Adobe After Effects CS4 User Manual
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USING AFTER EFFECTS CS4
Drawing, painting, and paths
Last updated 12/21/2009
The Offset property value is used to offset the transformations by a specific number of copies. For example, if the
Copies value is 10 and the Offset value is 3, then the original shape is transformed by 3 times the amount specified in
the Transform property group, and the last copy is transformed by 12 times the amount specified in the Transform
property group.
Animating the Offset property is a good way to easily create interesting results.
The Composite option determines whether copies are rendered above (in front of) or below (behind) the copies that
precede them.
Use the Start Opacity value to set the opacity of the original shape, and the End Opacity value to set the opacity for the
last copy. Opacity values for copies in between are interpolated.
If you place the Repeater after a path, above the fill and stroke property groups for a shape, then the set of virtual copies
is filled or stroked as a compound path. If you leave the Repeater below the fill and stroke, then each copy is filled and
stroked individually. The difference is most apparent with gradient fills and strokes.
Add a Wiggle Transform path operation after a Repeater operation to randomize (wiggle) the position, scale, anchor
point, or rotation of the repeated copies within an instance of the Repeater. If the Wiggle Transform path operation
precedes (is above) the Repeater path operation, then all of the repeated shapes will be wiggled (randomized) in the same
way. If the Repeater path operation precedes (is above) the Wiggle Transform path operation, then each of the repeated
shapes will be wiggled (randomized) independently.
Eran Stern provides a video tutorial on the
that shows how to use the Repeater operation.
that uses the Card Dance effect and a shape layer with the
Repeater operation to simulate a halftone color separation for any image or video.