Creating SVG Shapes

Except for After Effects, no other host application can supply a mask directly to a plug-in like 3D Stroke. Instead, 3D Stroke relies on shapes created in the public SVG (Scalable Vector Graphic) format. This format is supported by a number of tools, including Adobe Illustrator and the Open Source application called Inkscape.

SVG Quick Start

We will use the commercial application Adobe Illustrator to create a simple shape for use in Final Cut Pro.

First start by creating a new document. It can be any standard size because only the shape in the file will be used by 3D Stroke.
Illustrator New Document
Create a shape in the canvas window. In this example, we created a simple star using the Star tool.
Star creation in Illustrator
Save the file to a personal directory or into the Trapcode/SVG directory found in the plug-ins folder of the host.

It is important to choose SVG from the Format pop-up menu. Use the default save options for this format.
Save Dialog
With 3D stroke applied in your project, click the Open File... button to load the newly created file.
Open Button
Browse to the directory and open the SVG file. The result will be shown in the preview window of the host application.
Final Cut Pro Canvas