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The clone tool—often called "Clone Stick" within the plugin—has received performance optimizations in v2.1.2c. The offset sampling is now more accurate, and you can preview the clone source location while painting. Crucially, the clone offset can also be tracked, meaning you can clone from a moving source to a moving destination (e.g., replacing a logo on a passing car with clean texture from another part of the car).
Unlike earlier versions that relied solely on simple point tracking, v2.1.2c integrates a more robust tracking engine. You can now lock a painted fix (e.g., a wire removal or a blemish patch) to a specific feature in the frame. If the actor turns their head or walks across the screen, the painted stroke follows seamlessly. The update also includes improved track failure handling, allowing you to break a long track into segments or manually correct a few drifted frames.
If you are upgrading from v2.1.2b or lower, here is the changelog: AEScripts Paint Stick v2.1.2c for After Effec...
In the world of motion graphics and visual effects, achieving organic, hand-painted textures on moving objects is often a time-consuming nightmare of tracking, masking, and roto-scoping.
Paint Stick v2.1.2c by AEScripts is a revolutionary plugin designed to solve this problem instantly. It allows motion designers to "stick" paintings, textures, and designs onto surfaces in a single step. Whether you are creating a 3D-style animated painting, applying graffiti to a moving wall, or texturing a character, Paint Stick handles the heavy lifting, turning hours of work into a single click. The clone tool—often called "Clone Stick" within the
Let’s use AEScripts Paint Stick v2.1.2c to solve the classic "bouncing ball" problem, where the ball stretches horizontally and vertically.
Step 1: Setup Create a standard 1920x1080 comp. Select a solid layer (any color) and open the Paint Stick panel (Window > Extensions > Paint Stick). Unlike earlier versions that relied solely on simple
Step 2: Rough Sketching Enable the "Pen Pressure" toggle. On frame 1 (ball at apex), draw a small circle. On frame 12 (ball smashing into ground), draw a flat pancake shape. On frame 24 (rebound apex), draw a tall, thin ellipse. Don't be perfect; the script cleans the lines.
Step 3: Apply the Script
Select the layer containing your three drawings. Click "Generate Vector Sequence" in Paint Stick v2.1.2c. In the modal, set Trace Mode to Smooth (High) and enable Interpolate Missing Frames.
Step 4: The Magic The script will analyze the stroke count. Because v2.1.2c uses Topological Matching, it knows the circle on frame 1 correlates to the pancake on frame 12. It generates 11 in-between frames (frames 2-11) where the vector paths gradually morph.
Step 5: Refinement
Open the generated Shape Layer. Twirl down Contents > Group 1 > Paths > Path 1. You will see keyframes at every frame. Slide the keyframes forward/backward to adjust timing. Because it is vector, you can scale the whole bounce to 400% without pixelation.