Adobe After Effects 2020 release

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INDEX

SYMBOLS Active Camera view 302

3D adding
adjusting depth of field 327 blur 264–265
axis 295 text 62–67, 274
camera layers 302 transitions 243–245
cameras 302–303, 319–320 vignettes 192, 265–266
casting shadows 301
extruding text 305–307 Add mask mode 252
features 290–313
lights 298–300 adjustment layers 49, 138, 263, 277
point of interest 300, 304
text 293–295 Adobe After Effects application
views 296–297 compositions 12
installing 2
3D Camera Tracker effect 316–334 optimizing performance in 3
3D layers projects 12
workflow 11
Position properties 187 workspace 10
rotating 187
Rotation properties 295 Adobe After Effects Classroom in a
3D Layer switch 295 Book (2020 Release)
.mogrt files downloading lesson files 4
opening in After Effects 285 prerequisites 2
opening in
Adobe After Effects Help 36
Premiere Pro 287–288
Adobe Audition 142
A
Adobe Bridge
action-safe zones 24 about 41
activating fonts browsing animation
presets in 69
in Adobe Fonts 2, 62–64 importing files with 41
installing 2, 41
navigating folders in 41
opening 41
previewing images in 42
workspaces 42

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 391 

Adobe Character anchor points Increase Tracking 75
Animator 216 adjusting 119 Raining
centering in
Adobe Fonts 2, 62–86 shape layers 92 Characters In 74
Ripple 70
Adobe Illustrator files, animating Slow Fade On 204
importing 45 facial expressions 216 text 69
fill color 104 Typewriter 276
Adobe Media Encoder layers 144–175
creating presets layers to animations
for 383–386 match audio 112 about 22
encoding lighting creating with
presets in 382 149–150, 161–165 Character
installing 2 on a path 127 Animator 216
rendering output opacity 77 duplicating using
with 380–385 position pick whips 151
83–85, 103, 106–107 easing 68
Adobe Photoshop files precomposed linking through
importing 148 layers 136 expressions 154
importing layer styles Puppet tool pins 214 repeating 130
from 153 scale 67, 103
importing text 60–87, animator properties in text
text from 72 72, 81, 233 animator groups 81
layered 147 video with Puppet
tools 213–214 application window 10
Adobe Premiere Pro
Motion Graphics animation presets assets, importing 13
templates in 287 applying 25–26, 50
using with applying from Adobe audio
After Effects 224 Bridge 70 adding tracks 141
Bad TV 3 - weak 277 animating
Adobe Stock 117 browsing in layers to match 112
Adobe Bridge 41, 69 editing files in Adobe
Advanced pins Bullet Train 50 Audition 142
about 206 customizing 70 file formats
animating 212 Dissolve - Vapor 52 supported 141
placing 208 Explosion 2 276
using to animate Fade Out By Audio/Video Switches in
video 213–214 Character 79 the Timeline panel 27
Fade Up Words 25
alpha track mattes. Fly in with a Twist 203 Audition.
See track mattes See Adobe Audition

ambient lights, adding 333 Auto Contrast
effect 19–20
Analyze Forward
button 348 Auto Levels effect 255

392 INDEX 

B Browse Presets changing
command 69 for a shape 93
background, replacing
250–254 Bullet Train keying 220
animation preset 50 mapping 262–263
background strokes,
creating with the Roto C color correction
Brush tool 224–225 about 242
cached frames, using performing 240–269
Bad TV 3 - weak animation Roto Brush tool 226 previewing
preset 277 accurately 244
cameras, adding using
base frames, creating to a 3D scene 302–303 Auto-Levels 255
with the Roto Brush using the
tool 222–223, 227 Casts Shadows Lumetri Color
property 301 effect 248–249
Bend pins
about 206 CC Light Sweep Color Emboss effect 49
animating 212 effect 21–22
placing 208 color
CC Particle Systems II grading 242, 262–263
Bezier curves effect 355–370
breaking direction Color Range
handles for 183 CC Toner 262–263 effect 259–260
in a motion path 128 Center Anchor Point In
in masks 181 Composition
New Shape Layers 92 Navigator bar 23
Bezier masks, creating 184 Channel Blur effect 28–29
Character Animator 216 Composition panel
bicubic scaling 339 Character about 15
splitting into multiple
bilinear sampling 339 panel 25, 47, 65, 294 views 296
checkboxes, adding typing in 65
blending modes
about 191 to Motion Graphics compositions
applying 191 templates 282–284 about 15
for masks 183, 251 child layers 108 adding
Cinema 4D Lite 312–313 footage to 16, 44
blur, adding 264–265. Cineware effect 312 creating 15, 43, 61, 273
See also motion circles, drawing 194 creating from
blur, adding Clone tool 267–268 footage 90
codecs 381 defined 12
Bridge. See Adobe Bridge color fitting layers to 44
brightness, changing importing 13
adjusting color nesting 16
in the user interface 35 balance 245 rendering 54
retiming 165–174
broadcast, preparing animating 104
a movie for 386

