Adobe After Effects CS4 - Manual (Page 316)

310 USING AFTER EFFECTS CS4
Drawing, painting, and paths
Last updated 12/21/2009
Groups and render order for shapes and shape attributes
Though the default is for a shape to consist of a single path, a single stroke, and a single fill—arranged from top to
bottom in the Timeline panel—much of the power and flexibility of shape layers arises from your ability to add and
reorder shape attributes and create more complex compound shapes.
You can group shapes or shape attributes that are at the same grouping level within a single shape layer.
A group is a collection of shape attributes: paths, fills, strokes, path operations, and other groups. Each group has its
own blending mode and its own set of transform properties. By assembling shapes into groups, you can work with
multiple shapes simultaneously—such as scaling all shapes in the group by the same amount or applying the same
stroke to each shape. You can even place individual shapes or individual shape attributes within their own groups to
isolate transformations. For example, you can scale a path without scaling its stroke by grouping the path by itself.
A. Two shapes in a group B. Two paths in a compound shape C. Circle path with Wiggle Paths applied D. One stroke applied to all paths above
it E. Star path in a group by itself F. One fill applied to all paths above it G. One path with two strokes
B
G
C
A
D
E
F