Creating a polygon in After Effects is a straightforward process that utilizes the dedicated Polygon Star Tool and its versatile properties, allowing for easy customization directly in your composition.
How to Make a Polygon in After Effects?
You can make a polygon in After Effects by selecting the Polygon Tool from the toolbar and then drawing and customizing the shape directly in your composition or through the shape layer properties.
Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing a Polygon
Follow these steps to quickly create a polygon shape layer in After Effects:
- Select the Polygon Tool: In the After Effects toolbar, locate the shape tools (often defaulting to the Rectangle Tool). Click and hold the shape tool icon to reveal a dropdown menu, then select the Polygon Tool (it typically looks like a pentagon).
- Tip: You can cycle through shape tools by pressing
Qrepeatedly.
- Tip: You can cycle through shape tools by pressing
- Draw the Initial Shape: In the Composition window, click and drag to begin drawing your polygon. Do not release the mouse button yet.
- Adjust Outer Radius: While still dragging, press the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard. This action will dynamically alter the Outer Radius of the polygon, making it larger or smaller as you adjust.
- Change Number of Sides: Simultaneously, while dragging and adjusting the radius, press the up and down arrow keys. This will change how many sides or corners the Polygon has, allowing you to create anything from a triangle (3 sides) to a hexagon, octagon, or many-sided shape.
- Finalize the Shape: Once you are satisfied with the initial size and number of sides, release the mouse button. A new shape layer containing your polygon will appear in the Timeline panel.
Customizing Polygon Properties After Creation
After you've drawn your polygon, you can further refine its appearance and animate its properties using the shape layer controls in the Timeline panel.
- Access Shape Layer Properties: Expand the new shape layer in the Timeline panel, then navigate through Contents > Polystar 1 > Polystar Path 1.
- Key Properties for Polygons: Within the "Polystar Path 1" settings, you'll find crucial parameters:
- Points: This numerical value directly controls the number of sides or points your polygon has. Change it to instantly transform your shape (e.g., 3 for a triangle, 4 for a square, 5 for a pentagon).
- Outer Radius: Adjust this value to precisely control the overall size of your polygon.
- Outer Roundness: Use this slider to round off the corners of your polygon, transforming sharp edges into smooth curves.
- Rotation: Rotate the entire polygon around its anchor point.
- Note: If you choose "Star" type instead of "Polygon" from the dropdown, you'll also see "Inner Radius" and "Inner Roundness" for more complex star shapes.
- Fill and Stroke: Above the "Polystar Path 1" settings, you can adjust the Fill (color, opacity) and Stroke (color, width, dash properties) of your polygon to match your design.
Advanced Tips for Polygon Creation
- Perfectly Symmetrical Shapes: Hold down the Shift key while dragging to constrain the polygon to perfect proportions (e.g., a perfect square if you have 4 points).
- Drawing from Center: To draw a polygon from its center point rather than a corner, hold down the Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) key while dragging.
- Animating Polygons: All numeric properties like
Points,Outer Radius,Outer Roundness, andRotationcan be animated using keyframes, allowing for dynamic shape transformations and motion graphics. - Using Repeaters: For complex patterns or radial designs, consider adding a Repeater effect (found under
Add > Repeaterfor the shape layer). This can duplicate and transform your polygon in powerful ways.
Summary of Polygon Creation Controls
| Feature | Initial Creation (Dragging) | Post-Creation (Timeline Properties) |
|---|---|---|
| Tool Selection | Polygon Tool (from shape tools) | N/A |
| Number of Sides | Up/Down Arrow Keys | Points property |
| Size/Radius | Left/Right Arrow Keys | Outer Radius property |
| Roundness | Not directly controllable | Outer Roundness property |
| Symmetry | Hold Shift while dragging |
N/A (adjusts automatically) |
| Drawing Origin | Hold Ctrl/Cmd for center |
N/A |
For more detailed information on shape layers and vector graphics in After Effects, refer to Adobe's official documentation:
