After Effects CS3 Professional for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide

After Effects CS3 Professional for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide

by Antony Bolante
Released December 2007
Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
ISBN: 9780321550217

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Book description

Here to get filmmakers, Web designers, and broadcast pros up to speed on After Effects CS3 Professional - in time to meet their next deadline, is everyone's favorite task-based guide, but geared toward more advanced users. Through step-by-step instructions, enhanced by tips, sidebars, and plenty of visual aids, veteran video editor Antony Bolante will show you  how to effectively and efficiently import and manage footage, view and edit layers, apply effects, animate type, and more. You'll learn about key features with real-world examples of how and when features should be used, including what's new in After Effects CS3: Shape layers, which enables you  to easily create and animate shapes; Puppet tool, which you can use to animate a 2D image like a marionette; powerful integration with Photoshop CS3; new support for Flash designers; the new Brainstorm panel, which lets you preview an array of different visual possibilities in one gorgeous panel; complete color management workflow; Adobe Clip Notes, which lets you attach comments directly to a composition; Adobe Device Central CS3, which lets you preview and test animations for mobile devices, and more.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. 1. After Effects: The Big Picture
    1. The QuickPro Series
    2. Adobe’s CS3 Production Premium
    3. Minimum Requirements
      1. Mac OS
      2. Windows
      3. All systems
    4. Suggested System Features
    5. Professional System Additions
    6. New Features
    7. After Effects Standard and Professional
    8. Mac vs. Windows
    9. Workflow Overview
    10. Interface Overview
      1. Primary panels
      2. Secondary panels
      3. Specialized panels
      4. Even more specialized panels
    11. Setting a Workspace
      1. To specify a preset workspace
      2. To create a new workspace preset
      3. To reset a preset workspace
    12. Customizing the Workspace
    13. Using Viewers
      1. To select a viewer
      2. To lock or unlock a view
  4. 2. Importing Footage into a Project
    1. Creating and Saving Projects
      1. To create a new project
      2. To save using incremental project names automatically
    2. Opening and Closing Projects
    3. Importing Files
      1. To import a file or files
    4. Setting Still-Image Durations
      1. To change the default duration of still images
    5. Importing Still-Image Sequences
      1. To import a still-image sequence
      2. To set the default frame rate for still-image sequences
    6. Importing Files with Alpha Channels
      1. To set the default alpha interpretation
      2. To set the alpha channel interpretation for a file in a project
    7. Importing a Layered File as a Single Footage Item
      1. To import a Photoshop or Illustrator file or layer as a single footage item
    8. Importing a Layered File as a Composition
      1. To import an Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator file as a composition
    9. Importing Premiere Pro and After Effects Projects
      1. To import an Adobe Premiere Pro project
    10. Importing with Adobe Bridge
      1. To import a file or project template using Bridge
    11. Motion Footage
    12. Setting the Frame Rate
      1. To set the frame rate for footage
    13. Interpreting Interlaced Video
      1. To interpret fields in video footage
    14. Pixel Aspect Ratios
      1. To interpret the pixel aspect ratio
    15. Looping Footage
      1. To loop footage
  5. 3. Managing Footage
    1. Displaying Information in the Project Panel
      1. To display information about a footage item or composition
    2. Finding Items in a Project
      1. To find an item in the Project panel
    3. Sorting Footage in the Project Panel
      1. To sort footage items in the Project panel
      2. To hide or display a heading panel in the Project panel
      3. To reorder headings in the Project panel
    4. Organizing Footage in Folders
      1. To create a folder in the Project panel
      2. To organize footage items in folders
    5. Renaming and Removing Items
      1. To rename folders or compositions in the Project panel
      2. To remove items from a project
      3. To remove unused footage from a project
    6. Proxies