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 393 

Composition Settings D duplicating
dialog box 16–17, 43 animations 130
default preferences 3, 11 animations using pick
compression 381 deforming video with whips 151
Content-Aware objects
Puppet tools 213–214 in a scene 267–268
Fill 349–353 Deform pins. shape layers 95
Convert To Editable Text videos 132
See Position pins
command 24, 73, 203 Density value duration
Convert Vertex about 26
for Puppet tools 210 changing 196
tool 181–182 dependencies,
copying layers 125 E
Corner Pin effect 159–160 finding missing 14
Create Nulls From Paths depth of field, Easy Ease
adding 68
panel 109–110 adjusting 327–328 in the
Create Text And Camera Directional Blur effect 134 Graph Editor 369
direction handles,
command 320 editing
creating breaking 183 masks 180
Dissolve-Ripple effect 333 Premiere Pro clips in
compositions Dissolve - Vapor After Effects 224
15, 43, 61 segmentation
animation preset 52 boundaries
shape distortions, 225–226
layers 88, 345–346 text 24, 46–47, 73
rolling shutter 318
text 46 docking panels 10 Effect Controls panel
Creative Cloud Libraries downloading lesson files 4 about 48
drawing hiding properties in 22
about 117
sharing Motion circles 360 effects
custom shapes 98 about 18
Graphics templates ellipses 193 applying 49, 133
in 285–286 rounded Auto Contrast 19–20
current-time indicator 27 Auto Levels 255
curves, in the Lumetri rectangles 99 CC Light Sweep 21–22
Color effect 249 shapes 91 CC Particle Systems II
customizing stars 92 355–370
brightness of the user with the Channel Blur 28–29
interface 35 Color Emboss 49
workspaces 34 Pen tool 98, 105 Color Range 259–260
custom shapes, drift,
drawing 98–99
Custom View 1, in motion tracking 349
in 3D views 297 dropdown menus,

394 INDEX creating 279
Drop Shadow effect 48
drop zone 10

 

controlling 49 exporting templates fonts
Corner Pin 159–160 from 285–286 finding missing 14
Directional Blur 134 installing from Adobe
Dissolve-Ripple 333 grouping Fonts 2, 62–65
Dissolve - Vapor properties in 281 selecting 65

animation in Premiere Pro 287 footage
preset 52–53 organizing 281 about 13
Drop Shadow 48 viewing supported finding missing 14
Fade Up Words 26 importing 12, 14, 146
finding 20 properties 280 tracking 318
Fractal Noise 134 using Adobe Bridge to
Gaussian Essential Graphics import 41
Blur 264, 359 workspace 278
Glow 234 foreground strokes,
Hue/Saturation 232 exporting creating with the
Lens Flare 363 Motion Graphics Roto Brush tool 222–223
missing 14 templates 285–286
motion blur 85 movies with Adobe Fractal Noise effect 134
Ramp 362 Media Encoder
Refine Hard 380–386 freezing Roto Brush tool
Matte 229 results 231
Refine Soft Matte 229 expressions 154, 268
Timewarp 365
Wave Warp 138 extruding text 305–312

Effects & Presets F G
panel 19, 20
face tracking 237 Gaussian Blur
Ellipse tool Fade Out By Character effect 264, 359
creating a vignette
with 193 animation preset 79 Glow effect 234
using to create Fade Up Words animation gradient fills 93
a mask 194, 360 Graph Editor
preset 26
encoding presets in Adobe feathering masks 189 about 168
Media Encoder 382 fills 93 using to remap time
filtering in Adobe Fonts 63
Essential Graphics panel finding missing footage, 169–173, 369
about 272, 278 grids
adding checkboxes fonts, or effects 14
to 282–284 Fit To Comp command 44 displaying
adding properties Fit To Comp Width and hiding 47, 67
to 279–284
editing command 66 snapping to 67
source text in 279 Fly in with a Twist ground planes,

animation preset 203 creating with 3D Camera
Tracker effect 319
grouping properties
in the Essential Graphics
panel 281
guides, showing 47

