Adobe Inc. has added the formidable Adobe After Effect designing tool as a unit of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. The powerful Adobe After Effects tool is generally used in post-production work. If you are a video creator, this powerful tool will help you create stunning visual effects and animations to bring your projects to life.
Professional animators and graphic designers choose this tool for its efficiency and advanced technology. In this article, we will discuss the basics of Adobe After Effects, its features and tools, and how it can create professional videos and animations.
Getting Started with Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effect is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. You can experience the features and functions in the Adobe After Effects free-trial plan of 7 days. So, you must subscribe to a monthly or yearly subscription after the trial period to continue using Adobe After Effects on your PC. Due to its inclusion in Adobe Creative Cloud suites, the projects in Adobe After Effects are compatible with other Adobe tools like Premiere Pro, Photoshop, etc.
Features of Adobe After Effects
To get the ultimate satisfaction in the edits of your video, you need to understand the features of Adobe After Effects briefly.
1. Animation and Motion Graphics
Adobe After Effects creates amazing motion graphics and animation in various video projects. A wide range of tools and presets in the software are used to create dynamic animations and graphics.
2. Compositing
The technique in which two or more visual elements are combined to form a union of images is called composting. Composting is used in video creation to combine multiple video clips, photos, and visual effects into a single video output. Adobe After Effect has advanced composting tools that help creators to form seamless and realistic composites.
3. Visual effects
Creators like to use visual effects in editing a video to enhance the footage. You can use a wide range of visual effects in Adobe After Effects, such as particles, distortions, lens flares, etc.
4. 3D Rendering
The process of converting 3D models to photorealistic 2D images is called 3D rendering. The advanced 3D rendering capabilities of Adobe After Effect help creators build 3D animations and effects, including text and logo animation.
5. Audio Editing
Video editors need to edit audio in their video footage. Adobe After Effect incorporates excellent audio editing capabilities which creators can use to add, adjust, and edit audio tracks to their videos.
Different Parts of Adobe After Effects
Understand the parts and their functions before editing videos in Adobe After Effects.
1. Composition Panel
The chief workspace in Adobe After Effects is the composition panel. Video editors can create, edit, and preview their video compositions here.
2. Timeline Panel
Users can efficiently manage and edit the time frame and duration of individual layers and elements in the timeline panel of Adobe After Effects. You can click and drag the timeline bar to move through different time frames.
3. Layer Panel
Editors create various layers to increase the quality and style of a video. The layers include footage, text, and visual effects. The Layer Panel of Adobe After Effects displays all these layers.
4. Effects Panel
Adobe After Effects has a wide range of visual effects, transitions, and presets stored in the effects panel. Creators can pick different effects from the effects panel according to their preferences to enhance their video.
5. Keyframe Assistant
Adobe After Effects provides a keyframe assistant to automate the creation of keyframes in animations and motion graphics.
6. Expressions
In Adobe After Effects, expressions are used to create complex animations and motion graphics using mathematical expressions.
The Process of creating a Project in Adobe After Effects
The steps below will help to create a new project in Adobe After Effects.
- First, launch After Effects and click ‘New Composition’ from the startup menu.
- After that, you need to set the dimensions and frame rate for the composition and select the ‘OK’ button.
- Then, you must click ‘Import’ to import the desired video and assets in your composition from the file menu. Before that, you need to browse the location of your assets.
- Thereafter, drag the imported assets from the Project Panel to the Composition Panel to add them to your composition.
- Then, you must use the Layers Panel to manage and arrange your videos and use the Effects Panel to add visual effects and transitions.
- You need to use the Timeline Panel to adjust the timing and duration of individual layers and elements in the composition.
- You can preview your composition in the ‘Preview’ option from the main menu.
You can also watch the Adobe After Effects full guide on Adobe’s website.
Exporting a Project in Adobe After Effects
After the completion of your project, you can export it as a video file or sequence. The steps to export your composition are mentioned below.
You need to select the ‘Composition’>’ Add to Render Queue’ option.
Then, you should select the desired output module, format, and settings in the Rendered Queue Panel.
Thereafter, you must choose a location to save your export file. To do that, click on the ‘Output To’ option and select a folder or location.
Finally, you must click the ‘Render’ button to start the export process.
Tips for Using Adobe After Effects
1. Master the Basics
To create a beautiful video, you can use different features of Adobe After Effects. But there is a catch to it. It is essential to know and understand the basics and then dive into the advanced features. Without understanding the basics, you won’t be able to create stunning videos.
2. Use of Presets
You can use presets of Adobe After Effects for various effects and animations. These preset can be used as a starting point for your projects. You can also customize them as per requirement.
3. Be Organised
Projects in Adobe After Effects can get complex within a few minutes. Therefore, you must organize your assets, layers, and compositions properly.
4. Experiment with Keyframes
The building blocks of animation in Adobe After Effects are keyframes. You should work the different keyframe settings and timing smartly to build unique and dynamic animations.
5. Use of Expressions
You can experiment with different expressions and mathematical functions to create unique animations. Using expressions, you can create complex animations and effects in Adobe After Effects.
Conclusion
The powerful and versatile tool, Adobe After Effects, can be used to edit videos, motion graphics, and visual effects. Overall, a user will be completely satisfied with the advanced features of Adobe After Effects while editing their video productions. You can visit Feedhour for more information.