      1. To assign a proxy to a footage item
      2. To toggle between using a proxy and the original footage
      3. To stop using a proxy
    7. Viewing Footage
      1. To view a footage item
      2. To open a movie file in an After Effects Footage panel
    8. The Footage Panel
    9. Cueing Motion Footage
      1. To view a frame of motion footage by dragging
      2. To cue a frame of motion footage numerically
      3. To play motion footage
    10. Magnifying an Image
      1. To change the magnification of the Footage or Composition panel
      2. To change the visible area of a magnified image in the Footage or Composition panel
    11. Viewing Safe Zones and Grids
      1. To show video-safe zones and grids
    12. Displaying Rulers and Guides
      1. To toggle rulers on and off
      2. To set the zero point of rulers
      3. To reset the zero point of the rulers
      4. To set guides
      5. To reposition or remove a guide
    13. Viewing Snapshots
      1. To take a snapshot
      2. To view the most recent snapshot
    14. Viewing Channels
      1. To show individual channels
    15. Viewing Transparency
      1. To toggle the transparency grid
    16. Correcting for Pixel Aspect Ratios
      1. To toggle pixel aspect correction
    17. Adjusting Exposure
      1. To adjust a view’s exposure
      2. To toggle exposure between a custom value and zero
  6. 4. Compositions
    1. Creating Compositions
      1. To create a new composition
    2. Choosing Composition Settings
    3. Specifying Composition Presets
      1. To select a composition preset
      2. Setting a comp’s frame size
      3. To set the frame size
      4. Resizing a comp
        1. To set the anchor of a resized composition
      5. Setting a comp’s pixel aspect ratio
        1. To set the pixel aspect ratio of a composition
      6. Frame rate
        1. To set the frame rate of the composition
      7. Setting a comp’s viewing resolution
        1. To set a composition’s resolution
      8. Setting a comp’s start-frame number
        1. To set a composition’s starting frame number
      9. Setting a comp’s duration
      10. To set the duration of a composition
    4. Setting a Comp’s Background Color
      1. To choose a background color for your composition
    5. The Composition and Timeline Panels
      1. The Composition panel
      2. The Timeline panel
    6. Setting the Time
      1. Using the Time Controls panel
        1. To set the current time in the Timeline panel
        2. To cue the current time of the composition numerically
    7. Adding Footage to a Composition
      1. To add footage to a composition by dragging
    8. Adding Layers Using Insert and Overlay
      1. To set source footage edit points
      2. To insert or overlay a layer
    9. Creating Solid Layers
      1. To create a solid-color layer
      2. To change a solid’s settings
    10. Nesting Compositions
      1. To make a composition a layer in another composition
      2. To nest one composition in a new one with the same settings
      3. To open a comp’s parent composition
  7. 5. Layer Basics
    1. Selecting Layers
      1. To select layers in the Composition panel
      2. To select layers in the Timeline panel
      3. To select all layers in a composition
      4. To deselect all layers in a composition
    2. Changing the Stacking Order
      1. To change the stacking order of layers in the Timeline panel
      2. To move layers one level at a time
    3. Naming Layers
      1. To change the name of a layer
      2. To toggle between layer name and source name
    4. Switching Video and Audio On and Off
      1. To show or hide the image for layers in the composition
      2. To include a layer’s audio track in the composition
      3. To solo a layer
    5. Locking a Layer
      1. To lock or unlock a layer
      2. To unlock all layers
    6. Basic Layer Switches
      1. To show or hide the layer switches
    7. Making Layers Shy
      1. To make a layer shy or not shy
      2. To hide or show shy layers
    8. Continuously Rasterizing a Layer
      1. To change the rasterization method of a layer
    9. Quality Setting Switches
      1. To change the Quality setting of a layer
  8. 6. Layer Editing
    1. Viewing Layers in the Timeline and Layer Panels
    2. The Time Graph
      1. Parts of the time graph
    3. Navigating the Time Graph
      1. The navigator view
        1. To view part of the time graph in more detail
        2. To view more of the composition in the time graph
    4. The Layer Panel
      1. To open a Layer panel
      2. Parts of the Layer panel
