Adobe After Effects 5.0- P7 pps

175 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 Classroom in a Book 5 Using the color swatch or eyedropper, select black. Then click OK. Adding and formatting a line of text Now that you have a layer, you can apply the Basic Text effect to it. Using this effect, you’ll create a long line of type and apply simple text formatting. 1 In the Timeline window, select the Text Solid layer and choose Effect > Text > Basic Te xt. 2 In the Basic Text dialog box, set the following options: • In Font, select Myriad. • In Style, select Bold. • Under Direction, select Horizontal, and under Alignment, select Center. 3 Still in the Basic Text dialog box, type the following seven words, adding three spaces after each word to separate them: film video animation web multimedia dvd television Be sure to type three spaces after the word television. 4 Select the text, including all the spaces, and press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Mac OS) to copy the text. 5 Move the cursor to the end of the text (after the final three spaces) and press Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac OS) to paste the copied text so that you have a total of 14 words. AE_CIB.book Page 175 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM LESSON 5 176 Working with Text and Numbers 6 If you want to preview the font and style before closing the dialog box, select the Show Font option, if it is not already selected. When you are ready to continue, click OK. In the Composition window, a line of red type now appears across the solid layer. If you need to edit the text after you close the Basic Text dialog box, click the underlined word Options in the Effect Controls window, next to the name Basic Text. Then you can make any adjustments to the options. Click OK when you are satisfied with the text appearance. Setting properties for text along a line Next, you’ll apply more changes to the text, adjusting the color and other settings for appearance and placement. You’ll make these changes in the Effect Controls window, which opens as soon as you close the Basic Text dialog box and contains all the Basic Text controls. You won’t change the Position because the default setting (the center of the layer) is what you want to use. 1 In the Effect Controls window for Basic Text, expand Fill and Stroke controls by clicking the small arrow next to the words Fill and Stroke. AE_CIB.book Page 176 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM 177 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 Classroom in a Book 2 In Display Options, select Fill Only. 3 In Fill Color, use the color picker or eyedropper to select white. 4 In Size, scrub or type 20. This is smaller than the default setting, so the text shrinks in the Composition window. 5 In Tracking, scrub or type –40, being careful to include the minus sign. Because the tracking value is negative, the text squeezes together at the center of the layer. As you change settings in the Effect Controls window, After Effects updates the view in the Composition window so that you see the results immediately. Animating the text line by setting keyframes The next task is to animate the Basic Text effect settings so that the type grows outward from the center of the layer. You do this by setting Tracking keyframes in the Effect Controls window, but you’ll examine the resulting keyframes in the Timeline window. As a finishing touch, you’ll apply the Easy Ease In keyframe assistant. This feature slows down the movement of the text as it nears the final Tracking keyframe. 1 With the current-time marker at 0:00, click the Tracking stopwatch in the Effect Controls window to set a keyframe with the current Tracking value. 2 In the Timeline window, select the Text Solid layer and press E to open the effect applied to that layer: Basic Text. Expand the Basic Text properties so that you can see the keyframe for Tracking at 0:00. 3 Press End to move the current-time marker to 1:29. 4 In the Effect Controls window, scrub or type 30 to set Tracking. The type expands to the length of the Text Solid layer. AE_CIB.book Page 177 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM LESSON 5 178 Working with Text and Numbers 5 Press the spacebar or 0 on the numeric keypad to preview the animation. The type grows outward from the center of the layer as the Tracking value increases. 6 In the Timeline window, select the Tracking keyframe at 1:29, making sure that it is the only selected keyframe. Then choose Animation > Keyframe Assistant > Easy Ease In. The keyframe itself changes shape, indicating a change in keyframe interpolation. 7 Preview the animation again. The type now slows down slightly as it reaches its fully expanded state. When you are ready to continue, save the project. If you want to see the results of applying the Easy Ease In, look at the velocity graph in the Timeline window. To do this, expand the Tracking property under Basic Text. By default, the graph is a straight line, representing a constant rate of change. After you use Easy Ease In, the velocity line curves, flattening out as it approaches the second keyframe to indicate deceleration of the Tracking change. For more information about keyframe assistants and keyframe interpolation, see topics listed under “Fine-tuning Animation” in After Effects online Help. AE_CIB.book Page 178 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM 179 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 Classroom in a Book Adjusting opacity Next you’ll set Opacity keyframes to dissolve the text solid in two ways. First, you have the text fade in at the beginning of the animation. Then, as the characters reach full expansion and begin to move off screen, you’ll make them dissolve again and disappear. This creates a smoother animation. 