Learning Objectives:
In this exercise you will be introduced to the Adobe After Effects workspace and will learn to import and animate drawings from an Illustrator file. Please keep this information for guidance with Project 5
Required Software
- Adobe After Effects,
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
Exercise Files on D2L:
- This handout, demo video, and the Exercise 5.1 AE + Illustrator.ai file
Tools and techniques covered in this demo:
- Workspace setup & overview
- Importing files
- Navigating and animating to specific points on the time line (Shift Left/Right arrows)
- Animating properties of layers with keyframes: Anchor points, position, rotation, and scale
- Using easing keyframes
- Trimming layers with Command [ and Command ]
- Staggering keyframe timing with key commands (Option Left/Right arrows)
- Exporting an animated .gif Photoshop & After Effects
Exercise:
Part 1: Organize your files in a dedicated Asset Folder
- Create a new asset folder for your Exercise 5.1 files on your computer’s desktop. Label the folder LastName, FirstName Exercise 5.1
- Download the Exercise 5.1 AE + Illustrator.ai demo file from D2L and save it in this asset folder. IMPORTANT! Any and all related exercise files will be saved in this folder. This is a critical step to keeping your files linked to your After Effects project and to submitting your project later!
Part 2: Set up auto-save preferences, overview of tools, set up the workspace, import asset files, and create a new Composition
Set up the Autosave preferences:
- Go to After Effects > Preferences > Autosave… and change the Auto save to every 10 minutes with 10 previous versions. Save these next to your project. Click Ok. After Effects will save backup versions of your project in a folder in your asset folder.
Set up your workspace & import the demo Illustrator file:
- Open After Effects and go to Window > Reset Workspace or set workspace to Default
- Create a new project by going to File>New>Projectand title it LastName_FirstName Exercise5.1.aep (Example: Anfinson_Erin Exercise 5.1.aep)
- If old project loads, create a new project (File>New>Project)
- Import your Illustrator file into the Project Window by going to: File>Import… Then select the Exercise 5.1 AE + Illustrator.ai file from your asset folder.
- In the dialogue box that pops open, select “Composition-Retain Layer sizes” from the drop down menu and click Open.
Back in After Effects, your Illustrator file will be in the Project window. (A composition and a folder of the separate layers will also be there)
- Check how the timecode is set. Frames or 00:00:00:00? Command Click the time code in the time line to set it to 00:00:00:00. (Hrs:Minutes:Seconds:Frames)
- Set the composition settings and open your Illustrator composition on the timeline
- Click the composition in the project window to select it
- Go to Composition>Composition Settings… and make sure you have 24fps (frames per second) selected and that the duration is (0:00:05:00) 5 seconds long.
- Click OK.
- Double click the Composition to open it in the timeline.
Part 3: Animate different layer properties with Keyframes
Keyframes are instructions for the beginning and end of any animated property in your After Effects project. You are telling the software what to do and when.
Turn on Continuously Rasterize for all Layers
Select all layers by hitting Command A, then check the empty boxes under the Continuously Rasterize symbol to activate. This will scale the vector files smoothly.
Layer Property: Move Anchor points with the Pan Behind Tool
Select each layer individually and use the Pan Behind tool to move the anchor point for each object to the place where you want it to pivot or rotate from.
Save your work.
Layer Property: Position
Animate all layers to arrive on stage at you’re the 3 second mark (3:00)
Our layers are in the position where we want them to land. Go to the 3 second mark in the timeline by clicking the time code box and typing in 300. The marker will move to 3:00 on the timeline
Select all layers by hitting Command A, then click the triangle beside Transform on one of the layers to reveal the different properties you can animate (Anchor point, Position, Scale, Rotation, & Opacity).
Keep all layers selected and hit P to isolate the Position property. Now click the Stopwatch icon by the “Position” properties for one of the layers. This will create keyframes at the 3:00 mark in the timeline.
Deselect all layers by clicking anywhere on the stage or hitting Shift/Command/A and move the marker to the beginning of the timeline manually or by
Click the timecode box and enter 0
Start with the top layer and drag the image completely off of the stage. Notice the motion path that is pulled behind the layer. Pull on the Bezier curve handles to add curves to the motion path. A new keyframe is created at the beginning of the animation. Press your keyboard spacebar or click Play in the preview window to see the animation.
Keeping the time marker at 0:00:00:00, repeat step 5 for all other image layers.
Save your work.
TIP: You can also easily navigate to the beginning and end of your timeline with the following key commands, depending on your type of keyboard.
Full keyboards: Use the Home & End keys to go to the beginning or end
Laptop keyboards: Press fn + Page Left / Page Right arrows
Layer Property: Rotation
Add Keyframed Rotation to each layer
Go to the 3 second mark in the timeline by clicking the time code box and typing in 300. The marker will move to 3:00 on the timeline
Select all layers by hitting Command A, then click the triangle beside Transform on one of the layers to reveal the different properties you can animate (Anchor point, Position, Scale, Rotation, & Opacity).
