Tip #1059: Animate a Line
… for Apple Motion
Tip #1059: Animate a Line
Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com
Write on animates borders attached to lines, paths and paint strokes.

This is a fun and fast way to animate any path, line or paint brush in Motion using the Write On behavior. Even better, you can animate a line to draw, erase, or draw then erase itself. Here’s how this works:
- Using the Pen or Paint Brush tool, draw a path in Motion.
- With the path selected, choose a border from the HUD (Option + Cmd + L) or Inspector > Object. The border needs a width greater than 0.
NOTE: Personally, I prefer applying Shape Styles, but these, too, need a wider border value.
- With the path element still selected in the Layers panel, choose Behaviors > Shape > Write On. This animates the border starting at the beginning of the path.
- Adjust the Offset value to change where drawing the border starts.
This technique is great at creating animated travel lines for a map, or calling attention to a moving object.
EXTRA CREDIT
- Change the duration of the Write on behavior to change it’s speed.
- Select the Write on behavior, then, in Inspector > Behaviors, change the menu from Draw to Erase. This animates the removal of the border, Or Draw and Erase, which draws it on, then draws it off.
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