After Effects 2/6

[RECAP]

Project window - all the files used withing the project - still images, audio or video.
Time line - Where assets are arranged in terms of time, deciding what happens at a particular moment in time.
Composition window - Where we see the elements of our movie playing back, arranging elements of the design/spatially
Composition - Every project must contain at least 1 composition,
PAL - 1050 x 576 PIXELS - Specified size by the PAL preset

[TRANSFORM SHORTCUTS]
A - Anchor Point
P - Position
R - Rotation
S - Scale
T - Opacity


                                                                                                 

PHOTOSHOP for AE


RGB // PIXELS // 72DPI



New>Presets>PAL D1/DV WSP (Widescreen Square Pixel)

Action Safe Zone - Is a legacy feature form when TV's had a curved face, it's an area to ensure all the desired imagery/content is visible.


Title Safe Zone - A guide to ensure all text displayed is delivered as desired.

                                                                                                 


To turn these guides on in After Effects its a simple case of using the 3rd button along at the bottom in the Composition window...

When working in photoshop, it is imperative to consider scale first, enlarging in After Effects will cause bad pixelated image. Using the Video preset allows us to have a clear idea of scale before importing.

File>Import>IMPORT FILE AS FOOTAGE

When importing, we're not importing, we're adding links to the document, keeping all elements in one folder, much like InDesign.

                                                                                                        


When adding something to the composition, there are various ways to do it. Simply dragging on onto the workspace is okay, however dragging to the time line places the item exactly in the middle of the workspace, a helpful little tip/time saver.

A simple way to animate text, working in layers in Photoshop, these layers can be transported into AE and work in the same way. Each part of the image that is animated should have its own layer in order to be able to manipulate it correctly.
*When importing layered art work - Import as a composition

In the project window, adding a layered file adds a new composition and a file called '______ Layers' - we will rarely use these files, instead we will use the composition.



*ANY AFTER EFFECTS PROJECT CAN CONTAIN MULTIPLE COMPOSITIONS*


Adding a position key-frame to all layers by selecting all layers, clicking the key-frame button on one transformation - adding the point to all layers...

When importing layers, it is possible to have each and every layer fixed around 1 anchor point, all the text/image will rotate around this point. The is an option when importing to 'retain layer size' - This gives each layer its own anchor point, in turn allowing each glyph/image to be edited with more precision.

                                                                                                     
Working from illustrator, the principles are very much the same. Using a preset document set up for immediate use with video/film.

Layer switch's - These allow you to turn features of a layer on/off, one is very relevant for working with illustrator files

Any layers one has finished with are able to be turned 'shy', basically removing them from the time line but still appearing in the composition window.

Quality switch - Forward slash's indicate the quality is at a high level, its like changing the resolution but it's able to be changed on a layer by layer basis

*COLLECT FILES* - is a handy little way of collating all the files used in a project if one hasn't been particularly organised throughout the production process.