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 395 

H installing expanding in the
After Effects 2 Timeline panel 19
HDR (high dynamic range) fonts 62–64
footage 365 fitting to
interpolation between compositions 44
hiding properties 22 keyframes 28
Home key 25 importing in
Home window 11, 36 J Photoshop files 148
Horizontal Type
JavaScript light, 3D 298–300
tool 24, 46, 75 in expressions 154 locking 202
Hue/Saturation effect 232 making visible in the
K
I Timeline panel 30
keyboard shortcuts 388 naming in
Illustrator files, keyframes
importing 45–46 Photoshop 148
about 28, 29 naming text layers 47
images, adding to 3D adding 125 nesting 51
scenes with 3D Camera keying parenting
Tracker 326 about 220
with Color Range 107, 108, 121
importing precomposing
files from effect 259–260
Adobe Bridge 42 with Keylight 1.2 51, 97–98, 123, 264
footage rearranging in the
12, 13, 14, 41, 146 effect 252–254
layered Illustrator Keylight 1.2 effect 252–254 Timeline panel 18
files 45–46 renaming 73
layered Photoshop L scaling 204
files as compositions setting In points
13, 23, 146–148 layer features, used when
multiple files 13 snapping 100 for 139
Photoshop shape 88–113, 91
files 13, 72, 148 layers snapping 99
text 72–73 about 15, 17 solid 134
adjustment 138 text 62
Increase Tracking animating Transform
animation preset 75 144, 144–175
animating to properties 18–19
Increment And Save match audio 112 trimming 138, 277
command 233–234 child 108, 121
converting layer styles 153
Info panel 13 to 3D layers 297
In points, copying 125 Layer switches in the
Timeline panel 27
setting 27, 139, 194
learning resources for
396 INDEX Adobe After Effects 6

Learn panel 36

Lens Flare effect 363

lesson files, downloading 4

 

Levels (Individual modifying with the missing fonts,
Controls) effect 246 Convert Vertex effects, or footage 14
tool 181
Libraries panel 117 mobile devices, preparing
lighting, properties, compositions for 378
displaying 181
simulating changes Mocha AE plug-in 353
in 149–150, 161–165 replacing
lights content of 186 modes, mask 183

adding to a segments 178 motion blur,
3D scene 298–300 tips for creating 195 adding 85, 158
tracking 250
point 332 vertices 178 Motion Graphics templates
Light Settings working with 176 about 272
creating 270–289
dialog box 299 mask tracker exporting 285–286
linked assets 14 250–251, 258–259 making source text
linking animations editable in 279
master properties 282 opening in After
through expressions 154 Effects 285
locking layers 202 Material Options providing image
Lumetri Color properties 295, 301 options in 282–284
sharing 272
effect 248–249 mattes specifying master
about 220 compositions
M adjusting with the for 278
Refine Edge tool using in
Mask Expansion 229–230 Premiere Pro 287
setting 252 screen 254
track 154–157, 157 motion paths,
Mask Feather tool 189 traveling 157 customizing 127
mask modes 251–252 viewing against
masks black 225 Motion Source 346
viewing with red
about 178 overlay 225 Motion Target 346
Bezier 181, 184
creating 351–352 Maxon Cinema motion tracking
creating with the Pen 4D Lite 312–313 analyzing and
applying 348
tool 161–162, 180 Media Encoder. managing drift
curved 181 See Adobe Media Encoder when 349
drawing with single-point 343–349
meshes using track points
shape tools 194 adjusting the 255–257, 261–262
editing 180 Density value 210
feathering 189 changing
inverting 181 the color of 209
modes for 183 used with
Puppet tools 206

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 397 

N P positioning objects using
ruler guides 47
navigating folders Pan Behind tool 120
in Adobe Bridge 41 Position pins
panels adding 206–208
nesting compositions 16, 51 docking and animating 212
New Composition arranging 10
maximizing 12 Position property
button 273 menus 27 displaying in the
New Composition from Timeline panel 19
panning with touch for a 3D layer 187
Footage button 90 gestures 186
NTSC D1 preset 43 Pre-compose
null objects Paragraph panel 66 dialog box 51, 123

about 109 paragraph text 62 precomposed layers,
creating from animating 136
parenting
paths 109–110 about 108 precomposing layers
layers 107, 121 51, 52, 97–98, 123,
O layers to null 165–166, 264
objects 109–110
opacity preferences
animating 77 particle systems, Center Anchor Point
modifying 53 creating 355–370 In New Shape
Layers 92
Opacity property, path operations location of files 3
displaying 29 about 102 restoring defaults 3
Pucker & Bloat 102 restoring defaults in
optimizing performance Wiggle Paths 93 Windows 11
in After Effects 3, 32
Pen tool 98, 105, 180 Premiere Pro.
Out point 27 See Adobe Premiere Pro
output modules in the performance,
optimizing 3, 32 presets
Render Queue panel 55 browsing in Adobe
outputting Photoshop. Bridge 69
See Adobe Photoshop files creating for
projects 372–387 Adobe Media
overlap, defining pick whip 151 Encoder 383–386
finding 20
areas of 210 pixel aspect ratio 386
Overlap pins 206 previewing
overscan 24 point of interest compositions 30
for a 3D light 300 images in Adobe
for a camera Bridge 42
layer 304 manually 51

