Physics

Shapes, text, polylines and SVGs can become physical bodies. Tick Physics in the layer’s row and press play: the simulation runs live, the same way every time.

• Choose whether a layer moves or stays fixed, and how it collides: its exact outline, a box or a circle.
• Set density, friction, bounciness, air resistance and a starting push or spin.
• Start Frame: until then the layer follows its keyframes, then physics takes over with the same speed.
• Text can fall apart letter by letter, or stay in one piece.

Connect layers to each other, or to the comp, with the joint effects.

• Pin for hinges with angle limits, Spring, Rope, Weld and Motor.
• Each joint can break at a chosen frame.
• Springs, ropes and welds can draw a visible line: straight, coiled or rope.
• A Polyline with Rope turned on becomes a hanging chain, free at the ends, pinned to the comp or attached to a layer.

Put an Attractor or an Explosion on a null to push and pull the bodies around it, with a radius and falloff you control.

When the motion is right, right-click the layer and choose Bake Physics. The simulation becomes ordinary position and rotation keyframes that you can refine by hand.