Wiggle Paths from the Add pop-up menu.

12 Expand Wiggle Paths 1. Then change the Size to 150 and the Detail to 80.

13 Select Smooth from the Points menu to make the path less jagged.

14 Change Wiggles/Second to 5 to speed up the movement.

15 Move the current-time indicator across the timeline to see the shape move. It’s not exactly an audio waveform, but it’s a stylistic version of one.

16 Hide all the properties for the layer.

17 Rename the layer Lower Third, and then lock the layer.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-20