How do you make an object follow a path?

Keyframe its Position at the points along the route and shape the path between them. In After Effects you can also copy a mask or shape path and paste it into Position; in Premation, Motion Sketch records a path by dragging the layer.

Why does my layer overshoot or loop on its motion path?

Curved spatial handles between keyframes can bow the path past where you meant it to go. Straighten or smooth the path (Premation's viewport offers both when a path is selected), or pull the handles in.

What is the difference between a motion path and easing?

The motion path is where the layer goes; easing is how fast it travels along that route. You can change either without touching the other.

Glossary

Motion path

Name: Premation
Author: Premation

The spatial trajectory an animated position follows, drawn as a line through its keyframes. Editing the path's Bézier handles changes the route without touching the timing.

In After Effects

In After Effects the motion path appears in the Composition panel when a layer's Position has keyframes: each keyframe is a point on the path and the dots between them are frames. Drag the Bézier handles to curve it, and Layer ▸ Transform ▸ Auto-Orient makes the layer turn to follow it.

In Premation

Drawn on the canvas whenever a layer with position keyframes is selected; the dots along it are frames, so their spacing shows speed.

Step by step

Keyframe Position on the layer: click its stopwatch, or press Alt+Shift+P at the playhead.
Move the playhead and drag the layer to a new place. Another keyframe is written and the path is drawn on the canvas while the layer is selected.
If the path is hidden, toggle motion paths from the viewport header or with Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+M.
Drag the keyframe points on the canvas to reshape the trajectory directly.
Press Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+S to smooth corners left by hand-placed keyframes, and use Layer ▸ Transform ▸ Auto-Orient… so the layer faces its direction of travel.

Tips

Read the dots: each is a frame, so dots bunched together mean slow movement and widely spaced dots mean fast.
Shape the route on the canvas and the timing in the graph editor. They are separate, and fixing one does not need the other.
For an organic route, record it with Animation ▸ Motion Sketch by dragging the layer in real time, then thin and smooth the keys with The Smoother.
Turning on Separate Dimensions (in the Graph panel's motion path controls) gives X and Y their own tracks and eases.

Read the docs: Keyframes

Questions

How do you make an object follow a path?: Keyframe its Position at the points along the route and shape the path between them. In After Effects you can also copy a mask or shape path and paste it into Position; in Premation, Motion Sketch records a path by dragging the layer.
Why does my layer overshoot or loop on its motion path?: Curved spatial handles between keyframes can bow the path past where you meant it to go. Straighten or smooth the path (Premation's viewport offers both when a path is selected), or pull the handles in.
What is the difference between a motion path and easing?: The motion path is where the layer goes; easing is how fast it travels along that route. You can change either without touching the other.

Related terms

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