MARSHALL & SAEED If After Effects 5 can do it, you can do it too . . . After Effects 5 is a major upgrade that brings many new features to Adobe’s powerful motion graphics software. This essential reference and tutorial tells you everything you need to know to create virtually any special effect you can imagine for film, video, multimedia, and the Web, with extensive coverage of new enhancements. Whether you’re a motion graphics novice or a feature film professional, this is the only book you’ll need to produce high-quality, low-cost digital effects. Inside, you’ll find complete coverage of After Effects 5 • Get up to speed fast with a Quick Start guide to animating and special effects • Learn about new features for 3D compositing, parenting, expressions, and more • Unleash powerful new special effects tools • Learn how to enhance your designs with typography • Sharpen and expand your animation skills • Import and work with media from virtually any source • Integrate After Effects into your digital video production workflow • Prepare your work for rendering in any format or medium Shelving Category: Digital Video Reader Level: Beginning to Advanced System Requirements: PC running Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Windows NT 4 or later; Power Macintosh running OS 9.1, 9.2.1 or MacOS X version 10.1; DVD-ROM drive. See the “What’s on the DVD-ROM” appendix for details and complete system requirements. ISBN 0-7645-3655-9 $49.99 USA $74.99 Canada £39.99 UK incl. VAT After Effects 5 After Effects 5 Transform your PC into a professional motion graphics studio Produce stunning effects for film, video, multimedia, and the Web Master powerful new features like 3D compositing and vector paint tools A fter Effects 5 J. J. Marshall and Zed Saeed “Precise, comprehensive, and friendly. A perfect reference for the beginner and, indeed, the experienced user. I thoroughly recommend it.” — Alan F. Hamill, Digital Video Specialist, Adobe Systems ,!7IA7G4-fdgffh!:p;o;t;T;T Software and stock footage on DVD-ROM BONUS DVD-ROM High-quality stock footage, plug-ins, tutorials from the book, and more www.hungryminds.com 100% ONE HUNDRED PERCENT COMPREHENSIVE AUTHORITATIVE WHAT YOU NEED ONE HUNDRED PERCENT Use motion to design with text Improve the color balance and contrast of your footage Loaded DVD-ROM • High-quality stock footage • Trapcode’s Shine and 3D Stroke demo versions • CineLook Broadcast, CineMotion, and Cyclonist demo versions from DigiEffects • After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere, and Illustrator tryout versions by Adobe Systems Incorporated • Eye Candy demo version by Alien Skin Software A fter Effects 5 Bible Includes new information on After Effects 5.5 *85555-BADAIf 100% COMPREHENSIVE ® ® ® ® Enter the 3rd Dimension! Find out how After Effects implements 3D 3655-9 cover 3/20/02 9:30 AM Page 1 After Effects ® 5 Bible 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page i 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page ii After Effects ® 5 Bible J. J. Marshall and Zed Saeed Best-Selling Books • Digital Downloads • e-Books • Answer Networks • e-Newsletters • Branded Web Sites • e-Learning New York, NY✦ Cleveland, OH ✦ Indianapolis, IN 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page iii LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK. THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES WHICH EXTEND BEYOND THE DESCRIPTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS PARAGRAPH. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN AND THE OPINIONS STATED HEREIN ARE NOT GUARANTEED OR WARRANTED TO PRODUCE ANY PARTICULAR RESULTS, AND THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES. FULFILLMENT OF EACH COUPON OFFER IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR. After Effects ® 5 Bible Published by Hungry Minds, Inc. 909 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 www.hungryminds.com Copyright © 2002 Hungry Minds, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Control Number: 2002100342 ISBN: 0-7645-3655-9 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1B/ST/QU/QS/IN Distributed in the United States by Hungry Minds, Inc. Distributed by CDG Books Canada Inc. for Canada; by Transworld Publishers Limited in the United Kingdom; by IDG Norge Books for Norway; by IDG Sweden Books for Sweden; by IDG Books Australia Publishing Corporation Pty. Ltd. for Australia and New Zealand; by TransQuest Publishers Pte Ltd. for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Hong Kong; by Gotop Information Inc. for Taiwan; by ICG Muse, Inc. for Japan; by Intersoft for South Africa; by Eyrolles for France; by International Thomson Publishing for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; by Distribuidora Cuspide for Argentina; by LR International for Brazil; by Galileo Libros for Chile; by Ediciones ZETA S.C.R. 