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AFTER EFFECTS NOTES
Go to File > Project Settings. From there, you should select the following options in the "Display Style" section:
First, go to the Main Menu and choose Composition > New Composition. From there, give it a "Composition Name;" then, referring to the "Basic" settings, choose the following (using Standard Resolution as an example):
Before you import an image, you should check the settings for the still image duration, which you will find in the Preferences; go to Edit > Preferences > Import > Still Footage and enter a duration amount:
When you have set the still image duration, you can go to the main menu, choose File > Import > File and select the images you wish to add to the Project Window. Referring to the main menu, go to File > Import > File. An "Import File" dialogue box will then open. Find the folder that holds the image sequence that you intend to import. Click on the first file in the sequence ONLY; do not press Open yet! Look at the the lower-half of the Import File Window and choose the following options:
The image sequence will subsequently appear in the Project Window. N.B. When you import "un-flattened" PSD images, After Effects will ask you particular Layer Options:
In addition, you can import a Photoshop file as a Composition, under "Import Kind" (as opposed to Footage). However, this option will not work for image sequences. It is better to import as Composition for still images. N.B. When you import images with alpha channels, an Interpret Footage dialogue box will appear, noting that the images had an "unlabeled alpha channel." Under "Alpha," you should choose "Straight - Unmatted." This step will allow you to convert an image sequence to 24, 15, or 12 frames per second. In addition, you will be able to turn the sequence into a repeating loop (for a walk cycle for example). Once you have imported an image sequence to the project, After Effects will store the footage in the Project Window. To Interpret the Footage -- or, to change the duration of the sequence or loop the images -- you should do one of two things. First of all, referring to the Project Window, click on the footage icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Or, similarly, to activate the dialogue box, right-click on the icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Under the Interpret Footage options, you should select the following:
The other Options to consider are:
When Interpreting Footage, choose Loop to create cycles A very useful option that After Effects offers is to "loop" image sequences. This will allow you to repeat sequences. For example, the loop feature is ideal for treadmill walk cycles.
To create an image sequence from multiple images There is another method that you can use to create an image sequence. This particular way works well if you want to work specifically with double-frame animation. Furthermore, you can edit the duration of individual images and arrange them in a timeline, to reflect the varied timing (i.e., to assemble double- and single-frame sequences, plus longer holds). Before you proceed, you should change the duration of still images. Referring to the main menu, go to Edit > Preferences > Import > Still Footage and enter a duration amount:
Import a group of images This time, instead of importing an image sequence, you will import a group of images. Because you have set the still image duration to "2 frames" or "00:00:02," the images will come into the AE Project Window as individual images that are two frames in length (as opposed to the "Length of Composition").
After Effects will add the images to the Project Window. To better organize the Project Window, you should place them in a folder in the Project Window (i.e., go to File > New Folder or click on the "Create New Folder" button at the bottom edge of the Project Window). Name the folder "Image Sequence," for example. Add the images to a composition You will have to add the image sequence to a composition. Doing so will be easier if the images are already organized in a folder in the Project Window. Go to the Main Menu and choose Composition > New Composition. From there, give it a "Composition Name;" then, referring to the "Basic" settings, choose the following (using Standard Resolution as an example):
To add the sequence to the composition, simply drag the folder into the Composition's Timeline. Once you've added the collection of layers to a composition, you will want to "sequence the layers:"
To add a "solid" to a composition Solids are useful in After Effects compositions. For example, you could use a solid as a flat background colour, or you could overlay a solid on top of an image and change the solid's opacity, to give the background a colourful atmosphere (e.g., to make a night-scene dark with bluish cast). As is the case with any layer in the Timeline, a solid will have the default Transform Effects attached to it (anchor point, position, scale, rotation and opacity); you could potentially modify (or animate) the solid's scale, change its proportions and turn it into more of a rectangular shape, etc. To bring a solid into a composition, go to the Main Menu > Layer > New > Solid. In the Solid Settings, you can set its size and colour. Once you have created a solid, it will become part of of the Project Window, which means that you can bring it into the Timeline/Composition as many times as you wish. You can change a solid's size and colour later; select the solid in the Composition/Timeline and then go to Layer > Solid Settings. To set keyframes, and consequently, to animate an object or layer, you must work with an image or footage that's already in the Timeline. If you haven't brought an image or footage into the Timeline, bring it down from the Project Window. For example, go to the Project Palette, click on the file that you plan to add to the Timeline, and, while holding down the mouse key, drag the file into the Timeline. You will find that, as you drag it up and down the Timeline, the Current Time Indicator will follow along, up and down the Timeline until you drop the file into place. This marker will help to indicate where along the Timeline you are about to place the file. Once you drop the file/footage into the Timeline, you can also move it around; use the Selection Tool to click on the footage and drag it around in the Timeline. You can animate virtually any setting in After Effects. The default Transform Effects for a layer/footage are:
There are also many other effects that you can apply to an object/layer, features that you will find in Effects (Main Menu > Effects). However, even with the default Transform Effects, you can make all sorts of animated changes to the footage. For example, you could change the “position” of an object/layer by establishing a keyframe at one point in a composition and setting another keyframe at a new location in the composition. The software will then calculate (or interpolate) the in-between calibrations and animate the object between the two points. In addition, you can edit the movement afterward by adjusting the spatial keyframes in the Composition Window and/or the temporal keyframes in the Timeline; that is, modify the motion path to adjust the movement tempo. You can also animate the object’s scale over time, change a layer’s opacity, rotate the footage/element, etc. To set keyframes effectively, you should use the following features:
Current Time
Once you click on the Current Time in the Timeline, a "Go To Time" dialogue box will open and you can enter different time settings. Current Time Indicator
When you enter values in the Go To Time dialogue box, After Effects will move the Current Time Indicator to the new destination in the Timeline. You can also click and drag the Current Time Indicator up and down the Timeline; doing so will change the position of the Current Time Indicator. The places where you situate the the Current Time Indicator are where you will set keyframes. Time-Vary Stopwatch
In order to activate an effect section for animation, you must select the Time-Vary Stopwatch, which you will find to the left of each effect category (e.g., beside “Transform > Position”). Keyframe Navigator
You will use the Keyframe Navigator, to “add or remove a keyframe at the current time” (where the Current Time Locator is currently situated in the Timeline), and to navigate from one keyframe to the next. To set a keyframe, select one of the default Transform Effects in a layer; or, add an effect by going to the Main Menu > Effect. Click the Stopwatch to activate the animation options; doing so will allow you to add additional keyframes further along the layer. By clicking on the Stopwatch, you will also set the first keyframe. Click on the Current Time to “Go To” another point on the Timeline. Once you have located the next point in the Timeline, to where you will set an additional keyframe, you should refer to the Keyframe Navigator and click the centre diamond-shape button to "add a keyframe at the current time." If you want to remove an existing keyframe in the Timeline, click with the arrow-buttons in the Keyframe Navigator to locate a key, and then click the centre-button to "remove a keyframe at the current time." By using the Keyframe Navigator, you will add and remove keyframes; by entering values in the Current Time and using the Current Time Indicator, you will set keyframes along the Timeline. However, you must also make changes to an object/layer at each keyframe -- adjust the Position, Opacity, Rotation, etc. -- in order for animation to occur. For example, an object must start at one place and the object's movement must end at another location. As you set keyframes over time in the Timeline, you should also refer to the Composition Window to see how the changes will occur in space. Toggle hold keyframe & Manual Frame-By-Frame Animation After Effects has an interesting animation option, where you can manually animate an object/layer or footage in a frame-by-frame fashion, similar to the way that you would animate an object under a camera and photograph successive movements frame-by-frame. To do this, you will set a Hold keyframe at a point in the Timeline, move along a couple of frames, and then move the object/layer in the Composition Window. By repeating the action and forging ahead, moving along in the Timeline and progressing in the Composition Window, you will create a movement phrase, where you will set all of the keys and in-between positions yourself. In this case, After Effects will not interpolate the moves between keyframes. To begin, follow the steps above to set an initial keyframe on the Timeline; for example, to animate the Position of an object, set a keyframe at Frame 0 on the layer. After Effects will apply a default Linear keyframe, with a diamond-shape icon on the Timeline. Locate the Linear keyframe icon with your mouse, context-click on the keyframe (right-click or Mac control-click) and choose Toggle Hold Keyframe. By doing this, you will remove After Effects' interpolation between keyframes. The diamond-shape keyframe icon should then turn into a part-diamond, part-square shape (diamond on the left-side, square on the right-side). From now on, After Effects will not figure out the in-betweens for you; you will be able to set the calibrations yourself, just as you would with drawn or object animation. Go to the next point where you want to set a keyframe in the Timeline. If you would like to animate an object/layer with double-frames, an easy way to move forward is to simply click on the Page Down Key in the numeric keypad.
