How To Use Adobe After Effects With Pictures

Don’t know what resolution to choose? Locate “Preset” and click on the drop-down menu. The menu is divided up into four sections, respectively: web settings, standard definition broadcast settings (NTSC and PAL), HD settings (the most commonly used), and film settings. Select “UHD 8K 23. 976”, which is four times the resolution of 1080p HD with 23. 976 frames per second. It’s always a good idea to create effects in 8K for future-proofing. In the second row, locate “Start Timecode” and “Duration. ” Leave the “Start Timecode” at 0. “Duration” refers to the total length of the project, from start to end. Set the “Duration” to the required length for your composition. [1] X Research source [2] X Research source

While you may save this file in any location, it is recommended that you save your composition near your “Footage” file. This file is located within the “Exercise Files” folder.

Double click anywhere on the “Project” tab. Strike “Command + I. ” Drag images directly into the “Project” tab. [3] X Research source [4] X Research source

You may drag and drop files from the “Project” tab into the “Timeline” tab (located at the bottom right of the window), the “Composition” window (located to the right of the “Project” tab), or the “Layer” tab (located directly below the “Project” tab. )

To adjust the hierarchy of the layers, drag a file up or down the list. The order of the files will alter the appearance of the composition (see the “Composition” window. ) Files at the top of the layer list will appear over files at the bottom of the layer list. To alter the appearance of a file, click on the sideways triangle next to the layer’s number. This will open up a “Transform” menu. From this menu, you may alter the following properties: anchor point, position, scale, rotation, and/or opacity. [5] X Research source

The red line with the yellow tab indicates your current time. You can use this line to help you automatically trim layers. Select the layer you wish to trim. Drag the red line to your desired starting or ending point for the layer. Strike “Command + [“; to automatically trim a layer to the right of the red line, strike “Command ]. ”

To shrink or expand the layer, click on the handle, press ⇧ Shift, and drag your cursor towards the inside or outside of the window. To rotate an element, press Ctrl+W. This will activate the rotation tool. To move a layer on a 2-D plane, click on the element you want to move and drag it to its new position.

Select the child layer (the layer that you want to apply the keyframes to)—this layer will become the child. Locate the “Parent” category in the layer tab. In the “Parent” column for this layer, locate the curly-q shaped icon in the child’s row. Click on the icon and draw a black line from the icon to the “Layer Name” section of parent. Through this process, the child will become tied to the parent. [9] X Research source [10] X Research source

Move your red “Current Time Indicator” line to the moment at which you would like to activate a keyframe. Select a layer from the “List” tab. Expand the layer’s “Transform” or “Contents” tab. Click on the stopwatch icon next to the property you wish to alter. This will record a keyframe at the current time indicator. A yellow dot or a greater than/less than symbols will appear on the timeline to mark the keyframe. To see your keyframes on the timeline, lasso the layers you wish to view and press “U. ” To move a keyframe, select a keyframe symbol on the timeline by lassoing it and then drag it to its new location. You may also copy and paste keyframes.

Click on the stopwatch next to “Position. ” Move the red line to the point at which you would like the layer to be off the screen. Click on the layer’s anchor point. Hold down “Shift” as you drag the layer completely off of the screen. The motion path will appear as a purple dotted line and each related keyframe will appear as a purple square. To preview your animation, scrub the red line over the timeline.

Effects include 3D, color correction, and various camera views. Transition options include wipe, fade and checkerboard. You may remove selections by dragging them off your projects.

Click on “File” at the top of the window. Select “Export” followed by “Add to Render Queue. ” Instead of “File,” you may click on “Composition” and select “Add to Render Queue. ” In your Render Queue, locate “Output Module” and click on the linked text to the left of this section. A dialogue box will appear on your screen. From this screen, you can change the video and audio output settings. Click “Ok” when finished. In your Render Queue, locate “Output To” and click on the linked text next to the left of this section. Another dialogue box will appear on your screen. The screen you prompt you to select a location to save your rendered composition. Click “Ok” when done. Click on “Render” to export the composition. [11] X Research source

Click on “File” at the top of the window. Select “Export” followed by “Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue. ” You may also select “Composition” followed by “Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue” or drag the file directly into the “Adobe Media Encoder Queue” tab. Locate the “Preset Browser. ” Select the format for your composition. Drag this preset from the browser onto the file in the “Adobe Media Encoder Queue. ” In the queue, locate “Output To” and click on the linked text next to the left of this section. A dialogue box will appear on your screen and prompt you to select a location to save your rendered composition. Click “Ok” when done. Click on the green play button to begin the export. [12] X Research source