Index
Symbols
3D axis 273
3D compositions, nesting 289
3D floor, creating 272
3D images from Photoshop Extended 276
3D layers
about 270
camera layers 290
creating 273
light layers 206
Orientation property 294
positioning 276–278
Position property 201
replacing one with another 278
rotating 202
viewing 273
3D Layer switch 273
3D objects
about 268
adding reflections to 300
adding solid layers to 280
animating 299
building 272
rotating 294
3D Rotate In By Character animation preset 118
3D Rotation properties 273
3D text 283
adding depth to 285
creating 284
3D views 273
A
action-safe zones 33
Add/Remove Keyframe button 137
Adobe After Effects CS5 application
compositions 12
installing 2
locating serial number for 2
projects 12
updating 39
workflow 12
Adobe After Effects CS5 Classroom in a Book
contents of the DVD iii
lesson files 3
Adobe Authorized Training Centers 7
Adobe Bridge
about 45
browsing animation presets in 72
importing files with 45
navigating folders in 45
previewing audio files in 152
previewing images in 46
preview panel 46
workspaces 46
Adobe Certified Expert program 7
Adobe CS Live
Adobe Device Central CS4 374
Adobe Encore 121
Adobe Flash CS5 Professional, exporting to 93
Adobe Flash Professional CS5
exporting files for 151
Adobe Illustrator files
importing 49
working with layers imported from 50
Adobe Photoshop Extended
importing 3D images from 276
importing text from 77
Adobe Photoshop files
importing 162
layered 161
preparing layers in 162
preserving layers in 161
viewing layers in After Effects 161
Adobe Photoshop layer styles 163
Adobe Updater 39
alpha channel, painting to refine a matte 237–238
alpha track mattes
adjusting 172
using to constrain layers 134
ambient lights, adding 307
Analyze Forward button 325, 332
anchor points
adjusting 131
for 3D layers 275
animating
3D objects 299
along a motion path 90
camera layers 303
lights 307
motion 168
opacity 84
Puppet tool pins 225
rotation 107
scale 74
shadows 176
slide shows 147
using parenting 75
using the Puppet tools 217
walking cycles 221
animation presets 29–30
3D Rotate In By Character 118
applying from Adobe Bridge 72
browsing in Adobe Bridge 45, 72
Bullet Train 55
customizing 73
Dissolve - Vapor 56
Evaporate 72
Fade Up Characters 80
Increase Tracking 83
Pipes 81
using with shape layers 134
animations
about 26
motion paths for 129
animator properties in text animator groups 86
application window 13
audio file formats supported 153
audio layers 113
audio tracks
adding 152
looping 153
Audio/Video Switches in the Timeline panel 26
Auto-Orient command 91
B
background, replacing 257–261
base frames
adding with Roto Brush tool 235
creating with Roto Brush tool 232–234
Bevel And Emboss effect 241
Bezier curves
breaking direction handles for 198
using to create masks 197
Bezier masks, creating 199
blending modes
about 205
applying 205
applying to shapes 108
for masks 196
Brainstorm feature 119
Bridge See Adobe Bridge
brightness, changing in the user interface 37
Browse Presets command 72
Brushes panel 238
Brush tool 238
Bullet Train animation preset 55
C
cached frames in Roto Brush span 234
camera layers
about 290
adding 290
animating 303
setting the point of interest 292
camera tools 279
Cartoon effect 114
Casts Shadows option 305
CC Particle Systems II effect 337
properties 341
Channel Blur effect 31–32
opening 51
Classroom in a Book 1
Clone Stamp tool 261
codecs 366
color
adjusting color balance 255
adjusting using the Photo Filter effect 265
color management 377
correcting a range of colors 262
correcting with Auto Levels effect 209
color balance, adjusting 255
about 252
Auto Levels 209
for a range of colors 263
previewing accurately 254
Color Emboss effect 54
Color Finesse 3 264
turning on 377
Color Range effect 257–259
Composition Mini-Flowchart 28
Composition name 26
Composition Navigator bar 28
Composition panel
about 17
Toggle Transparency Grid button 241
typing in 68
viewing 3D layers in 274
compositions
adding footage items to 18
After Effects 12
changing the resolution of 133