    5. Trimming Layers
      1. To set the In and Out points in the Layer panel
      2. To set the In and Out points using keyboard shortcuts
      3. To set the In and Out points by dragging
    6. Moving Layers in Time
      1. To move a layer in time by dragging
    7. Showing Numerical Editing Controls
      1. To show and hide the In, Out, Duration, and Stretch columns
    8. Changing a Layer’s Speed
      1. To change the playback speed of a layer
    9. Performing a Slip Edit
      1. To slip a layer
    10. Sequencing and Overlapping Layers
      1. To arrange layers in a sequence
      2. To arrange layers in an overlapping sequence
    11. Duplicating Layers
      1. To duplicate a layer
    12. Splitting Layers
      1. To split a layer
    13. Using Markers
      1. To add a composition marker by dragging
      2. To add a composition marker at the current time indicator
      3. To move a composition marker
      4. To move the current time indicator to a composition marker
      5. To remove a composition marker
      6. To add a layer marker
      7. To add a layer marker comment
      8. To move a layer marker
      9. To remove a layer marker
  9. 7. Properties and Keyframes
    1. Layer Property Types
      1. Masks
      2. Effects
      3. Transform properties
      4. Audio properties
    2. Viewing Properties
      1. To expand or collapse a layer outline by clicking
      2. To view layer properties using keyboard shortcuts
    3. Setting Global vs. Animated Property Values
    4. Viewing Spatial Controls in the Comp Panel
      1. To view layer and effect controls in the Composition panel
    5. Transform Properties
      1. Anchor point
        1. To change the anchor point in the Layer panel
        2. To change the anchor point without moving the layer in the composition
      2. Position
        1. To change a layer’s position in the Composition panel
      3. Scale
        1. To scale a layer by dragging
      4. Rotation
        1. To rotate a layer by dragging
    6. Orienting Rotation to a Motion Path Automatically
      1. To auto-orient rotation to the motion path
      2. Opacity
        1. To change the opacity of a layer
    7. Specifying Property Values
    8. Animating Layer Properties with Keyframes
      1. Basic keyframing
        1. To set keyframes for a property
      2. Keyframe icons
    9. Cueing the Current Time to Keyframes
      1. To cue the current time to keyframes
    10. Selecting and Deleting Keyframes
      1. To select keyframes
      2. To deselect keyframes
      3. To delete keyframes
      4. To delete all the keyframes for a property
    11. Moving Keyframes
      1. To move keyframes
    12. Copying Values and Keyframes
      1. To copy and paste keyframes
    13. Generating Property Values with the Brainstorm Feature
      1. To set the frames to preview for Brainstorming
      2. To specify the properties for Brainstorming
      3. To generate new variants
      4. To preview variants in the Brainstorm panel
      5. To magnify a variant
      6. To apply a variant
  10. 8. Playback, Previews, and RAM
    1. Rendering and RAM
      1. Cache flow
      2. Playback and previews
    2. Previewing to a Video Device
      1. To set video preferences
    3. Setting the Region of Interest
      1. To set the region of interest
      2. To toggle between the region of interest and the full image
    4. Using the Time Controls
    5. Using the Live Update Option
      1. To toggle Live Update on and off
    6. Specifying a Fast Previews Option
      1. To enable a Fast Previews option
    7. Using Adaptive Resolution
      1. To set Adaptive Resolution settings
    8. Using OpenGL
      1. To set OpenGL preferences
      2. To specify other OpenGL options
    9. Suppressing Panel Updates
      1. To suppress panel updates
    10. Scrubbing Audio
      1. To scrub audio
    11. Previewing the Work Area
      1. To set the work area by dragging
      2. To set the work area using keyboard shortcuts
    12. Previewing Audio Only
      1. To preview audio only under the work area
      2. To preview audio only from the current time
    13. Previewing Wireframes
      1. To create a wireframe preview
    14. Rendering RAM Previews
      1. To show and hide RAM preview options
      2. To set RAM preview options
      3. To create a RAM preview
      4. To specify a panel to always preview
  11. 9. Keyframe Interpolation
    1. Understanding Interpolation
      1. Spatial interpolation
      2. Temporal interpolation
      3. Incoming and outgoing interpolation