Keep all layers selected and hit R to isolate the Rotation property. Now click the Stopwatch icon by the “Rotation” property for one of the layers. This will create keyframes at the 3:00 mark in the timeline. Keep the rotation settings at 0x+0.0º
Keep all of the layer selected and move the marker to the beginning of the timeline manually or by
Click the timecode box and enter 0
Hitting Home on your keyboard
Hitting fn + Page Left arrow on a Mac laptop keyboard
Change the rotation settings to 0x+180º and hit Return. Hit the spacebar to see your results.
Save your work.
Layer Property: Scale
Add a Keyframed Scale Change to all layers:
Go to the 3 second mark in the timeline by clicking the time code box and typing in 300. The marker will move to 3:00 on the timeline
Select all layers by hitting Command A, then click the triangle beside Transform on one of the layers to reveal the different properties you can animate (Anchor point, Position, Scale, Rotation, & Opacity).
Keep all layers selected and hit S to isolate the Scale property. Now click the Stopwatch icon by the “Scale” property for one of the layers. This will create keyframes at the 3:00 mark in the timeline. Keep the Scale settings at 100%.
Keep all of the layers selected and move the marker to the beginning of the timeline manually or by
Click the timecode box and enter 0
Hitting Home on your keyboard
Hitting fn + Page Left arrow on a Mac laptop keyboard
Change the scale to 50% to create a new keyframe. Hit the spacebar to see your results.
Save your work.
Add Keyframe Easing to make movements more natural
Go to the 3 second mark in the timeline by clicking the time code box and typing in 300. The marker will move to 3:00 on the timeline
Select all layers by hitting Command A, then hit UU on your keyboard to reveal all animated properties
Select the top layer to work with. Click and drag around the end keyframes for all animated properties of that layer (Position, Rotation, and Scale)
Go to Animation > Keyframe Assistant…> Ease In This will add easing and more dynamic movement to your motion paths and rotations.
Play back your results and repeat for all other layers.
Save your work.
Create exits/disappearances by trimming each layer at different points on the timeline.
Go to the 3:12 mark in the timeline by clicking the time code box and typing in 312. The marker will move to 3:12 on the timeline
Select the top layer to work with and use press Command/Right to move the time marker forward 4 frames
Hit Option ] to trim the timeline at this point
Play back your results and repeat trimming on all other layers, but trim them all in a sequence 4 frames after each other. You should end up with the bottom text layer timing out at 4:12. Play back your result and experiment with varying the trim times. You can always re-extend the layer by clicking and dragging it to the right and then re-trimming it with Option ]. Just make sure you keep at least 12 frames of blank background at the end for a looped playback.
Save your work when you are satisfied with the results.
Part 4: Making changes to your Illustrator File
Making changes to existing property
If you’d like to change an existing property of your Illustrator drawing, like the color or line weight, open the demo .ai file in Adobe Illustrator. Make any color fill changes and then Save. The file is dynamically linked to the AE file and will be updated automatically in the AE workspace after a few seconds. Personalize the drawings by making color changes to the existing drawn elements of save for your final animation. NOTE: This only works for existing elements. New drawn elements will have to be imported into AE individually.
Adding new drawn elements
If you’d like to add a new drawn element to your AE animation, add the drawing(s) on a new layer(s) in Illustrator and then save your file and follow these steps:
In After Effects go to File > Import > File…
In the Import pop-up windo, navigate to your Illustrator file, leave Footage selected, and uncheck Create New Composition. Click Import.
In the next pop up window, click Choose Layer and select your new drawing layer from the drop down menu. Click Import.
Your new layer will be added to the Project Window and can be added to the composition timeline.
Part 5: Export a looping .gif of your animation with Photoshop
Export a high quality .mov file from After Effects
In After Effects, go to Composition>Add to Render Queue
In the Queue window, open the Format dropdown menu and set to Lossless. Click on Lossless.
In Output, click on your file and navigate to your Exercise 5.1 Asset folder to save the export.
Click the Render button to render. A .mov version of your animation will be saved.
Use Photoshop to export a looping animated GIF of your animation
Open Photoshop, then open your .mov animation
Go to File>Export>Save for Web (Legacy)…
In the new dialogue box change the Preset to 128 Dither and make sure looping is set to Forever.
Hit Save and save your exported GIF to your Exercise 5.1 Asset folder and enjoy!
Exercise Requirements (Assessment criteria)
Use of all images from the provided .ai demo file
Anchor points adjusted on all layers
All required layer properties animated: Position, Rotation, and Scale
Keyframe easing added to smooth motion
Staggering of keyframes to stagger animation timing for each layer
Dynamic linking used to change the color of the .ai file layers to new colors of student’s choice
Correctly exported .mov and animated .gif files
Workspace Organization
Exporting and submitting your exercise:
When you have completed Exercise 5.1 double check to make sure that you have saved everything to your Exercise 5.1 Asset folder.
Compress your Exercise 5.1 Asset Folder and submit via the free file transfer website, WeTransfer.com
Compress or zip your Exercise 5.1 Asset folder containing: Exercise 5.1 AE+Illustrator Demo.ai, LastName_FirstName Exercise5.1.aep, Exported .mov, Exported animated .gif
A .zip file will be created next to the folder
Go to WeTransfer.com, upload the .zip file, type your name and “Exercise 5.1” in the Message box, and send it to Erin.Anfinson@mtsu.edu
Resources and Tutorials:
For further help with the AE workspace & tools, visit the online user guide at