Design Practice: After Effects: Session 2

Again like the previous session, we quickly went over some of the basic factors and important features to be aware of whilst using After Effects.

- AE / Can contain more than one composition within a project ( e.g pages )

- Improves file management.

- Double check with composition settings to make sure the file is relevant. ( CMD+K)

- Scale - CMD+S

- Clicking the shy button, allows you to hide any layers on the composition that you do not need to work on.

PIXEL PRESET // FRAME SIZE -

USING A PHOTOSHOP IMAGE -

Creating a new image suitable for screen purposes.

- Film & Video Presets / This will allow the correct file size relevant to the frame in After Effects ( Width/ Height)

The space will now appear like this. It comes with various preset ruled lines, safe zones. It's basically similar to having a margin on paper based design. Keeping everything significant will stop any cropping occurring.

Page layout from photoshop.

'TEXT' Psd file. Transparency stays whilst work in After Effects.

GRIDS / SAFE ZONES - AFTER EFFECTS -

These are the grid layouts that can be viewed on After Effects. This demonstrates the areas you can use to work with.

IMPORTING AN IMAGE -

When Importing an image into After Effects, It's important to chose the correct type of file. In this case we will be using footage.

FOOTAGE- Occupy One Layer

This is the second dialogue box that appears before you finalise an import for an image. Again you need to make sure that 'Footage' is selected.

Dragging the image to the timeline. Alternatively you can drag it straight onto the composition. Advantage of using the timeline option - centres image automatically.

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To use layers you need to import it as a composition.

NOTE: Using layers in photoshop, will allow you to use them in After Effects.

Dialogue box when importing an image. Composition needs to be selected for this specific type of image.

Layers - Rarely need to use these throughout the After Effects project.

NEW COMPOSITION -

New composition on After Effects

- Multiple Layers selected. Allows you to change values accordingly without having to go through each one separately.

EXAMPLE - How the layers can work together to create a moving image.

- Dragging the positioning of a layer can determine where the animation could start within a key frame.

- Simple way to creating a piece of motion type.

NEW COMPOSITION -

Again we have used the same import settings, but now have scaled the size of the word accordingly.

Another option is you can import the image but also retain the layers that have been used in photoshop. This will give you different possibilities and also the results you require. For this example each character has been rotated on it's own centre. Creating a different effect.

IMPORTING AN ILLUSTRATOR FILE -

As Illustrator does not work in pixels you need to be aware of the settings in order to create a suitable image for After Effects. The dialogue box should look like this, as a standard measure.

As AE changes the vector file to a pixel format it takes away the quality. In order to change it back, you need to switch one of the panel settings in order to make it a vector again.

RASTERIZE -