Aug 24, 2024
Getting started – Animating a Multimedia Presentation
Lesson overview
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to do the following:
• Create a complex animation with multiple layers.
• Adjust the duration of a layer.
• Animate with Position, Scale, and Rotation keyframes.
• Use parenting to sync the animation of layers.
• Use Bezier curves to smooth a motion path.
• Animate a precomposed layer.
• Apply effects to a solid layer.
• Add color labels to keyframes.
• Fade out audio.
This lesson will take about an hour to complete. If you haven’t already done so, download the project files for this lesson from peachpit.com/AfterEffectsCIB2024, following the instructions in the Getting Started section under “Accessing the lesson files and Web Edition.”
PROJECT: ANIMATED VIDEO
Animation by Lee Daniels, www.leedanielsart.com
Adobe After Effects projects typically use a variety of imported footage, arranged in a composition, that is edited and animated using the Timeline panel. In this lesson, you’ll become more familiar with animation fundamentals as you build a multimedia presentation.
Getting started
In this project, you will animate a hot air balloon floating through the sky. All seems peaceful until a gust of wind blows the balloon’s colorful canvas off to cover the clouds.
- Make sure the following files are in the Lessons/Lesson05 folder on your hard disk, or download them from peachpit.com now:
• In the Assets folder: Balloon.ai, Fire.mov, Sky.ai, Soundtrack.wav
• In the Sample_Movie folder: Lesson05.mp4 - Open and play the Lesson05.mp4 sample movie in Windows Movies & TV or QuickTime Player to see what you’ll create in this lesson. When you are done, close Windows Movies & TV or QuickTime Player. You may delete the sample movie from your hard disk if you have limited storage space.
As you start After Effects, restore the default application settings. See “Restoring default preferences” on page 3. - Start After Effects, and then immediately hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift (macOS) to restore default preferences settings. In the Startup Repair Options dialog box, click Reset Preferences.
- Click New Project in the Home window.
- Choose File > Save As > Save As.
- In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the Lessons/Lesson05/Finished_Project folder. Name the project Lesson05_Finished.aep, and then click Save.
Jun 3, 2024
Using nulls to connect points – Working with Shape Layers
You’ve learned that parenting connects one layer to another. Sometimes you want to connect a single point to another layer—for example, the top of the stem in your animation to the flower itself. The Create Nulls From Paths panel lets you do just that. A null object is an invisible layer that has all the same properties as other layers so that it can serve as a parent to any layer. The Create Nulls From Paths panel creates null objects based on specific points, which you can then parent to other layers without having to write complex expressions.
There are three options in the Create Nulls From Paths panel: Points Follow Nulls creates nulls that control the position of the path points; Nulls Follow Points creates nulls that are controlled by the positions of the path points; and Trace Path creates a single null with its position linked to the coordinates of the path.
Note
The Create Nulls From Paths panel works only with masks or with Bezier shapes (shapes drawn with the Pen tool). To convert a shape drawn with a shape tool to a Bezier path, expand the shape layer contents, right-click the path (e.g., Rectangle 1), and choose Convert To Bezier Path.
You’ll create a null for the point at the top of the stem, and then you’ll join that null to the flower so the two remain connected even as the flower moves.
- Go to 4:20 so you can see the stem and leaves well.
- Choose Window > Create Nulls From Paths.jsx.
- Expand the Stem layer in the Timeline panel, and then expand Contents > Shape 1 > Path 1.
- Select Path.
You must select a path in the Timeline panel in order to create a null using the options in the Create Nulls From Paths panel.
5.Click Points Follow Nulls in the Create Nulls From Paths panel.
After Effects creates two nulls, corresponding to the two points on the stem path. The null objects appear in gold in the Composition panel, and as layers named Stem: Path 1 [1.1.0] and Stem: Path 1 [1.1.1] in the Timeline panel. You only need the null for the top point.
Note
After you create the nulls, you can close the Create Nulls From Paths panel, or you can leave it open.
6.Select the null that corresponds to the bottom point of the stem, and delete it.
7.In the Timeline panel, drag the pick whip () from the Stem: Path 1 [1.1.1] layer to the Falling Star layer.
8.Move the current-time indicator across the time ruler to see how the stem connects to the flower.
You’ll animate the flower subtly, and the stem will move with it.