    2. Interpolation Types
      1. No interpolation
      2. Linear
      3. Auto Bézier
      4. Continuous Bézier
      5. Bézier
      6. Hold
      7. Mixed incoming and outgoing interpolation
      8. Keyframe icons and interpolation
    3. Specifying the Default Spatial Interpolation
      1. To set the default spatial interpolation
    4. Specifying Spatial Interpolation in the Motion Path
      1. To move a position keyframe
      2. To toggle between auto Bézier and linear interpolation
      3. To convert auto Bézier to continuous Bézier
      4. To convert continuous Bézier to Bézier, and vice versa
      5. To toggle between the Selection tool and a Pen tool
    5. Using the Graph Editor: An Overview
      1. To adjust properties in the Graph Editor
    6. Understanding Value and Speed Graphs
      1. Value graph
      2. Speed graph
    7. Viewing Property Graphs
      1. To toggle the Graph Editor
      2. To specify visible properties in the Graph Editor
      3. To designate a graph editor set
    8. Specifying the Graph Type
      1. To specify the graph types displayed in the Graph Editor
    9. Viewing Optional Information in the Graph Editor
      1. To specify Graph Editor options
      2. To scale the graph automatically
    10. Moving Keyframes in the Graph Editor
      1. To enable keyframe snapping in the Graph Editor
      2. To move keyframes using a transform box
      3. To move multiple keyframes using a transform box
    11. Adding and Removing Keyframes in the Graph Editor
      1. To add or remove keyframes in the graph
    12. Setting a Keyframe’s Temporal Interpolation Type
      1. To set a keyframe’s interpolation using a button
    13. Adjusting Temporal Interpolation Manually
      1. To adjust a value graph manually
      2. To adjust a speed graph manually
    14. Applying Keyframe Assistants
      1. To apply a keyframe assistant in the Graph Editor
    15. Smoothing Motion with Roving Keyframes
      1. To smooth motion with roving keyframes
      2. To convert a roving keyframe to a standard keyframe
  12. 10. Mask Essentials
    1. Understanding Masks
      1. Mask creation tools
      2. Open and closed paths
      3. Bezier and RotoBézier curves
    2. Viewing Masks in the Layer and Comp Panels
    3. Viewing Masks in the Layer Outline
    4. Hiding and Showing Mask Paths
      1. To view and hide masks in the Layer panel
      2. To view and hide masks in the Composition panel
    5. Targeting Masks
      1. To choose the target mask
    6. Creating Masks Using Shape Tools
      1. To draw a shape mask
    7. Building a Standard Mask with the Pen
      1. To build a path
    8. Creating a RotoBezier Mask
      1. To create a RotoBezier mask
    9. Changing the Shape of a Mask
    10. Selecting Masks and Points
      1. To select masks or points in a Layer or Comp panel
    11. Opening and Closing Paths
      1. To close an open path
      2. To open a closed path
    12. Scaling and Rotating Masks
      1. To move, scale, or rotate all or part of a mask
    13. Converting Mask Paths into Motion Paths
      1. To paste a mask path as a motion path
    14. Moving Masks Relative to the Layer Image
      1. To move a mask in the Layer panel
      2. To pan a layer behind its mask
    15. Inverting a Mask
      1. To invert a mask created in After Effects
    16. Mask Modes
      1. To set the mask mode
    17. Adjusting Other Mask Properties
  13. 11. Effects Fundamentals
    1. Using the Effects & Presets Panel
      1. To find an item in the Effects & Presets panel
      2. To show all the items in the Effects & Presets panel
    2. Applying Effects
      1. To apply an effect
      2. To apply the most recent effect
    3. Viewing Effect Property Controls
    4. Removing and Resetting Effects
      1. To remove an effect
      2. To remove all effects for a layer
      3. To reset an effect to its default settings
    5. Disabling Effects Temporarily
      1. To disable and enable individual effects
      2. To disable and enable all effects in a layer
    6. Adjusting Effects in the Effect Controls Panel
    7. Setting an Effect Point
      1. To set an effect point with the Effect Point button
    8. Saving and Applying Effect Presets
      1. To view presets in the Effect Controls panel
      2. To save effects as a preset
      3. To apply a preset effect
      4. To apply an effect or preset by dragging
    9. Copying and Pasting Effects
      1. To copy a layer’s effects into another layer
    10. Applying Multiple Effects
      1. To reorder effects
    11. Applying Effects to an Adjustment Layer