point text 65

position, animating
83, 103, 106–107

398 INDEX 

Preview panel Puppet tools rendering
in Adobe Bridge 42 about 205 compositions 54
in After Effects 30 distorting objects for mobile
with 198–217 devices 378
Project panel recording animation movies 372–387
about 14 with 214 templates 379
opening 54 using the mesh 206 using compression
in 381
projects Q using the
about 12 Render Queue
saving 15 QuickTime panel 236, 375–381
required version 2 with Adobe Media
properties Encoder 380–385
displaying R
multiple 125 Render Queue panel 54,
grouping Raining Characters In 236, 379–386
in the Essential animation preset 74
Graphics panel 281 Render Settings options 55
hiding 22 Ramp effect 362
Rectangle tool 194 render-settings templates
Pucker & Bloat 102–103 red overlay in matte 379–383

Puppet Advanced Pin tool preview 225 replacing content
about 206 Reduce Chatter value 229 using a mask 186
using 208–209 Refine Edge tool 229–230
Refine Hard Matte replacing objects
Puppet Bend Pin tool with content-aware
about 206 effect 229 fill 349–353
using 208 Refine Soft Matte
resizing layers 204
Puppet Overlap Pin tool effect 229
about 206 reflections, adding 188 resources for using
using 210 remap-time marker in the After Effects 36

Puppet Position Pin Source Time ruler 168 Responsive
tool 206 removing objects from Design - Time 284–285

Puppet Sketch footage 349–353 restoring default
tool 214–215 Renderer options in the preferences 3, 11

Puppet Starch Pin tool Cineware effect 312 retiming compositions
about 206 165–174, 365
using 211
Ripple animation preset 70
puppet tool
pins 206–207, 208–210 rolling shutter distortions,
repairing 318

rotating 3D layers 187

Roto Brush &
Refine Edge effect 228

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 399 

Roto Brush tool separating solid layers
creating background background from creating 134
strokes 224–225 foreground 220–239 using to create
creating foreground particle systems 356
strokes 222–223 Sequence Layers using with 3D Camera
freezing results 230 option 245 Tracker 326–327
refining a
segmentation shadow catcher 332 Solo Supported Properties
boundary 225–226 in the Essential Graphics
using 218–239 shadows panel 280
adding to a 3D
rotoscoping 220 scene 301 sorting fonts in
Rounded Rectangle tool 99 creating with the 3D Adobe Fonts 63
rulers, showing 47 Camera Tracker
effect 331 Source Text property 279
S Source Time ruler in
shape layers
safe zones 24 about 88, 90 time remapping 168
sample text, using in adding 91 span, extending for
applying fills
Adobe Fonts 63 and strokes to 93 Roto Brush tool 226
sampling algorithms 339 centering anchor Specular Intensity 301
saving projects 15 points in 92 Specular Shininess 302
scale creating 91, 345–346 splitting the
duplicating 95
animating 67, 103 Composition panel
modifying 204 shapes into multiple views 296
screen matte 254 custom 98–99 squares, drawing 194
segmentation boundary drawing 91, 98 squash and stretch
about 222 self-animating 93 animation 211
creating 222–225 stacked panels 10
refining 225 shortening layers 139, 196 Starch pins
segments in a mask 178
selectors in text animator Shutter Angle 158 about 206
groups 81 adding 211
Select View Layout Shutter Phase 158 Star tool 92
pop-up menu 296 Stock images
Slow Fade On in Libraries panel 117
animation preset 204 strokes 93
Subtract mask mode 252
snapping Sync Selected Fonts 64
about 100
layers 99–103
temporarily
enabling 101