9.Go to 4:28, and use the Selection tool to move the flower a bit to the right as if it had been moved by the wind.
10.Select the Falling Star layer. Go to 4:20, and click the stopwatch icon () next to the Rotation property in the Properties panel to create an initial keyframe at its original rotation. Go to 4:28, and change the rotation to 30°.
11.Choose File > Save to save your work.
Mar 26, 2024
Animating position and scale – Working with Shape Layers
The star becomes a flower, but it should be falling as it changes. You’ll animate its position and scale now.
- Press the Home key or move the current-time indicator to the beginning of the time ruler.
- Select the Falling Star layer in the Timeline panel. In the Properties panel, click the stopwatch icon (
) next to the Position and Scale properties to create initial keyframes at their current values.
3. Go to 4:20. Select the Selection tool. Then move the star to the center of the screen, hovering above the flowerpot between the tree and the house, so that it’s in its final position. (You may need to deselect Snapping in the Tools panel to position the flower where you want it.) At this point, the star has become a flower, but it hasn’t changed size.
After Effects creates a Position keyframe.
4. Go to 4:01. Increase the Scale value so that the flower is about the width of the flowerpot. The value you use depends on the original size of the star and on the width of the flowerpot.
5. Press the spacebar to preview the animation. The star falls as it becomes a flower, but its trajectory is straight. You want it to fall in a slight arc. Press the spacebar again to stop playback.
6. Go to 2:20, and adjust the star’s position up, so that its path becomes a gentler arc.
7. Press the spacebar to preview the star’s path again, and then press the spacebar to stop playback. If you want to change the path, you can add Position keyframes at other points in the time ruler.
8. Hide the properties for the Falling Star layer.
Animating fill color
Currently, the star remains yellow with a red stroke as it becomes a flower. You’ll animate its fill color so that the final flower is red.
- Press the Home key or move the current-time indicator to the beginning of the time ruler.
- Select the Falling Star layer, and then click the stopwatch icon (
) next to the Fill Color property in the Properties panel to create an initial keyframe.
- Go to 4:01, and change the fill color to a red color. (We used R=192, G=49, B=33.)
4. Hide all layer properties. Press F2 or click an empty area in the Timeline panel to deselect all layers.
5. Press the spacebar to preview your animation. Press the spacebar again to stop playback. Then, choose File > Save to save your work so far.
More DetailsJan 30, 2024
Creating a shape with rounded corners – Working with Shape Layers
You’ll use the Rounded Rectangle tool to create the rim of the flowerpot.
- Go to 1:10.
- Select the Rounded Rectangle tool (
), hidden behind the Star tool (
) in the Tools panel.
- In the Composition panel, drag a shape a little wider than the top of the flowerpot. Draw the shape a little bit above the base of the pot.
- Select Shape Layer 1, press Enter or Return, and change the layer’s name to Rim of Flowerpot. Press Enter or Return to accept the new name.
- Select the Rim of Flowerpot layer.
- If the rim matches the base, skip to step 7. Otherwise, click the eyedropper next to the Fill Color property in the Properties panel, and then click the base of the flowerpot in the Composition panel to sample the color.
- Click the stopwatch icon (
) next to the Fill Color property to create an initial keyframe.
- Go to 4:01, and use the eyedropper to change the fill color to match the lighter brown in the flowerpot base.
9. Hide all layer properties. Press F2 or click an empty area in the Timeline panel to deselect all layers.
Snapping layers into position
The flowerpot layers currently have no relationship to each other in the composition. You’ll use the Snapping option in After Effects to quickly align the layers. When the Snapping option is enabled, the layer feature that is closest to your pointer when you click becomes the snapping feature. As you drag the layer near other layers, features on other layers are highlighted, showing you where the snapping feature would snap if you released the mouse button.
Note
You can snap two shape layers together, but not two shapes within a single layer. Also, a layer must be visible to snap to it. 2D layers can snap to 2D layers, and 3D layers can snap to 3D layers.
- Select the Selection tool (
) in the Tools panel.
- Select Snapping in the options section of the Tools panel, if it’s not already selected.
Tip
If the Snapping option isn’t selected, you can temporarily enable it: Click a layer and start dragging, and then press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) as you drag the layer.
3. Select the Rim of Flowerpot layer in the Timeline panel.
When you select a layer in the Composition panel, After Effects displays the layer handles and anchor point. You can use any of these points as the snapping feature for a layer.