      1. To create an adjustment layer
      2. To convert a layer to an adjustment layer, and vice versa
    12. Understanding Compound Effects
    13. Using Compound Effects
      1. Specifying an effect source
      2. Resolving size differences between source and target layers
      3. Using a nested composition as the effect source
    14. Animating Effects
      1. To set keyframes from the Effect Controls panel
  14. 12. Creating and Animating Text
    1. Setting the Workspace for Text
      1. To specify the Text workspace
      2. To toggle the Character and Paragraph panels
      3. To open tool-related panels automatically
    2. Creating Type
      1. Point text and paragraph text
        1. To create point text
        2. To create paragraph text
        3. To resize a text bounding box
    3. Editing and Formatting Type
      1. Font, style, fill, and stroke
      2. Font size, leading, kerning, and tracking
      3. Scale, baseline shift, and tsume
      4. Faux bold, faux italics, all caps, small caps, superscript, and subscript
    4. Formatting Paragraph Text
      1. Alignment and Justification
      2. Indent and Spacing
    5. Animating Text
      1. Standard layer properties
      2. Text properties
    6. Animating Source Text
      1. To animate source text
    7. Making Text Follow a Path
      1. To create path text
      2. To animate path text
    8. Using Text Animation Presets
      1. To view a gallery of text animation presets
      2. To apply a text animation preset
    9. Understanding Animator Groups
      1. Animator properties
      2. Range selectors
    10. Animating Type with Animator Groups
      1. To animate type with animator groups
    11. Creating Animator Groups
      1. To create an animator group
      2. To add to an animator group
      3. To remove a group, property, or selector
    12. Specifying a Range
      1. To specify how a range is measured
      2. To specify a range
  15. 13. Painting on a Layer
    1. Using the Paint and Brush Tips Panels
      1. To specify the Paint workspace
    2. Specifying Paint Stroke Options
      1. Opacity and Flow
      2. Brush tip
      3. Color
      4. Mode
      5. Channels
      6. Duration
    3. Painting with the Brush Tool
      1. To paint on a layer
      2. To make the painted layer transparent
    4. Erasing Strokes
      1. To use the Eraser tool
    5. Using Brush Tips
      1. Toggling the Brush Tips panel from the Paint panel
      2. To create a brush tip
      3. To rename a preset brush tip
      4. To remove a preset brush tip
    6. Customizing Brush Tips
    7. Using Brush Dynamics
      1. To set Brush Dynamics options
    8. Adjusting Strokes
      1. Strokes in the timeline
      2. Selecting strokes
      3. Multiple Paint effects
    9. Animating Strokes
      1. To animate strokes using the Write On option
      2. To animate a stroke by keyframing its shape
    10. Cloning
      1. Setting the sample point for cloning
      2. The Aligned option
      3. The Lock Source Time option
        1. To set a clone source in the Paint panel
        2. To set a clone source by clicking
    11. Using the Clone Stamp Tool
      1. To clone pixels
    12. Overlaying the Clone Source
      1. To superimpose the source over the target layer as you clone
    13. Saving Clone Stamp Settings
      1. To save Clone Stamp settings
      2. To use a Clone Stamp preset
  16. 14. More Layer Techniques
    1. Using Frame Blending
      1. To apply or remove frame blending in a layer
      2. To enable or disable frame blending for all layers in a composition
    2. Using Motion Blur
      1. To apply or remove motion blur
      2. To enable or disable motion blur for all layers in a composition
      3. To set the amount of motion blur for previews
    3. Understanding Time Remapping
    4. Controlling Time Remap Values in the Layer Panel
    5. Using Time Remapping
      1. To enable time remapping
      2. To create a freeze frame with time remapping
      3. To reverse playback
      4. To change playback speed over time
    6. Using Blending Modes
      1. To apply a Blending mode
    7. Preserving Underlying Transparency
      1. To preserve underlying transparency
    8. Track Mattes
      1. Types of track mattes
        1. To create a track matte
    9. Using Shape Layers
      1. Bézier and parametric shapes
    10. Creating Shape Layers
      1. To create a new shape layer using a shape tool
      2. To add a shape or mask to a shape layer
      3. Working with shape layer properties
      4. Adding properties