exporting for the web 60
fitting layers to 49
importing 15
moving current-time indicator to the beginning of 29
nesting 18
retiming 182
swapping into a layer 135
Composition Settings dialog box 47, 67
compression 366
converting 2D layers to 3D layers 273
Convert To Editable Text command 29, 79
Corner Pin effect 176
creating
text 50
CS Live See Adobe CS Live
current-time indicator 27
current time in the Timeline panel 26
customizing
brightness of the user interface 37
preset paths 81
workspaces 37
D
default preferences 3
Deform pins
about 217
adding 218
customizing 219
deselecting layers 19
DigiEffects Freeform plug-in 314–315
Directional Blur effect 302
direction handles, breaking 198
Dissolve - Vapor animation preset 56
docking panels 13
drawing
circles 343
custom shapes 102
ellipses 207
polygons 102
rectangles 100
shapes 100
stars 109
drawing tools 100
drift, in motion tracking 332
Drop Shadow effect 53
drop zone 13
duplicating
animations using pick whips 166
layers 20
shapes 110
about 30
DVD menus, building 121
E
Easy Ease
about 31
adjusting 186
in the Graph Editor 350
Easy Ease Out 186
editing
masks 196
text 78
Effect Controls panel 22
about 53
hiding properties in 23
setting properties in 22, 31–32
using 22
effects
about 20
Bevel and Emboss 241
CC Particle Systems II 337
Channel Blur 31–32
Color Emboss 54
Color Range 257–258
controlling 52
Corner Pin 176
Dissolve - Vapor animation preset 56–57
Drop Shadow 53
Exposure 23
Fade Up Lines animation preset 246
finding 22
Grid 272
Matte Choker 258
motion blur 92
Photo Filter 265
Radial Blur 21
Radio Waves 145
Ramp 344
Roto Brush 238
SA Color Finesse 3 264
Timewarp 347
Zoom-Bubble 30
Effects & Presets panel 22, 30
using to create a mask 207
erasing unwanted elements 261
Evaporate animation preset 72
Expand Or Collapse The In/Out/Duration/Stretch Panes button 144
exporting
F4V files 152
FLV files 152
SWF files 370
to Adobe Flash Professional CS5 93
XFL files 151
Exposure effect 23
expressions
about 166
adding 154
applying 166
using to add depth 285
working with 154
F
F4V files, exporting 152
Fade Up Characters animation preset 80
Fade Up Lines animation preset 246
fading in images 150
feature regions in motion tracking 322
Fill Color 104
Fill Options dialog box 103
fills, gradient 101
FireWire 254
First Margin value 91
Fit To Comp command 49
Fit To Comp Width command 70
FLV files, exporting 152
fonts, selecting 69
footage items
about 14
importing using Adobe Bridge 45
interpreting in After Effects 193
Freeform plug-in 314–315
Freeze button in the Layer panel 237
Freeze Frame command 244
G
Gradient Editor 101
gradient fills 101
gradients, modifying 102
Graph Editor
about 184
in the Timeline panel 26
Grid effect 272
grid layers for 3D objects 272
grids
snapping to 70
guide layers 274
H
HDR (high dynamic range) footage 347
hiding properties 23
Home key 29
Horizontal Type tool 29, 50, 83
I
IEEE 1394 254
importing
Adobe Photoshop files 77
files from Adobe Bridge 47
multilayer Photoshop files 14
SWF files 151
text 77–78
Increase Tracking animation preset 83
installing After Effects 2
Interpret Footage dialog box 193
In value for a layer 145
inverting masks 196
iPod, rendering for 374
K
keyframes
about 31
copying from one layer to another 142
keyframing motion paths 136
keying 257–258
L
Layer Name 26
layers
3D 270
adding light layers 304
adjusting timing 304
audio 113
copying keyframes from 142
deselecting 19
duplicating 20
expanding in the Timeline panel 24
fitting to compositions 49
guide layers 274
importing in Photoshop files 161
locking 275
making visible in the Timeline panel 33
modifying the In values for 145
naming in Photoshop 162
naming text layers 51
nesting 55
rearranging in the Timeline panel 19
soloing 165
text 68
transforming properties 24
video 113
viewing in three dimensions 273
viewing multiple properties 224
layer styles 163
Layer switches in the Timeline panel 26
lesson files, copying from DVD 3
lighting, simulating changes in 164
light layers
adding ambient 307
animating 307
creating 304