Snap to Grid command 67

400 INDEX 

T positioning 66 Toggle Transparency Grid
text animator button 231
templates for
rendering 379–383 groups 80 tools
about 25
templates, Motion text layers Clone Stamp 267–268
Graphics 278 converting to drawing 91
editable 203 Ellipse 194
text naming 47 Mask Feather 189
adding 62–67, 274 Pan Behind 120
animating time Puppet 205
60–87, 72, 74, 81, current-time field 27 Rectangle 194
233–235, 274–276 current-time
animating tracking indicator 27 Tools panel 25
in 75 duration 26
animation presets protecting touch gestures 186
for 25–26, 69 duration 284–285
centering 294 Track Camera
converting to timecode 26 command 319
editable 23–24, 73
creating 46 time graph 27 Tracker panel 251, 256
creating 3D 293–295
editing 24, 47, 73 time-lapse simulation, tracking
editing imported 203 creating 165 animating for text 75
entering in the faces 237
Composition Timeline panel masks
panel 65 about 27 258–259, 351–352
extruding 305–307 expanding motion 261–262
formatting layers in 19 using Mocha AE 353
65, 234, 274 renaming layers in 73
imported from tracking motion
Photoshop 72 Time Remap single-point 343–349
layers 62 keyframes 169 using the 3D Camera
making editable in Tracker 318–319
Motion Graphics Time Remapping 167–171
templates 279 tracking points for
point 65 time ruler 27 3D Camera Tracker 319

Timewarp effect 365–370 tracking presets 76

title-safe zones 24 track mattes 154–157

Toggle Alpha Boundary Track Motion 256
button 225
track points 256–257
Toggle Alpha button 225 moving and
resizing 347
Toggle Alpha Overlay positioning 346–348
button 225

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 401 

Track Selected Masks V workflow 11
Backward button 251 workspaces
vertices
Transform properties 19 converting 181 about 10
transitions, in a mask 178 customizing 10, 34
Essential Graphics 278
adding 243–245 video in Adobe Bridge 42
transparency 53. animating with Puppet Learn 36
tools 213–214 predefined 33
See also opacity duplicating in a
traveling mattes 157 timeline 132 X
trimming
Video switch 30, 52 x axis in the 3D axis 295
layers 138, 277 views, 3D 296
the work area 196 vignettes, adding 192, 265 Y
type, editing 24
Typewriter animation W y axis in the 3D axis 295
preset 276
Warp Stabilizer Z
U VFX 338–343
z axis in the 3D axis 293, 295
U key 74 Wave Warp effect 138 zooming with touch
undocking panels 10 Web Edition 4
Use Dimensions From white balance, gestures 186

menu 16 adjusting with the
User Interface Colors 35 Lumetri Color effect 248
user interface 10 Wiggle Paths 94
work area

brackets 27
introduction to 10
trimming in the

Timeline panel 196

 402 INDEX

Production Notes        

Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (2020 release) was created electronically using
Adobe InDesign. Art was produced using Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and
Adobe Photoshop.
References to company names in the lessons are for demonstration purposes only
and are not intended to refer to any actual organization or person.
Typefaces used
Adobe Myriad Pro and Adobe Warnock Pro as well as other Adobe typefaces are
used throughout the lessons. For more information about OpenType and Adobe fonts,
visit www.adobe.com/type/opentype.
Team credits
The following individuals contributed to the development of Adobe After Effects
Classroom in a Book (2020 release):

• Writer: Brie Gyncild
• Illustrator and Compositor: Lisa Fridsma
• Copyeditor and Proofreader: Wendy Katz
• Indexer: Brie Gyncild
• Keystroker: Megan Ahearn
• Interior design: Mimi Heft
• Lesson Designer: Lisa Fridsma, Brie Gyncild
• Adobe Press Executive Editor: Laura Norman
• Adobe Press Production Editor: Tracey Croom

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 403

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 Contributors

Lee Daniels—Lee is a freelance animator, illustrator, and motion graphics artist
working from his home studio in South London. Following a career in magazine
design and image retouch, Lee has spent the last 10 years producing bespoke
animation and visual effects for a wide range of international corporate, TV, and
new media clients including Channel 4, Discovery US, National Geographic, Mirror
Group, Exxon Mobile, and Cancer Research. Recently, he has worked on several
newly commissioned UK TV shows for the 4oD short-form comedy platform. He
generously shares tips & tricks in After Effects animation with the growing sub-
scriber community on his LeeDanielsART YouTube channel. See more of his work
at leedanielsart.com.
Stephen Schleicher—Traveling from Kansas to Georgia to California, Stephen has
worked as an editor, graphic designer, videographer, director, and producer on a
variety of small and large video productions. Currently, Stephen teaches media and
web development at Fort Hays State University. He also works on video and indepen-
dent projects for state and local agencies and organizations, as well as his own works.
Stephen is a regular contributor to Digital Media Net (www.digitalmedianet.com).
Special Thanks
We offer our sincere thanks to Victoria Nece for her support and help with this
project. We couldn’t have done it without you!

ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS CLASSROOM IN A BOOK (2020 RELEASE) 405

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