      5. Stacking order
      6. Groups
      7. Paint and path operations
        1. To add a group or property to a shape layer
        2. To reorder or group shape properties
    11. Using the Puppet Effect
      1. To animate with Puppet tools
    12. Refining Puppet Animations
      1. Mesh triangles and expansion
        1. To set the mesh triangles and expansion
    13. Using Puppet Starch
      1. To make the mesh more or less flexible
    14. Using Puppet Overlap
      1. To specify how areas of the puppet overlap
    15. Animating Puppets by Sketching with the Mouse
      1. To animate puppets by sketching
  17. 15. 3D Layers
    1. Using 3D
      1. To designate a layer as 3D
      2. To convert a 3D layer back to 2D
    2. Viewing 3D Layers in the Comp Panel
      1. To specify a 3D view
    3. Adjusting Views with Camera Tools
      1. To adjust a camera or view using Camera tools
      2. To focus a 3D view on selected layers
      3. To reset a 3D view
    4. Using Comp Panel Layouts
      1. To specify a view layout in the Comp panel
      2. To specify the active view
    5. Using Axis Modes
      1. To change axis modes
    6. Using 3D Position
      1. To move a 3D layer in the Comp panel
    7. Using 3D Orientation and Rotation
      1. To adjust the orientation in the Comp panel
      2. To adjust 3D rotation in the Composition panel
    8. Auto-Orienting 3D Layers
      1. To specify an Auto-Orientation setting
    9. Using 3D Material Options
      1. To set a 3D layer’s Material Options
    10. Using Cameras
      1. To create a camera
    11. Choosing Camera Settings
      1. To choose basic camera settings
      2. To select Depth of Field options
    12. Using Lights
      1. To create a light
    13. Choosing Light Settings
      1. To select light settings
    14. Using the Point of Interest
      1. To choose the Auto-Orient setting for cameras and lights
      2. To move a light or camera without changing the point of interest
      3. To move a camera or light and the point of interest
    15. Moving Cameras with Camera Tools
      1. To adjust a camera using Camera tools
    16. Previewing 3D
      1. To enable or disable Draft 3D mode
    17. Understanding 3D Layer Order
      1. Combining 2D and 3D
  18. 16. Complex Projects
    1. Nesting
      1. To nest a composition
      2. To nest one composition in a new composition with the same settings
      3. Nesting options
        1. To set nesting options
    2. Rendering Order
    3. Subverting the Render Order
      1. Transform effect
      2. Adjustment layer
      3. Nesting or precomposing
      4. Expressions
    4. Using the Flowchart View
      1. To display the Flowchart view
    5. Precomposing
      1. To precompose one or more layers
    6. Collapsing Transformations
      1. To collapse transformations
    7. Prerendering
    8. Parenting Layers
      1. Jumping
        1. To assign a parent-child relationship
        2. To remove a parent from a layer
        3. To make a child jump when assigning or removing a parent
    9. Using Null Objects
      1. To create a null object
    10. Using Expressions
      1. To create an expression using the Expression Pickwhip
      2. To disable and enable expressions
    11. Viewing Expressions
      1. To view an expression graph
    12. Using the Expression Language Menu
      1. To use the Expression pull-down menu
    13. Writing Expressions
      1. Translating a simple expression
  19. 17. Output
    1. The Render Queue Panel
      1. Rendering progress
      2. Rendering settings
      3. Panel headings and Render Status
    2. Making a Movie
      1. To make a movie from a composition
    3. Using the Render Queue Panel
      1. To manage items in the render queue
    4. Pausing and Stopping Rendering
      1. To pause rendering
      2. To stop rendering
    5. Assigning Multiple Output Modules
      1. To assign additional output modules
    6. Choosing Render Settings
      1. To choose render settings manually
    7. Choosing Output-Module Settings
      1. To choose an output module manually
    8. Creating Templates
      1. To create a template
      2. To set a default template
    9. Saving Single Frames of a Composition
      1. To save a composition frame as a still-image file
    10. Using the Adobe Media Encoder

Product information

  • Title: After Effects CS3 Professional for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide
  • Author(s): Antony Bolante
  • Release date: December 2007
  • Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
  • ISBN: 9780321550217