Lesson 2: Compositions and Animations

CMM204CMM204 – Digital Media Effects– Digital Media Effects

Chapter ObjectivesChapter Objectives

• Learn how to create a composition• Add source footage as layers• Navigate in both space and time• Learn concepts such as safe area,

grid guide and ruler overlay in the composition panel

Topics to be coveredTopics to be covered

• Adding a new composition• The different panels• Adding footage to a composition• Layers• Navigating in space• Navigating in time• Animating position• Animating scale

Adding a new compositionAdding a new composition

• There are several ways to creating a new composition– Select Composition then select New

Composition– Press Ctrl+N– Click New Composition from the bottom

of the project panel

The Composition PanelThe Composition Panel

• Displays the image you are creating at the current point of time in sync with the timeline panel

• Center region of the panel is the stage

• Grey area around the panel is the additional working area

The Timeline PanelThe Timeline Panel

• Control animations• Contains a number of columns that

displays various parameters for the layers used in a composition

Adding footage to a compAdding footage to a comp

• There are several ways to add footage to a comp– Drag the footage in the project panel to

the desired comp in the project panel– Drag the footage in the project panel to

the comp panel, you can position it to your liking here

– Drag the footage in the project panel to the timeline panel

LayersLayers

• Source in a composition are known as layers

• Comps can have an unlimited number of layers

• Layers typically stack in the topmost item in the timeline panel

Keeping Tabs on Multiple CompsKeeping Tabs on Multiple Comps

• When you have more then one comp in your project you will see them in tabs in the timeline panel

• Click on the tabs will bring that particular comp forward in the comp panel

Navigating in spaceNavigating in space

• You can zoom in/out in the comp panel using the zoom tool (Shortcut key: Z)

• You can move the image using the Hand Tool ( Shortcut key: H)

• You can click on the selection tool when you are done (Shortcut key: V)

ResolutionsResolutions

• It tells After Effects how many pixels to render when calculating the images to shoe in the comp/layer panels

• Different resolutions available– Full– Half– Third– Quarter

• Reducing resolution frees up more RAM for preview

QualityQuality

• Set on a layer-by-layer basis in the timeline panel

• Has three options– Best– Draft– Wireframe

Navigating in TimeNavigating in Time

• Live update is the behavior where dragging the current time indicator will change the current frame in the comp panel

• You can click on the time ruler in the timeline panel to go to that particular time

• You can zoom in/out in the timeline panel with the slider at the bottom of the panel

The work areaThe work area

• Is a resizable bar in the timeline bar that resides directly below the time ruler

• Used as a section to foretaste the animation

Safe AreasSafe Areas

• Are areas where the images can be projected without being over scanned

A. GridB. Title-Safe ZoneC. Action-Safe

ZoneD. Overscan

Animating PositionAnimating Position

• Open a comp• Turn on the animation stopwatch

under position• Set a keyframe at the start of the

timeline• Move to the ending timeline that you

want and set a keyframe• In the ending timeline change the

position values to the preferred values

KeyframesKeyframes

• Auto Bezier Keyframe– Creates smooth angle in & out of a keyframe

• Continuous Bezier Keyframe– Better control of the curves of the motion

path

• Bezier Keyframe– Able to create any combination of straight

lines and smooth curves

• Linear Keyframe– Straights and hard angles in the motion

Pen ToolPen Tool

• Used to break and retract handles in motion

• Create mask and shape paths• Shortcut key is G

Navigating KeyframesNavigating Keyframes

• Keyframe navigators consist of a left and a right arrow and a diamond-shaped checkbox in the center

• Prevents new keyframes from being created when trying to edit keyframes

TransformationsTransformations

• There are 5 different transformations– Anchor point

• Starting position of the object

– Position• Current position of the object

– Scale• Size of the object

– Rotation• Degree of rotation of the object

– Opacity• Transparency of the object

Animating ScaleAnimating Scale

• Open a comp• Turn on the animation stopwatch

under Scale• Set a keyframe at the start of the

timeline• Move to the ending timeline that you

want and set a keyframe• In the ending timeline change the

scale values to the preferred values

Thank You!Thank You!