Again, using Position animation as an example, once you have placed the Time Marker where you want it in the Timeline, you can use the Selection Tool to move the object/layer in the Composition Window, or adjust the x-axis and y-axis coordinates of the object/layer in the Position section of the layer's Transform options. By doing this, you will set another Hold keyframe in the Timeline.
A Hold Keyframe is signified by a square-shape in the Timeline. N. B. Using this frame-by-frame animation method, you do not have to click the "add keyframe" icon to set additional keyframes; After Effects will do it for you. All that you have to worry about is to go to a new position in the Timeline -- i.e., click the Page Down Key twice to move forward two frames -- and then change the position of the layer/footage by either moving the object in the Composition Window or adjusting the Position's x- and y-coordinates. After each move, After Effects will place an [x] in the Composition Window, to mark the calibration you have just made, and connect the marks with a line, to indicate a motion path. These are reference marks and will not appear in the project, but you will probably find the marks useful, as you compose the object's motion path. To play an animation sequence, especially if your composition is complex or dense with several layers and effects, you should use the RAM Preview option. After Effects will build a preview file and load it into the RAM, so that it plays in real-time. Before you RAM Preview a sequence, you should use the Work Area Bar to set a preview region.
To play the RAM Preview, go to the the Time Controls and click on the RAM Preview Button; or, alternatively, go to the Main Menu > Composition > Preview > RAM Preview.
Using After Effects to tap out a musical beat You can use Adobe After Effects to tap out a beat. Use the following keys to play a sound file and set the markers to indicate where beats and sounds land:
The position of each marker will show in the "Current Time". You should write the frame numbers down, to keep track of which sound lands on which frame, etc. By timing actions to beats and rhythms, you can figure out when to animate certain moves to particular sounds. For example, when a character's footsteps strike the ground, you could synchronize the animation to musical elements. The beats will dictate the the rhythm and style of a walk, and the duration of a cycle, etc. You will have to import the music clip into an After Effect project, and drop it into a Composition. That is, go to the Main Menu and choose Composition > New Composition. From there, give it a "Composition Name," such as "music_track." Then, referring to the "Basic" settings, choose the following:
Click 0K N.B. In order to play music files in After Effects, you must use the RAM Preview Unlike Premiere or Flash, After Effects does not play sequences smoothly in real time. This is because After Effects must process or compute a lot of data at any given time. Therefore, to play back your animation with sound, even to get a sense how the animation in-sync with the music, you will have to build a RAM preview. To do this, select or click on the layer that you would like to play and then go to the Main Menu > Composition > Preview > RAM Preview. N.B. If you are "double-framing" your animation, you will have to change the playback rate of image sequences Because it is video, After Effects runs at 29.97 frames per second. If you want an image sequence to play as double-frame animation, at 12 images per second, you must change its playback rate. Once you have imported an image sequence to the project, After Effects will store the footage in the Project Window. To Interpret the Footage -- or, to change the duration of the sequence -- you should do one of two things. First of all, referring to the Project Window, click on the footage icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Or, similarly, to activate the dialogue box, right-click on the icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Under the Interpret Footage options, you should select the following:
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