After Effects: Digital Handwriting

This quick After Effects tip for creating animated handwriting like that shown in the video below comes to us courtesy of Kirk Domer.

To import a Photoshop file:

1. Right Click in the gray area (to the left) under PROJECT to import file
2. Double click on the file

To make text reveal:

1. Click Effect->Generate->Stroke
2. Select the pen tool and trace the writing in the Composition Frame (Top Middle)
3. All in the lower left panel under STROKE:
   • Make sure path option starts with: “Mask 1”
   • Paint Style: Reveal Original Image
   • Place TWO “end” key frames – the first is 0.0 – the last is 100.00 (This will control how many seconds this will take to reveal).
   • Play with the brush size as well (based on the font).
4. Functions: Turn off for next mask – or click in the left grey box to start the next mask.

NOTES:

• All masks should be ON
• The space bar and mouse – moves the image to zoom in to your work space (works in PhotoShop too!).
• The “triple color ball” icon on TOP composition screen – make sure you are on RGB

TO SAVE:

• ALWAYS go to: Composition: Make Movie – then click render in the “render Queue”.
• Save to the correct OUTPUT file folder (so you know where to find the file)
• Rendering Setting: Best Settings
• Output Module: Lossless

AutoCAD: Separate Hatches

The HATCHEDIT command (type 'HATCHEDIT<enter>' or double-click a hatch) allows for the addition of areas to an already defined hatch. This can be a quick an easy way to match hatches to a key. Doing this leaves both areas attached to one another as a single hatch object. Checking the 'Separate Hatches' option however, breaks those hatches into their individual areas, allowing each hatch to be modified and moved separately.

AutoCAD: Filter Command Tutorial

The FILTER command is a powerful tool for modifying selection sets based on a set of criteria. For this tutorial I'll be using the collection of objects depicted below.

First we'll start the FILTER command (type 'FILTER<enter>') and AutoCAD presents us will a dialog to define our selection criteria. In the 'Select Filter' dropdown I'll select 'Line' and click 'Add-to-List'.

At this point my selection set is limited to only objects of the 'Line' type. I'll further filter the selection to only select objects of the color 'Cyan' by selecting 'Color' from the 'Select Filter' dropdown and clicking on 'Select' to open the color selection dialog.

After selecting the 'Cyan' color and clicking 'OK', I'll click 'Add to List' to add this criteria to my selection filter. Now my filter list will select only objects which are of the type 'Line' AND have the color 'Cyan'. After clicking 'OK', I'm returned to the select objects prompt.

Now, if I apply a crossing selection to this entire group of objects, only the Cyan line will be selected.

Filter lists can be as complex or as simple as needed and offer yet another way to quickly refine a selection set for performing an action on a group of objects--without selecting each object individually.