Scatter on Path picks one element of the layer as the rail and spreads copies of everything else along it.
How to use it
- On a shape layer, draw the rail path and the shape you want to scatter.
- Choose Geo Ops ▸ Generators ▸ Scatter on Path.
- Pick the rail under Along.
- Set Count, and trim the stretch of rail used with Start and End.
Parameters
| Name | What it does | Default/range |
|---|---|---|
| Along | Which element is the rail. Everything else scatters along it. | the first element |
| Count | Number of copies. | 5, 1–1024 |
| Start | Where on the rail the copies begin (0 = start, 1 = end). | 0, 0–1 |
| End | Where on the rail they finish. | 1, 0–1 |
| Jitter ∥ | Random shift along the rail, in gaps between copies. | 0, min 0 |
| Jitter ⊥ | Random shift across the rail. | 0 px, min 0 |
| Seed | Which random pattern. The dice button picks a new one. | random at add time |
| Align to path | Rotate each copy to follow the rail's direction. | On |
| Keep path | Keep the rail visible, or use it only as a guide. | On |
Tips
- Animate Start and End to make the copies travel along the rail.
- To bend the shape itself along a path, use Path Deform.