1. Select the Paint Stroke tool in the toolbar (or press P).

   

   The Paint Stroke Tool HUD appears. (If it doesn’t appear, press F7.)

   Important: Like the other drawing tool HUDs, the Paint Stroke Tool HUD is available only after you select the Paint Stroke tool, and before you create your stroke in the Canvas. The Paint Stroke Tool HUD lets you set the properties derived from the pressure and speed of the stylus before the drawing the stroke.

   

   The default brush type (in the Shape Style parameter) is Basic Solid. You can change the brush type by defining a paint stroke style.

2. Define a paint stroke style in the HUD:

   1. Click the Shape Style preset pop-up menu, then choose an option.

   2. Modify the Brush Color and Width settings.

      If a preset is not used, a Basic Solid stroke is created. You can still apply a preset to the stroke using the Inspector after the stroke is drawn. Presets do not override the width or color of the stroke set in the HUD.

   Note: The Pen Pressure and Pen Speed parameters are not available in the HUD when Shape Style is set to Solid Brush.

3. If you want to create a stroke that’s drawn over time, select the Write On checkbox.

   Selecting the Write On checkbox applies a Write On behavior the stroke. As with any other behavior, you can modify its parameters in the HUD or Inspector. For more information on using the Write On behavior, see Write On.

4. Draw your stroke in the Canvas, then press S or Esc to activate the Select/Transform tool.

   The Paint Stroke Tool HUD is replaced with the Shape HUD, which contains basic parameters identical to those in all other shape HUDs. Consequently, after a stroke is drawn, you must use the Inspector to modify parameters unique to the paint brush and its dabs.

The lower portion of the Paint Stroke Tool HUD contains a sketch area that displays a preview of a paint stroke effect. After you select a style for your paint stroke, that style remains selected for subsequent paint strokes until you choose another shape style. You can select another style before you create a paint stroke in the HUD, or after you create a paint stroke in the Inspector.

1. Select the Paint Stroke tool in the toolbar.

2. Do one of the following:

   • Choose a brush from the Shape Style pop-up menu in the Paint Stroke Tool HUD, then draw a stroke in the sketch area to see a preview of the paint stroke.

   • Select the Write On checkbox, draw a stroke in the sketch area, then click the Play button to see a preview of the write-on stroke.

   • Apply a preset from the Shape Style pop-up menu to an existing stroke in the sketch area.

     

     If the preset is an animated stroke, the stroke is automatically drawn in the sketch area. Press the Play button to see the stroke animation again.

1. Select an existing paint stroke in the Layers list or Timeline.

2. In the Shape HUD or the Style pane of the Shape Inspector, click the Shape Style pop-up menu, then choose a different option.

You can animate the individual dabs in a paint stroke to create an exploding particle effect.

1. Select an existing paint stroke in the Layers list or Timeline.

2. In the Style pane of the Shape Inspector, choose Airbrush from the Brush Type pop-up menu (if it’s not already chosen).

3. In the Advanced pane, select the Dynamics checkbox, then play the project (press the Space bar).

   The dabs spread out in the Canvas.

4. To further refine the dab animation, adjust the Dynamics controls.

1. In the toolbar, select the Paint Stroke tool (or press P).

   The Paint Stroke Tool HUD appears. If the HUD does not appear, press F7 or D.

2. In the Tool HUD, select the Write On checkbox and any other desired stroke settings.

3. In the Canvas, create your stroke.

4. When you complete stroke, press Esc to exit the paint mode.

   The Paint Stroke Tool HUD is replaced with the Shape HUD. In the Layers list, a Write On Shape behavior is applied to the stroke. To modify the Write On parameters, select the behavior and use the HUD or the Behaviors Inspector.

   The faster you draw a stroke, the shorter the duration of the Write On behavior.

   Note: If the Create Layers At option in Motion Project Preferences is set to Current Frame, the paint stroke is created at the current playhead position. If set to Start of Project, the stroke is created at frame 1. For more information about the Create Layers At option, see If it’s your first import.

5. Play back your project.

   The stroke is “painted on” as the project plays.

6. To modify the speed at which the stroke is painted, adjust the duration of the behavior bar in the Timeline or mini-Timeline.

   For more information, see Write On.

You can apply the Write On behavior to an existing shape to draw its outline over time. Because the Write On behavior only affects outlines, the Outline checkbox must be selected in the Style pane of the Shape Inspector.

1. Select the shape you want to use and select its Outline checkbox in the HUD or Style pane of the Shape Inspector.

   Note: You can leave the Fill checkbox selected, but only the outline is affected by the Write On behavior.

2. In the toolbar, click the Add Behavior pop-up menu, then choose Shape > Write On.

   

   The Write On behavior appears in the Layers list. If the playhead is located at the start of the shape, the visual shape disappears and only the path is visible.

3. Play the project (press the Space bar).

   The outline is drawn over the length of the behavior.

4. To adjust the speed at which the stroke is painted, adjust the duration of the behavior bar in the Timeline or mini-Timeline.

5. To adjust the properties of the stroke, use the Shape Inspector.

   For more information, see Stroke pane.