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For information on licensing foreign or domestic rights, please contact our Sub-Rights Customer Care department at 212-884-5000. For information on using Hungry Minds’ products and services in the classroom or for ordering examination copies, please contact our Educational Sales department at 800-434-2086 or fax 317-572-4005. For press review copies, author interviews, or other publicity information, please contact our Public Relations department at 317-572-3168 or fax 317-572-4168. For authorization to photocopy items for corporate, personal, or educational use, please contact Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, or fax 978-750-4470. Trademarks: Hungry Minds and the Hungry Minds logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Hungry Minds in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission. After Effects is a trademark or registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Hungry Minds, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. is a trademark of Hungry Minds, Inc. 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page iv About the Authors J. J. Marshall is a born and bred resident of New York City and makes his living there as a broadcast designer and a digital video consultant. Most recently, he assisted in developing a nationwide broadband news-on-demand network called The FeedRoom. Prior to that, he helped introduce Oxygen Media to the joys of Final Cut Pro and After Effects while editing a weekly two-hour show. In addition, his past efforts have included freelance projects for the New York New Media Association (NYNMA), Liz Claiborne, NetShoot, and the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University, as well as independent documentary productions that have aired on PBS. Teaching credits include courses in digital video at open-I Media and the School of Visual Arts (SVA). While writing this book, he served as a beta tester on the latest version of After Effects. A self-proclaimed refugee from the world of theater, J. J. has long been creating data-driven art in one form or another. Zed Saeed lives and works in New York City as a freelance digital-media consultant specializing in editing, compositing, and workflow issues. Zed served as a senior post- production consultant for Apple Computer and Oxygen Media on Final Cut Pro and digital-video workflow design and has worked with Media 100 and Adobe Systems on video-related products. He has also worked as an editor, producer, compositing artist, and broadcast designer at Showtime Channels, Sundance Channel, and ESPN Classics. Zed has written articles on digital media technologies for magazines and has served on the faculty of NYU Graduate School, Parsons School of Design, and New School University. Zed has written, produced, and edited videos that have received awards and recognition by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the American Film Institute. Zed is also the author of Final Cut Pro 2 Bible. 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page v Credits Acquisitions Editor Tom Heine Project Editor Melba Hopper Technical Editor Alan Hamill Copy Editor Jerelind Charles Editorial Manager Rev Mengle Permissions Editor Laura Moss Media Development Specialist Angela Denny Project Coordinator Regina Snyder Graphics and Production Specialists Beth Brooks Melanie DesJardins Joyce Haughey Gabriele McCann Laurie Petrone Betty Schulte Jacque Schneider Jeremey Unger Quality Control Technician Laura Albert Andy Hollandbeck Charles Spencer Proofreading and Indexing TECHBOOKS Production Services 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page vi No lake so still but that it has its wave; No circle so perfect but that it has its blur. I would change things for you if I could; As I can’t, you must take them as they are. -Han Fei Tzu, noted Chinese Realist 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page vii 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page viii Foreword It was once said of science that the more we know, the less we know; or to quote Shakespeare, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” A rather strange statement indeed when applied to the subject matter of this book, a software application called Adobe After Effects. However, in the six years that I’ve been using and teaching the application, this often describes the way I feel. Because every day I’m learning some new technique, some unique design concept, a differ- ent method of expressing a creative impulse, of communicating a point via ani- mated graphics. . . . One can never know it all. At my seminars, I amuse the audience when someone raises a hand and asks, “Can After Effects do . . . ?” and before they continue, I preempt the questioner by saying, “Yes. It can!” And that isn’t far from the truth, because almost any visual concept you can imagine can be implemented in After Effects. Go watch a major movie. After Effects was