Getting started
Using StrokeStyler
As well as being a fast and easy way to edit stroke properties, StrokeStyler has a few more tricks up its sleeve.
If you’ve ever dealt with dashed lines in Adobe Illustrator, you’ll likely be familiar with the Align Dashes to Corners feature. Unfortunately, this same functionality hasn’t been possible in After Effects… until now.
Align Dashes to Corners buttons
Using these 4 buttons, we’ve made it possible to align dashes to the corners of polygons, rectangles and even completely custom paths.
<aside> <img src="/icons/warning_gray.svg" alt="/icons/warning_gray.svg" width="40px" /> StrokeStyler will ignore the dashes settings of any stroke connected to a shape made with any of the Align Dashes to Corners tools and they will not show up in the StrokeStyler panel.
</aside>
Use this tool when you want to align dashes to the corners of your completely custom path or shape. Just select your path and click this button.
<aside> <img src="/icons/warning_gray.svg" alt="/icons/warning_gray.svg" width="40px" /> The Align Dashes to Corners for Custom Paths tool works with both open and closed paths but is limited to paths or shapes with 10 sides or less.
</aside>
Align Dashes to Corners for Custom Paths tool
StrokeStyler will create a brand-new shape layer called SP Shape and copy your path to the Master Path of the new shape layer. Feel free to edit the Master Path however you wish but if you add or remove sides from the Master Path, then you’ll need to refresh the path to update everything.
<aside> <img src="/icons/fire_gray.svg" alt="/icons/fire_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Pro Tip: The original shape layer will be hidden automatically, but you can Option/Alt + Click the Align Dashes to Corners for Custom Paths tool if you’d rather it wasn’t.
</aside>
An effect will be applied to the new shape layer which drives the dashes. Let’s go through each parameter below.
Align Dashes - Custom Path effect
<aside> <img src="/icons/warning_gray.svg" alt="/icons/warning_gray.svg" width="40px" /> You’ll notice that the Align Dashes effects have unique 3-character codes in their names. These directly correspond to the particular shape that it is controlling and allow you to have multiple instances of the effect on a single shape layer. Do not remove or edit these codes.
</aside>
These sliders control the length of the dashes and the length of the gaps between them.
This checkbox enables and disables the dashes at each corner of your custom shape.
This slider controls the stroke width of the dashes at each corner of your custom shape.
This color control changes the color of the dashes at each corner of your custom shape.
If you check this box, then the color of each corner is able to be individually set in the shape layer itself. Simply twirl down into the shape layer, find the corner you want and change it’s color manually.
This checkbox enables and disables the dashes on each side of your custom shape.
This slider controls the stroke width of the dashes on each side of your custom shape.
This color control changes the color of the dashes on each side of your custom shape.
If you check this box, then the color of each side is able to be individually set in the shape layer itself. Simply twirl down into the shape layer, find the side you want and change it’s color manually.
This is where all the magic happens — please do not adjust or otherwise edit any of these values as it will break StrokeStyler!
Use this tool when you want to align dashes to the corners of a regular polygon (one with equal sides). To get started, just click this button.
Align Dashes to Corners for Polygons tool
StrokeStyler will create a brand-new shape layer called SP Polygon. An effect will be applied to the new shape layer which drives the polygon and dashes. Let’s go through each parameter below.
Align Dashes - Polygon effect
Use this drop-down to choose the units in which you want to adjust the size of the polygon. Read more about each option below.
If the Size Unit is set to this option, then changing this value will change the size of the polygon based on the distance from the center of the polygon to any of its corners.
If the Size Unit is set to this option, then changing this value will change the size of the polygon based on the length of a single side of the polygon.
These sliders control the length of the dashes and the length of the gaps between them.
This slider controls how many sides the polygon has.
When checked, this adjusts how the dashes are distributed around the polygon. It will always ensure that a fixed number of dashes are present on each side — this number is chosen in the Dashes Per Side parameter.
If the Lock Dashes Per Side option is checked, this slider controls how many dashes are present on each side of the polygon, not including the corners.
<aside>
<img src="/icons/fire_gray.svg" alt="/icons/fire_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Pro Tip: Set the Dashes Per Side parameter to 0 to remove all dashes from the sides, leaving just the corner dashes visible.
</aside>
Use this tool when you want to align dashes to the corners of a regular rectangle (or square). To get started, just click this button.
Align Dashes to Corners for Rectangles tool
StrokeStyler will create a brand-new shape layer called SP Rectangle. An effect will be applied to the new shape layer which drives the polygon and dashes. Let’s go through each parameter below.
Align Dashes - Rectangle effect
Changing this value will change the width and height of the rectangle simultaneously.
These sliders control the length of the dashes and the length of the gaps between them.
This slider controls how many sides the rectangle has.
When checked, this adjusts how the dashes are distributed around the rectangle. It will always ensure that a fixed number of dashes are present on each side — this number is chosen in the Dashes Per Side parameter.
If the Lock Dashes Per Side option is checked, this slider controls how many dashes are present on each side of the rectangle, not including the corners.
<aside>
<img src="/icons/fire_gray.svg" alt="/icons/fire_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Pro Tip: Set the Dashes Per Side parameter to 0 to remove all dashes from the sides, leaving just the corner dashes visible.
</aside>
← Previous
Next →
On this page