4. Click near the bottom of the rim, and drag it near the upper edge of the Base of Flowerpot layer until it snaps into place. Be careful not to drag the corner itself, or you’ll resize the layer.
As you drag the layer, a box appears around the handle you selected, indicating that it is the snapping feature.
5. Use the Selection tool to adjust the size of the rim or base of the flowerpot if you need to.
6. Deselect all layers, and choose File > Save to save your work.
More DetailsDec 24, 2023
Creating custom shapes with the Pen tool – Working with Shape Layers
You can use the five shape tools to create a wide variety of shapes. However, the real power in using shape layers is that you can draw any shape and manipulate it in a myriad of ways.
You’ll use the Pen tool to draw a shape that resembles the base of a flowerpot. You’ll also animate its color so that the flowerpot is dark at the beginning of the scene, but gets lighter as the sky lightens.
- Make sure no layers are selected in the Timeline panel, and then go to 1:10.
- Select the Pen tool (
) in the Tools panel.
- In the Composition panel, click an initial vertex, and add three more to draw a shape that resembles the base of a flowerpot, as in the illustration. Click again in the initial vertex to close the shape.
When you create the first vertex, After Effects automatically adds a shape layer—Shape Layer 1—to the Timeline panel.
4. Select Shape Layer 1, press Enter or Return, and change the layer’s name to Base of Flowerpot. Press Enter or Return to accept the new name.
5. With the Base of Flowerpot layer selected, click the Fill Color box in the Properties panel, and select a dark brown color (we used R=62, G=40, B=22).
6. Choose None from the menu next to Stroke Color in the Properties panel.
7. In the Properties panel, select Shape 1 in the Layer Contents section.
8. Click the stopwatch icon next to the Fill Color property to create an initial keyframe.
9. Go to 4:01, click the Fill Color box, and change the fill color to a lighter brown. (We used R=153, G=102, B=59.) Then click OK.
10. Hide all layer properties in the Timeline panel. Press F2 or click an empty area in the Timeline panel to deselect all layers.
Positioning layers with snapping
Now you’ll create the rim of the flowerpot and position it atop the base using the snapping feature in After Effects.
More DetailsOct 25, 2023
Applying a fill and stroke – Working with Shape Layers
You can change the color of a shape by modifying its Fill settings in the Tools panel. Clicking the word Fill opens the Fill Options dialog box, where you can select the kind of fill, its blending mode, and its opacity. Clicking the Fill Color box opens the Adobe Color Picker if the fill is solid or the Gradient Editor if the fill is a gradient.
Similarly, you can change the color and width of the stroke of a shape by modifying its Stroke settings in the Tools panel. Click the word Stroke to open the Stroke Options dialog box; click the Stroke Color box to select a color.
- Select the Star 1 layer in the Timeline panel.
- Click the Fill Color box to open the Shape Fill Color dialog box.
- Change the color to a bright yellow (we used R=215, G=234, B=23), and click OK.
- Click the Stroke Color box, change the stroke color to an even brighter yellow color (we used R=252, G=245, B=3), and then click OK.
- Make sure the Stroke Width value is 2 px.
6. Choose File > Save to save your work so far.
Creating a self-animating shape
Wiggle Paths is a path operation that turns a smooth shape into a series of jagged peaks and valleys. You’ll use it to make the star shimmer a little. Because the operation is self-animating, you need to change only a few properties for the entire shape to move on its own.
- Expand the Star 1 layer in the Timeline panel, if it isn’t already expanded, and choose Wiggle Paths from the Add pop-up menu.
2. Press the spacebar to play the movie so you can see the effect. Press the spacebar again to stop playback.
The star’s edge is too jagged. You’ll change the settings for a subtler effect.
3. Expand Wiggle Paths 1. Then change the Size to 2.0 and the Detail to 3.0.
4. Change Wiggles/Second to 5.0.
5. Click the Motion Blur switch () for the layer.
When you enable Motion Blur for a layer, After Effects enables it for the entire composition, so that you can apply Motion Blur to any additional layers.
6. Hide the layer properties.
7. Press the spacebar to preview the star’s effect; press it again to stop playback.
The star shouldn’t be visible during the daytime, so you’ll animate its Opacity value.
