Tutorial 190: Cicada

This project shows you how to build something similar to an L-system that draws lines, boxes, etc. It can be used in a lot of ways. Here we draw lines around the cicada and use outlined boxes with thick strokes to reveal the cicada itself.

This project file contains everything shown in the tutorial. It also includes other elements used in the thumbnail. The After Effects project was built in AE CC 2019 but a version was saved that will open in v14 (2017). It shouldn't have any issues with either expression engine, but JavaScript would be the faster engine to use if you're in a current version of AE. You might get a notice that you need a plugin or a font, but they aren't required to use this effect. They're mainly used for the thumbnail.