After Effects 1.1
Matttuc
Top left - Project window - Photoshop, illustrator, sound, documents Bottom - Timeline - Layers Active window hi-lighted with a yellow edge Window >workspace - reset to standard to get original view back Instead of opening a new project or folder use - cmd + n for a new composition.
Document Set Up Setting up a new document Different regions have different settings make sure you know what you are designing for... - Using Setting PAL D1/DV Widescreen Square Pixel - Automatically sets up width and height - 16 : 9 ratio - Can always bring back window and change the duration - Background colour - swatch brings up Adobe Colour picker - RGB Colour mode - black represents nothing - 0% - 255%
Set up - 1
New Layers (solid Colour) cmd + Y - Layer >New >Solid - Red line appears on the timeline - Can change the length of the line along the timeline to dictate when it will / wont appear in the clip Preview / Playback - Space bar - redline in timeline plays through in real time - works with simple shapes but can’t handle larger amounts of information - Preview bar (second down on the right) - used for viewing more complex artwork - Double clicking on the timeline layer takes you into another window It is possible to change the quality of the preview to allow for faster playback (this does not reduce the quality of the final file) Zoom - cmd + / Use the time ruler to adjust zoom the timeline Also possible to adjust this on the mountain symbol at the bottom of the timeline The ~ key to gives you enlarged view of what you have selected - composition / timeline etc Saving Save File as Adobe After effects file
2 - New Layers
Transform Controls - Can change the anchor point and edit the rotation rather than it just using a centre point - Change the time and then edit the anchor points / rotation etc which will make the transition between the different frames - Use the clock icon and the diamonds represent where the shape will move from / to - If you change where the key frames are it increase’s / decrease’s the speed the shape moves
3 - Transform
- If you change where the key frames are it increase’s / decrease’s the speed the shape moves (The Diamond symbol on the timeline) You can also change the opacity and apply to the timeline so the shapes fade in at different speeds
Helpful shortcuts when selecting the layer (Don’t need to press cmd first) p - Position a - Anchor point r - Rotate s - Size t - Opacity cmd + a - Select all layers cmd + g - Group o - Out point i - In point If you select all layers and the stop watch it will change the values of all the layers at once...
4
- H.264 - good for low res internet uploads etc - Animation setting is very high quality
5 - Export