Creating Animated Wavelength Strokes in After Effects

Introduction

Wave animations can be used for music visualizers, abstract motion graphics, or sci-fi designs. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a clean vector stroke and turn it into a dynamic, animated wave using the Wave Warp effect. You’ll also discover how to duplicate and animate these strokes for more complex visuals.
Step 1: Create a New Composition
Start by opening After Effects and going to Composition > New Composition. Set your desired resolution, frame rate, and duration. This will be your working canvas for the animated wavelength.

Step 2: Draw a Straight Stroke with the Pen Tool
Select the Pen Tool (G) and make sure Fill is set to None and Stroke is enabled. Choose a stroke color and set the width to around 14 px. Click to create two points in a straight horizontal line — this will be the base for your wave. After drawing, you can adjust the position of the points using the Selection Tool (V) if needed.

Step 3: Apply the Wave Warp Effect
With your shape layer selected, go to Effect > Distort > Wave Warp. In the Effect Controls panel, adjust the Wave Height and Wave Width to shape your wave. Smaller widths create tighter curves, while higher heights make the waves taller. You can also change Wave Type to Sine for smooth motion.

Step 4: Duplicate the Wavelength Stroke
To create a layered or multi-line wave look, select your shape layer and press “Ctrl/Cmd + D” to duplicate it. Offset the duplicates vertically by adjusting their Position in the Transform properties. You can duplicate as many times as needed for your design.


Step 5: Animate the Waves
In the Wave Warp settings, adjust the Wave Speed property to animate the stroke over time. You can offset the timing or direction of each wave layer by changing their speed values or Direction (set it to 0° for horizontal movement). Preview the animation by pressing Spacebar and make refinements as needed.

Step 6: Render Your Animation
Once satisfied with the animation, go to Composition > Add to Render Queue or use Adobe Media Encoder. Choose your desired format and output settings, then render the final video.


Conclusion
The Wave Warp effect is a fast and flexible way to turn a simple stroke into a clean, animated wavelength. By combining shape layers, duplicates, and animation settings, you can easily create professional-looking wave animations for a variety of motion graphics projects. Experiment with different stroke styles, wave settings, and timing to match the look and feel of your creative work.