path tracking effect on same layer?

[KenC]

Is it possible to draw a path with the path recorder and then have an effect tracked along that path on the _current_ frame/Layer instead of along the timeline?

[ZigOtto]

one exemple of an effect you have in mind ?

[KenC]

I just had the idea that it would be nice to be able to draw out a path, then have an effect follow the path.

For example a particle emitter that created water ripples. Instead of reaplying the emitter and moving it manually you could just draw the path out and the have the emitter draw across the path on the current layer.

You could come up with a lot of effects, move a lens flare across the canvas, paint over the scene with volumetric light etc..

[ZigOtto]

...
For example a particle emitter that created water ripples. Instead of reaplying the emitter and moving it manually you could just draw the path out and the have the emitter draw across the path on the current layer.

You could come up with a lot of effects, move a lens flare across the canvas, paint over the scene with volumetric light etc..

not sure to understand exactly your intentions , animated or not your FXs ?
your first post seems to tell "on a single frame", but now it seems like "on timeline" ...?
anyway, if you mean "animated", (along the timeline) we already can do that with the path manager in the FX stack.
you must firstly "Add to bin" your path : name your path "MyRecPath" f.i., then go to your particle emmiter, and go to Tools/Copy from Path Bin/ ... MyRecPath, that's all !
now your emmitter will be linked to your pre-recorded path.
... and so on for volumetric light or whatever FXs using pathes

[Peter Wassink]

Is it possible to draw a path with the path recorder and then have an effect tracked along that path on the _current_ frame/Layer instead of along the timeline?

its tricky, you would think that reducing the length of the key layer to 1 frame would do the trick but it doesn't
only(?) in the autopaint FX this works, but this fx is only able to put down a tool, it won't apply other fx's

So for other effects, maybe the best aproached is by aplying them with the wanted duration along the timeline then picking them up as an animbrush and then stamping the animbrush down on a single frame.
place the animbrush once and then hold the enter key until the animbrush frame slider (visible in the custombrush toolpanel) reaches the end.

its a bit of a workaround but that would get you what you are looking for.

[KenC]

not sure to understand exactly your intentions , animated or not your FXs ?

Sorry I meant not animated, just moving the effect around on the current layer.

Thanks Peter, I'll try to see what I can get with the cutbrush.

[KenC]

not sure to understand exactly your intentions , animated or not your FXs ?

Sorry I meant not animated, just moving the effect around on the current layer.

Thanks Peter, I'll try to see what I can get with the cutbrush/animbrush.