Evan Abrams shows how to derive a path from most animation in After Effects.

We are all used to creating paths and generating motion from those. Still, this new tutorial from Evan Abrams shows how you can go the other direction. That is to say, create paths from animation.

The tutorial shows how to create paths and trails from the motion of any layer, even layers with complex rigging, expressions, or parenting. Evan looks at a few methods to get motion trails from any object or layer that animates. “We start with simple effects-based techniques and work up to more expression-driven approaches. By the end, you’ll be able to bake any motion into a path or spline.”