What It Does
Volna generates complex animated strokes from masks in After Effects. It takes one or two masks and blends them into layered stroke patterns. Each stroke can be customized with gradients, distorted with noise, or converted to points with rotation controls.
Key Features
Gradient control. Build custom gradients with unlimited color points and three interpolation modes. Gradients fill individual strokes and can be overlaid across multiple lines using the cross-lines gradient option.
Parametric arrows. Add arrows to line ends with individual controls for size, angle, and animation. Arrows respond to path direction and can be animated independently.
Noise distortion. Apply Perlin noise or sine wave distortion along strokes. Amplitude, frequency, and evolution are controllable. The plugin includes a noise ramp for segment-specific distortion and supports audio-driven animation where sound affects amplitude, frequency, or evolution.
Thickness ramp. Control stroke thickness along paths using the ramp interface. Set and animate thickness at specific points rather than applying uniform width.
Points mode. Convert strokes to points with rotation options. Points can follow the path direction, use noise-based rotation (with three noise modes and rotation ramps), or apply random offsets.
Sprites. Replace points or line segments with custom sprites for texture-based effects.
Alpha effects. Create rough, chalk-like, or dashed strokes using alpha noise, ramp controls, and sine functions. These affect opacity along the stroke path.
Base points density ramp. Compensate for distortion caused by blending by remapping point density along the path.
Who It’s For
Useful for motion designers creating data visualizations, kinetic typography, or abstract motion graphics. The gradient and ramp controls are particularly relevant for infographic work where color-coded strokes need precise control.
Pricing
Volna uses pay-what-you-want pricing. The suggested price is $49, but you set the amount. Users who purchased Volna 1 after September 29, 2021 receive version 2 free. Earlier purchasers qualify for a $29 upgrade.