probably used in the production. Check out TV commercials—more After Effects. From something as subtle as changing the color of an actor’s hair to elaborately conceived spaceship battles in far-off galaxies; from creating animated graphics for display on a Web page to polishing up the latest entry to Sundance. Power, flexibility, precision, grace. After Effects exhibits all these characteristics, and more. But what about the human element and the interface between imagination and implementation? How do you get to that stage? How do you become expert (or expert enough)? Some learn by example, others by rote. Efficient learning, though, comes through comprehension and practice, then adaptation and improvement. If you see something, you’ll remember some of it, but if you see and do, your mind and body develop a synergy of understanding. Which brings us to the ideal teaching process—this book. Instruction and example are all rolled up into the After Effects 5 Bible, which combines meticulous text with practical examples provided on the DVD-ROM. I consider this to be one of the best After Effects books I’ve seen. Why so, especially? Well, for me, it is J. J. and Zed’s specific approach. Just the right amount of instructional gravitas balanced with a 013655-9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page ix [...]... 53 9 54 0 54 2 54 4 54 5 54 7 54 7 55 1 55 2 55 5 55 5 55 6 55 6 55 8 56 0 56 0 56 2 Chapter 19: Keying and Knockouts 56 5 Finding the Key Navigating bluescreens, greenscreens, and spill Working with the keying filters Using the... 51 2 51 3 51 4 51 7 51 8 52 1 52 3 52 5 52 6 52 6 52 7 52 8 xxix 013 655 -9 FM.F xxx 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page xxx After Effects 5 Bible Using the Displacement Map effect (PB only) Using the Mesh Warp effect (PB only) Using the Optics Compensation effect (PB only) ... 487 488 489 489 490 490 491 492 493 494 4 95 4 95 496 497 498 498 50 0 50 1 50 2 50 2 50 3 50 4 50 4 50 5 50 6 50 7 50 7 50 8 50 9 Chapter 17: Warping and Morphing Matter 51 1 Warping on a Budget Using the Mirror effect Using the Offset effect Using the Polar Coordinates effect Using the Photoshop Distortion effects Using the Smear effect Using the... Suppressor effect (PB only) Working with the Matte Tools effects (PB only) 56 6 56 6 56 7 56 7 57 0 57 1 57 4 57 6 57 7 57 8 58 0 58 1 58 2 Chapter 20: Vector Painting 58 5 Understanding Vector Painting Understanding the...013 655 -9 FM.F x 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page x After Effects 5 Bible gentle sense of humor Indeed, akin to a fine gourmet meal, let this reference educate and satisfy, until you, too, develop the means to express through art, with the After Effects 5 Bible providing your guidance Alan Hamill Dana Point, CA March 2002 013 655 -9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page xi Preface W hile it’s easy to learn, After Effects. .. 389 423 457 487 51 1 53 9 56 5 58 5 013 655 -9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page xxi Part V: Aiming Higher: Advanced Techniques 603 Chapter 21: Working with Text Within After Effects Chapter 22: Working with Text Outside After Effects Chapter 23: Putting Math in Motion: Using Motion Math Scripts Chapter 24: Adding the Third Dimension to Your Design Chapter 25: Adding Expressions... 223 2 25 226 226 230 236 241 2 45 2 45 248 250 254 255 256 257 258 259 Chapter 8: Building Complex Compositions 263 Introducing Effects Learning how to apply effects Keyframing effects Saving and applying favorites Learning the different layer property... 350 351 353 354 355 356 357 357 359 359 361 362 366 367 368 368 370 Chapter 12: Manipulating Time: Relativity in After Effects 3 75 Time-Stretching a Layer Going backwards Using the time-stretching keyboard shortcuts Frame Blending... 424 424 4 25 430 431 433 434 437 439 439 440 441 4 45 4 45 452 453 454 454 455 Chapter 15: Simulating Natural Physics: Perspective, Light, and Sound 457 Getting Perspective Using Basic 3D Using the Bevel effects Using the Drop Shadow effect ... Photoshop effects for use in After Effects Actually using Photoshop effects in After Effects Using the Glow effect in After Effects (PB only) Using Text as the Basis for Effects 628 632 634 637 641 644 6 45 646 651 Chapter 23: Putting Math in Motion: Using Motion Math Scripts 657 Getting . After Effects 5. 5 * 855 55- BADAIf 100% COMPREHENSIVE ® ® ® ® Enter the 3rd Dimension! Find out how After Effects implements 3D 3 655 -9 cover 3/20/02 9:30 AM Page 1 After Effects ® 5 Bible 013 655 -9. requirements. ISBN 0-76 45- 3 655 -9 $49.99 USA $74.99 Canada £39.99 UK incl. VAT After Effects 5 After Effects 5 Transform your PC into a professional motion graphics studio Produce stunning effects for. art, with the After Effects 5 Bible providing your guidance. Alan Hamill Dana Point, CA March 2002 013 655 -9 FM.F 4/3/02 12:24 PM Page x Preface W hile it’s easy to learn, After Effects takes