Adobe After Effects CS4 - Manual (Page 546)

540 USING AFTER EFFECTS CS4
Effects and animation presets
Last updated 12/21/2009
For animated strokes, the exact timing (real time) you used to draw the strokes can be played back and rendered. You
can adjust the playback speed to fit the timing you want. You can also create new strokes by blending existing strokes,
both in space and in time.
Vector Paint supports the pressure-stylus and erase functions of Wacom and Creation Station tablets.
Note: The Vector Paint options menu contains some unique commands and settings that are otherwise unavailable. Open
this menu by clicking the Vector Paint toolbar options button when a Vector Paint painting tool is selected.
When you use Vector Paint on a layer, you can start over at any time by deleting all strokes or the Vector Paint effect
itself. To delete the effect, select Vector Paint in the Effect Controls panel and press Delete or Backspace.
Paint with the Vector Paint effect
1 Select the Selection tool in the Tools panel.
2 In either the Composition or Timeline panel, select the layer on which you want to paint.
3 Choose Effect > Paint > Vector Paint. The Vector Paint effect appears and is selected in the Effect Controls panel,
and the Vector Paint toolbar appears on the left side of the Composition panel.
Note: This toolbar appears only if Vector Paint is selected (highlighted) in the Effect Controls panel. If the rulers in the
Composition panel interfere with your view of the Vector Paint toolbar, deselect View
> Show Rulers.
4 Select the Vector Paint painting tool you want to use from the Vector Paint toolbar.
5 In the Effect Controls panel, select the options you want for Brush Settings and Composite Paint.
6 In the Timeline panel, move the current-time indicator to the appropriate point in time.
7 In the Composition panel, drag to draw strokes on the layer.
To quickly set your brush Radius and Feather amounts as you paint, press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS)
and click anywhere in the Composition panel; then drag in or out to resize the brush. When you release the Ctrl or
Command key, you can then drag in or out to resize the feather.
Vector Paint tools
Vector Paint tools in Composition panel
You can use three tools in the Vector Paint toolbar to work with Vector Paint:
Selection tool Select a stroke by clicking or dragging across it. You can drag across several strokes to select them
simultaneously. You select strokes to edit or delete them.
Paint tool Paint directly on the layer, using settings defined in the Effect Controls panel. When you use the Paint
tool, the pointer appears as a circle (or square) in the actual size of the brush.