1 With the current-time marker at 0:00 in the Timeline window, select the Text Solid layer and press Shift + T to open Opacity without closing the Basic Text effect properties. 2 For the Opacity value, scrub or type 0 (zero). 3 Click the Opacity stopwatch to set a keyframe. 4 Move the current-time marker to 0:04 and change the Opacity to 100%. You have created a four-frame dissolve. 5 Move the current-time marker to 1:16 and set another 100% Opacity keyframe by clicking the keyframe check box in the A/V Features panel. The Opacity stays at 100% from 0:04 to 1:16. Keyframe check box 6 Press End to move the current-time marker to 1:29, and change Opacity to 0% to create a 14-frame dissolve. 7 Preview the animation. The text now fades up as it begins to expand and fades out as it reaches its full length. When you are ready to continue, save the project. AE_CIB.book Page 179 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM LESSON 5 180 Working with Text and Numbers Adding motion blur To add a finishing touch to this text animation, you’ll turn on the Motion Blur switch for the text layer. Motion blur simulates a realistic camera blur based on a shutter angle (set on the Advanced tab of the Composition Settings dialog box) and the speed of the moving layer. As you work, you can use the Enable Motion Blur button (the button on the right of the group of five buttons above the panels in the Timeline window) to make the results visible in Composition window previews. However, leaving this option selected can dramatically slow down After Effects performance, so it’s best to deselect this button after you preview. 1 In the Timeline window, select the Text Solid layer. 2 Click the Switches/Modes bar to open the Switches panel if it is not already open, and select the Motion Blur switch. A checkmark appears, indicating that motion blur will be applied to the layer when you render this composition. Motion Blur switch AE_CIB.book Page 180 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM 181 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 Classroom in a Book 3 Select the Enable Motion Blur button to display the motion blur in the Composition window. Enable Motion Blur button 4 Preview the animation, using Best quality, Full resolution, and 100% magnification, if possible—even if this means you see only a small part of the composition. The motion blur is not visible in the Composition window at lower quality or resolution settings. 5 Deselect the Enable Motion Blur button and save the project. Motion blur is especially helpful to the appearance of this element because the text layer is moving so quickly. As you set up the rendering process, you’ll choose the appropriate settings for the motion blur. Rendering the text line element You have finished building the first text element, so it’s time to render the composition. This render takes only a few seconds on most systems. 1 Close the Composition, Timeline, and Effect Controls windows for the Text Line Comp. 2 In the Project window, select the Text Line Comp, and then choose Composition > Make Movie. 3 In the Output Movie To dialog box, type TextLine.mov as the name and specify the _mov folder in the AE_CIB job folder. Then click Save. 4 In the Render Queue, click the underlined words Current Settings to open the Render Settings dialog box, and then set the following options: • In Quality, select Best. AE_CIB.book Page 181 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM LESSON 5 182 Working with Text and Numbers • In Resolution, select Full. • In Time Span, select Length of Comp. • Under Time Sampling, in Motion Blur, select On For Checked Layers to render motion blur for any layers with checkmarks for the Motion Blur switch. 5 Click OK to return to the Render Queue. 6 In the Output Module pop-up menu, select Custom to open the Output Module Settings dialog box, and then set the following options: • In Format, select QuickTime Movie. • Select Import into Project When Done. • Click Format Options. 