in 3D compositions 304
point of interest 304
types of 304
locking layers 275
looping audio tracks 153
M
Magnification Ratio pop-up menu 100
mask layers 134
mask modes 196
mask properties, displaying 196
masks
about 192
creating with the Pen tool 195
curved 197
drawing with the Ellipse tool 207
drawing with the Rectangle tool 207
editing 196
inverting 196
modes for 196
modifying with the Convert Vertex tool 197
replacing content of 200
segments 192
tips for creating 208
using alpha mattes in 134
using vector shapes 132
vertices 192
working with, vii
mask shapes, copying 91
Master Exposure (Exposure effect) 23
Material Options properties 308
Matte Choker effect 258
mattes
about 230
about track mattes 173
about traveling mattes 173
creating a track matte 173
refining 237–238
meshes
adjusting the Triangle value 219
used with Puppet tools 218
Mini-Flowchart 28
mobile devices, preparing compositions for 374
mocha for After Effects 336
modes, mask 196
motion
animating 168
stabilizing 325
motion blur
adding to 3D objects 312
applying 130
motion paths
about 137
animating nontext layers along 90
hiding 33
keyframing 136
viewing in the Composition panel 129
Motion Source 331
analyzing and applying 325
Motion Target 331
motion tracking 322
analyzing and applying 332, 336
drift 332
multipoint 333
single-point 328
N
navigating folders in Adobe Bridge 45
nesting
3D compositions 289
compositions 18
layers 55
nonsquare pixels 372
null objects
about 282
creating 282
O
opacity
optimizing performance in After Effects 35
Orbit Camera tool 279
Orient Along Path option 91
Orientation property in a 3D layer 294
output module 361
options in the Render Queue panel 59
output-module templates
creating 361
saving 363
outputting projects 354
overlap, defining areas of 219
Overlap pins
about 217
customizing 220
overscan, accounting for 33
P
panel groups 13
panel menus 27
panels
docking 13
maximizing 14
rearranging in the application window 13
undocking 13
opening 51
paragraph text 68
parallel corner-pinning 333
parent layers 127
animating 128
creating 136
particle systems
customizing 340
path preset, using to animate text 81
Pen tool 195
performance, optimizing 35
perspective corner-pinning 333
Photo Filter effect 265
Photoshop layers
exporting a composition as 121
using in a DVD menu 121
pick whips, using to duplicate animation 166
Pipes animation preset 81
pixel aspect ratio 271
pixel aspect ratio correction 372
point of interest
about 304
setting for a camera layer 292
Point Of Interest property 292
point text 68
polygons, drawing 102
Polygon tool 102
positioning 3D layers 276–278
Position property
displaying in the Timeline panel 24
for a 3D layer 201
Pre-compose dialog box 56
precomposing layers 55, 56, 172, 244
preferences, restoring defaults 3, 12
preset paths, customizing 81
presets
browsing in Adobe Bridge 72
finding 22
previewing
audio files in Adobe Bridge 152
images in Adobe Bridge 46
manual 55
RAM 34
spacebar 33
standard 33
using OpenGL 35
Preview panel in Adobe Bridge 46
Project panel 16
projects
After Effects 12
saving 16
properties
changing values for multiple layers 25
displaying in the Timeline panel 24
PSD files, importing as 3D layers 276
Pucker & Bloat 110
Puppet Overlap tool
about 217
using 219
Puppet Pin tool 217
Puppet Sketch tool
about 225
using 225
Puppet Starch tool
about 217
using 220
Puppet tools 212
about 217
customizing Overlap pins 220
preparing artwork for use with 217
Puppet Sketch tool 225
recording animation with 225
settings for Starch pins 220
using the mesh 218
Q
QuickTime 2
R
Radial Blur effect 21
Radial Gradient option 101
Radio Waves effect 145
Reduce Chatter setting 238
reflections, adding to 3D objects 300
remap-time marker in the Source Time ruler 183
removing unwanted elements 261–262
renaming layers 21
rendering
for iPod 374
for mobile devices 374
movies 354
templates 357
test movies 366
using compression in 366
using multiple output modules 368
using the Render Queue panel 367
with OpenGL 365
adding compositions to 59
opening 59
Render Settings options 59
