<p>I would use the ol' blur-and-threshold trick:</p>
<ul>
<li>make my lines slightly thicker than they need to be,</li>
<li>precompose my lines and the control layer, and set the opacity of the control layer to say 50%.</li>
<li>Then back in the original comp I would add Gaussian blur to the precomped layers, followed by the threshold effect.</li>
<li>Muck around with the values for both effects and the opacity of the control layer until it's good.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-03T12:25:21.000Z
2022-07-03T12:25:21.000Z
stib
<p>I recently created the attached graphic in Illustrator for a project and am trying to figure out how to create something similar in After Effects perhaps using a control layer.</p>
<p>The idea is that I want the width of the stroke on each of the lines to be linked to the black/white values of the control layer, which would have my letter W on it in this case.</p>
<p>I've achieved similar results in the past linking the scale of a shape layer with the colour value of a control layer but I can't figure out how to repurpose that technique for this job.</p>
<p>Any advice would be very welcome and appreciated!</p>
<p>R</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ABZB8.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ABZB8.jpg" alt="Original vector artwork I am trying to recreate in After Effects in the past" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-15T14:09:15.670Z
Interesting question. I wonder if a similar effect could be achieve using a particle generator like form or particular somehow...
tomh
<after-effects><after-effects-expressions>
Does anyone know how to control the stroke width of a shape using a control layer?
Ross Aitken
# Does anyone know how to control the stroke width of a shape using a control layer?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-14)

I recently created the attached graphic in Illustrator for a project and am trying to figure out how to create something similar in After Effects perhaps using a control layer.

The idea is that I want the width of the stroke on each of the lines to be linked to the black/white values of the control layer, which would have my letter W on it in this case.

I've achieved similar results in the past linking the scale of a shape layer with the colour value of a control layer but I can't figure out how to repurpose that technique for this job.

Any advice would be very welcome and appreciated!

R

[![Original vector artwork I am trying to recreate in After Effects in the past](https://i.sstatic.net/ABZB8.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/ABZB8.jpg)

**Tags:** after-effects, after-effects-expressions

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Interesting question. I wonder if a similar effect could be achieve using a particle generator like form or particular somehow...  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-03. Score: 0

I would use the ol' blur-and-threshold trick:

* make my lines slightly thicker than they need to be,
* precompose my lines and the control layer, and set the opacity of the control layer to say 50%.
* Then back in the original comp I would add Gaussian blur to the precomped layers, followed by the threshold effect.
* Muck around with the values for both effects and the opacity of the control layer until it's good.


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