Bulge pushes the shape out from a centre point; a negative Amount pinches it in. Deformers move points, not whole clones: the path is warped before it is filled and stroked, so nothing clips at the layer bounds.
How to use it
- Choose Geo Ops ▸ Deformers ▸ Bulge, or Effects ▸ Distort ▸ Bulge. On a shape or text layer it becomes a Geo Op; on footage, precomps and other pixel layers it is added as a raster effect with the same parameters.
- Set Amount and Radius, and place it with Offset.
Parameters
| Name | What it does | Default/range |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Strength of the bulge. Negative pinches. | 0.5, min −1 |
| Radius | Reach. 0 fits the shape. | 0 px (fit), min 0 |
| Offset X / Y | Moves the centre. | 0, 0 px |
| Scope | Whole Layer deforms everything above it as one (a row of copies becomes an arc). Each Clone deforms every copy in its own frame. | Whole Layer |
| Deform stroke | The stroke thickens and thins with the warp (the AE look). Off keeps its width and strokes the warped path. | Off |
| Falloff | Where it acts. See Falloff. | off (everywhere) |