8. Press the Home key or move the current-time indicator to the beginning of the time ruler.
9. Select the Star 1 layer in the Timeline panel.
10. In the Layer Transform section of the Properties panel, click the stopwatch icon () for Opacity to create an initial keyframe at 100%.
11. Go to 2:15, and change the Opacity value to 0%.
Sep 16, 2023
Creating the composition – Working with Shape Layers
Next, you’ll import the background movie and create the composition.
- Click New Composition From Footage in the Composition panel.
- Navigate to the Lessons/Lesson04/Assets folder on your hard disk, select the Background.mov file, and then click Import or Open.
After Effects adds the Background.mov file to the Project panel. It creates a composition based on the Background.mov file and opens the new composition in both the Timeline and Composition panels.
3. Press the spacebar to preview the background movie. In the scene, night turns to day as the sky lightens and the colors brighten. Press the spacebar again to stop playback.
Adding a shape layer
After Effects includes five shape tools: Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, and Star. When you draw a shape directly in the Composition panel, After Effects adds a new shape layer to the composition. You can apply stroke and fill settings to a shape, modify its path, and apply animation presets. Shape attributes are represented in the Timeline panel; many are also in the Properties panel. You can animate each setting over time.
The same drawing tools can create both shapes and masks. Masks are applied to layers to hide or reveal areas or as input into effects; shapes have their own layers. When you select a drawing tool, you can specify whether the tool draws a shape or a mask.
Drawing a shape
You’ll begin by drawing a star.
- Press the Home key or move the current-time indicator to the beginning of the time ruler.
- Press F2 or click an empty area in the Timeline panel to make sure no layers are selected.
If you draw a shape when a layer is selected, the shape becomes a mask for that layer; the cursor displays a masked box () as you start to draw. If you draw a shape when no layer is selected, After Effects creates a shape layer; the cursor displays a star (
) as you start to draw.
3. Choose Edit > Settings > General (Windows) or After Effects > Settings > General (macOS). Select Center Anchor Point In New Shape Layers, and click OK.
The anchor point is the reference point After Effects uses when it changes a layer’s position, scale, or rotation. By default, a shape layer’s anchor point is at the center of the composition. Selecting Center Anchor Point In New Shape Layers positions the anchor point in the center of the first shape you draw on a layer.
4. Select the Star tool (), hidden behind the Rectangle tool (
) in the Tools panel.
5. Drag a small star in the sky.
The shape appears in the Composition panel, and After Effects adds a shape layer named Shape Layer 1 to the Timeline panel.
6. Select the Shape Layer 1 layer name, press Enter or Return, change the layer name to Star 1, and press Enter or Return to accept the change.
Aug 3, 2023
Getting started – Working with Shape Layers
Lesson overview
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to do the following:
- Create custom shapes.
- Customize a shape’s fill and stroke.
- Use path operations to transform shapes.
- Animate shapes.
- Taper strokes in shapes.
- Snap layers into alignment.
- Use the Create Nulls From Paths panel.
This lesson will take about an hour to complete. If you haven’t already done so, download the project files for this lesson from peachpit.com/AfterEffectsCIB2024, following the instructions in the Getting Started section under “Accessing the lesson files and Web Edition.”
PROJECT: ANIMATED ILLUSTRATION
Shape layers make it easy to create expressive backgrounds and intriguing results. You can animate shapes, apply animation presets, and connect them to other shapes to intensify their impact.
Getting started
Shape layers are created automatically when you draw a shape with any of the drawing tools. You can customize and transform an individual shape or its entire layer to create interesting results. In this lesson, you will use shape layers to create a whimsical animation.
First, you’ll preview the final movie and set up the project.
- Make sure the following files are in the Lessons/Lesson04 folder on your hard disk, or download them from peachpit.com now:
- In the Assets folder: Background.mov
- In the Sample_Movie folder: Lesson04.mp4
- Open and play the Lesson04.mp4 sample movie in Windows Movies & TV or QuickTime Player to see what you will create in this lesson. When you are done, close Windows Movies & TV or QuickTime Player. You may delete the sample movie from your hard disk if you have limited storage space.
As you start After Effects, restore the default application settings. See “Restoring default preferences” on page 3.
3. Start After Effects, and then immediately hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift (macOS) to restore default preferences settings. In the Startup Repair Options dialog box, click Reset Preferences.
