After Effects Live recording drawing function?

[johnmaloof]

I can't figure out how to do live recording of a drawing in AE. Basically, I'm trying to create a bit where I can have drawings that I'm doing be created as I draw them in the program. I don't want to trace them after. There has to be a way to record a live drawing with my mouse without using Write-On. I'm thinking that Motion Sketch will have the answer but I cannot figure out the settings. Can someone help?

John

 

[Hoogle]

wouldnt it be easier to have the full image and then animating a mask to make it appear like it is drawing

 

[johnmaloof]

Well, I want to do this effect for drawings and also for handwritten words to make it look like they are being created in real-time. Does that make sense?

 

[Hoogle]

there are all sorts of ways of doing it also a nice plugin called text anarchy I think will do that

 

[johnmaloof]

Hoogle, I'm hoping to get specific advice from someone on ways to do it in AE. If there are many ways, can you explain one for me?

 

[Hoogle]

Yes get a font like jenny sue or similar hand written font

create a new layer and type your text

create 2 masks 1 that will cover up the whole text and can be animated from left to right to reveal the text below it at writing speed

and a smaller 1 not much larger than the thickness of the font. and can reveal a couple of letters at a time

Your larger mask will need to start in top left and end in bottom right of your composition and your saller mask will need to go from left to right left down if that makes sense.

If you need a video tutorial on something similar I am sure there will be something on youtube Just look up growing vines in After Effects and replace the vines in your tutorial with text.

 

[Hoogle]

Here you go same principal I should think.

 

[johnmaloof]

Without using masks, is there any way this can be done with a live recording option some how? I'm familiar with the masks but I would like it to be with created with a sketch pad or mouse with recorded path of the pen stroke. Is that possible?

 

[johnmaloof]

Thanks for the tutorial. But, there must be a simpler way to do this in one take with a recording of the pen strokes, am I right?

 

[Hoogle]

You could probably do it with screen capture software and record yourself writing with a graphics tablet on a black background or any colour background you want and lock the screen capture to a window. Or do it in After effects with a graphics tablet yu will need to use keynoard short cuts like page down to move 1 frame and as your writing using the paintbrush keep pressing page down to move a frame at a time.

 

[dfred]

1. Create a solid.
2. Double-click it to open it in a layer window
3. Go to "Window" > Paint.
4. Select your brush tool
5. adjust recording settings (select write-on for duration)
6. hand paint what you want
7. adjust timing keyframes

 

[dfred]

If you're using write-on paint tool (not the effect) Another trick is once you're done with one stroke and stop. Hit U then K then draw your next stroke that way all strokes are in sequence.