render-settings template
saving 359
replacing 3D layers 278
replacing content using a mask 200
resources for learning After Effects 5–6
restoring default preferences 12
retiming
compositions 182
playback 347
rotating
3D layers 202
3D objects 294
Rotation property, animating 107
Roto Brush Alpha views 233
Roto Brush effect 238
Roto Brush span 234–235
Roto Brush tool 228–249
freezing the segmentation boundary 237
rotoscoping 230
Rounded Rectangle tool 240
Roving keyframes 225
S
SA Color Finesse 3 264
safe zones 33
saving projects 16
scale keyframes 74
scrubbing to select values 22
segmentation boundaries
about 232
creating 232–237
editing 234–235
freezing 236–237
segments in a mask 192
selectors in text animator groups 86
serial number, After Effects 2
shape layers
adding 100
applying gradient fills to 101
using animation presets with 134
shapes
about 100
applying Repeaters to 110
duplicating 110
repeating 105
twisting 104
using as masks 132
shortcuts for Transform properties 24
shortening a movie 113
Shutter Angle
about 175
adjusting 175
Shutter Phase 175
skewing text 87
slide shows 147
Snap to Grid command 70
solid layers 242
about 143
adding to a 3D object 280
creating 143
using to create particle systems 339
soloing layers 165
Source Time ruler in time remapping 183
spacebar preview 33
spotlights
creating 304
positioning 305
square pixels 271
stabilizing motion 320
standard preview 33
Starch pins
about 217
adding 220
settings 220
stars
creating 109
modifying settings for 109
Star tool 109
Stroke Color 104
Stroke Options dialog box 109, 241
Stroke Width 104
SWF files
importing 151
supported by Flash Player 61
SWF settings 62
T
templates
output module 361
rendering 357
text
adding 118
animating 77, 66–95, 80, 86, 245–246
animating tracking in 83
animating using a path preset 81
animation presets for 71
converting to editable 79
creating 50
editing 78
entering in the Composition panel 68
formatting 118
with the Character panel 69
with the Paragraph panel 69
imported from Photoshop 77
naming layers 51
point 68
positioning 70
skewing 87
text animator groups 85
text animation presets 29–30
text animator groups 85
text layers 68
time
current-time field 27
current-time indicator 27
measuring 222
specifying in the Duration box 99
timecode 30
Time Controls panel 34
Time graph 26
Timeline panel
displaying properties in 24
displaying the Opacity property in 25
expanding layers in 24
renaming layers in 79
Toggle Switches/Modes button 243
TrkMat pop-up menu 243
viewing multiple layer properties in 224
Time Remap keyframes 184
Time-Reverse Keyframes command 73
time ruler
about 27
in the Timeline panel 27
Time Stretch dialog box 145
Timewarp effect 347
timing, adjusting 304
title-safe zones 33
Toggle Alpha Boundary button 234
Toggle Alpha button 234
Toggle Alpha Overlay button 234
Toggle Switches/Modes button 134, 243
Toggle Transparency Grid button 241
Tools panel
about 20
selecting hidden tools in 20
tracing an object 230–249
Tracker Controls panel 323
tracking, animating 83
tracking motion 322
multipoint 333
single-point 328
tracking presets
customizing 84
using to animate text 83
tracking using Mocha for After Effects 336
Track Matte 242
track mattes
about 173
track points
about 322
moving and resizing 324
Track Z Camera tool 279
Transform properties 24
transition effects 309
transparency 57
traveling mattes 173
Triangle value for Puppet tools 219
trimming
the work area 113
TrkMat menu 134
TrkMat pop-up menu in the Timeline panel 243
twisting shapes 104
Twist path operation 104
U
undocking panels 13
updates for the After Effects CS5 application 39
User Interface Colors 37
V
vertices
converting 197
in a mask 192
video layers 113
Video Preview 254
video switch 33
in the Timeline panel 57
viewing 3D layers 273
vignette, applying 206
W
walking cycle, animating 221
web, exporting compositions for 60
work area
brackets 27
trimming 113
workflow 12
workspaces
in Adobe Bridge 46
predefined 36
saving custom 37
X
x axis 22
Y
y axis 22
Z
z axis 270
Zoom-Bubble effect 30