4. Click New Project in the Home window.
After Effects opens to display a blank, untitled project.
5. Choose File > Save As > Save As, and then navigate to the Lessons/Lesson04/Finished_Project folder.
6. Name the project Lesson04_Finished.aep, and then click Save.
More DetailsJun 5, 2023
Adding motion blur – Animating Text
Motion blur is the blur that occurs as an object moves. You’ll apply motion blur to finesse the composition and make the movement look more natural.
- In the Timeline panel, click the Motion Blur switch (
) for each layer except the FishSwim and LOCATION layers.
Now you’ll apply motion blur to the layer in the LOCATION composition.
2. Switch to the LOCATION Timeline panel, and enable motion blur for the layer.
3. Switch back to the FishSwim Timeline panel, and select the Motion Blur switch for the LOCATION layer.
After Effects automatically enables motion blur for the composition when you enable it for any layer.
4. Preview the entire, completed animation.
5. Choose File > Save.
Give yourself a pat on the back. You just completed some hard-core text animations. If you’d like to export the composition as a movie file, see Lesson 15, “Rendering and Outputting,” for instructions.
Review questions
1 What are some similarities and differences between text layers and other types of layers in After Effects?
2 How can you preview a text animation preset?
3 What are text animator groups?
Review answers
1 In many ways, a text layer is just like any other layer in After Effects. You can apply effects and expressions to text layers, animate them, designate them as 3D layers, and edit 3D text while viewing it in multiple views. However, they differ from most layers in that you can’t open text layers in their own Layer panels. Text layers consist entirely of vector graphics, so when you scale the layer or resize the text, it retains crisp, resolution-independent edges. You can animate the text in a text layer using special text animator properties and selectors.
2 You can preview text animation presets in Adobe Bridge by choosing Animation > Browse Presets. Adobe Bridge opens and displays the contents of the After Effects Presets folder. Navigate to folders containing categories of text animation presets, such as Blurs or Paths, and watch samples in the Preview panel.
3 Text animator groups enable you to animate the properties of individual characters in a text layer over time. Text animator groups contain one or more selectors, which are like masks: They let you specify which characters or section of a text layer you want an animator property to affect. Using a selector, you can define a percentage of the text, specific characters in the text, or a specific range of text.
More DetailsNov 22, 2022
Animating text to appear over time– Animating Text
You want the letters of the location—ISLA MUJERES—to flow organically onto the screen under the activity title. The easiest way to do this is to use another text animation preset.
- Go to 5:00 in the timeline. At that point, the title has finished scaling to its final size.
- Select the LOCATION layer in the Timeline panel.
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+O (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift+O (macOS) to jump to Adobe Bridge.
- Navigate to the Presets/Text/Animate In folder.
- Select the Raining Characters In animation preset, and watch it in the Preview panel. This effect works well to reveal the text gradually.
- Right-click or Control-click the Raining Characters In preset, and choose Place In Adobe After Effects 2024 to apply it to the LOCATION layer, and then return to After Effects.
- With the LOCATION layer selected in the Timeline panel, press UU to see the properties modified by the animation preset. You should see two keyframes for Range Selector 1 Offset: one at 5:00 and one at 7:15.
Note
The Raining Characters In preset changes the color of the text, which is fine for this project.
The U key, sometimes referred to as the Überkey, is a valuable keyboard shortcut that reveals all the animated properties of a layer. Press it once to see the animated properties; press it twice to view all modified properties.
You have a lot of animation to fit into this composition, so you’ll speed up the effect.
8. Go to 6:00, and then drag the second Range Selector 1 Offset keyframe to 6:00.
Tip
Press the Shift key while you move the keyframe to ensure it moves to the current time.
9. Select the LOCATION layer, and press U to hide the modified properties.
10. Select the FishSwim tab in the Timeline panel to make that timeline active, and then go to 6:00, if you’re not there already.
11. Use the Selection tool () to move the LOCATION layer so that ISLA MUJERES is right-aligned with and just below Snorkel Tours.
12. Deselect all layers. Drag the current-time indicator across the time ruler from 4:00 to 6:00 to see the letters fall into place. Then save your work so far.
Animating type tracking
Next, you’ll add the company name and then animate its appearance using a text animation tracking preset. By animating tracking, you can make words seem to expand outward as they appear onscreen from a central point.
More Details