7 In the Compression Settings dialog box, select Animation and Millions of Colors+. Make sure that the slider is set to Best, and then click OK. 8 In the Output Module Settings dialog box, review the settings: Channels is now set to RGB + Alpha, indicating that this item will be rendered with an alpha channel. Depth is set to Millions of Colors+, and Color is set as Premultiplied (Matted). When you are ready to continue, click OK. 9 Save the project one more time, and then click Render. When the render is complete, close the Render Queue and double-click TextLine.mov in the Project window to view the rendered movie. AE_CIB.book Page 182 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM 183 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 Classroom in a Book Because this element is so wide, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you double- click the movie to open it in the After Effects Player window rather than the QuickTime Player window. Then you can use the magnification controls to resize the window to fit your screen. If you need to make any changes, reopen the Text Line Comp and make those adjust- ments. Remember to save those changes and render the composition again, using the same render settings. Creating the second element: text circles The next element is the circular text element you previewed in the TextCircle_final.mov sample movie. This element is made up of three rings of text that expand, rotate, and then fade into dots. You’ll create this element using several solid layers and the Path Text effect. Yo u’ll do the entire composition without any source files, so you don’t need to import anything. Building the composition The first step in building this element is to create a new composition. 1 In the Project window, click the New Composition icon (). 2 In the Composition Settings dialog box, type Text Circle Comp to name the compo- sition. 3 In both Width and Height, type 800. 4 In Pixel Aspect Ratio, select Square Pixels. 5 In Frame Rate, type 29.97. 6 (Optional) In Resolution, select Half or lower, as needed for your system. AE_CIB.book Page 183 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM LESSON 5 184 Working with Text and Numbers 7 In Duration, type 500 to specify five seconds, and then click OK. Creating a solid for circle text Next you’ll create a new black solid layer. 1 With the current-time marker at 0:00, choose Layer > New > Solid. 2 In the Solid Settings dialog box, type Circle Text Solid to name the solid. 3 Click Make Comp Size to automatically set the Width and Height at 800. 4 Use the color swatch or the eyedropper to select black, if necessary. Then click OK. The layer appears as a black square in the Composition window frame, and is listed as Circle Text Solid in the Timeline window layer stack. AE_CIB.book Page 184 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM [...]... within After Effects so you don’t need to import any source files Building the composition You start by creating a new composition 1 Choose Composition > New Composition AE_CIB.book Page 193 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 193 Classroom in a Book 2 In the Composition Settings dialog box, type Numbers Comp to name the composition 3 In Preset, select NTSC D1 Square Pix, 720 x 540 After. .. Page 187 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 187 Classroom in a Book 3 Click the stopwatches for Size and for Tracking to set keyframes 4 Move the current-time marker to 2:15 5 In the Effect Controls window, scrub or type to set Size at 21 and Tracking at 18 The type appears larger and evenly spaced (tracked) along the circular path After Effects creates a second pair of Size and... project Now you should see three animated rings of text that expand in succession and then speed up as they shrink into dots For more information on the Path Text effect, see After Effects online Help and the Effects. pdf file on your After Effects 5.0 applications CD Applying motion blur to all text circle layers You’ll apply motion blur to these layers, as you did for the Text Line element earlier in this... Options select Fill Only 8 In Fill Color, select white, using either the eyedropper or the color picker For more information about Path Text controls, see “Path Text” in After Effects online Help and the effects PDF files on the After Effects application CD Animating the text circle by setting keyframes Next, you’ll animate the size and spacing of the text by setting Size and Tracking keyframes 1 Move... 1000 3 In Tracking, scrub or type 86 AE_CIB.book Page 195 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 195 Classroom in a Book 4 Make sure that Proportional Spacing is selected Note: The number characters are very large at this point and may not be visible in the Composition window They will reappear after you do more work with the numbers Animating the numbers by setting keyframes You’ll... Expression AE_CIB.book Page 197 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 197 Classroom in a Book 4 In the Timeline window, drag from the Blurriness pick whip ( ) to the Numbers effect Size value When the dark rectangle appears around the word Size, release the mouse button The expression appears under the timeline with an active cursor after the final parenthesis 5 Being careful not to leave... using one of the methods described in step 2 Text layer In points You have three text layers that enter the composition at 15-frame intervals AE_CIB.book Page 189 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 189 Classroom in a Book Changing the Path Text keyframes Currently, the three layers are positioned directly on top of one another in the composition Now, you’ll separate the layers in...AE_CIB.book Page 185 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 185 Classroom in a Book Adding and formatting circle text Applying the Path Text effect to the Circle Text Solid is similar to the work you did with the text lines element: You’ll enter... The motion blur is not visible at lower quality and resolution settings 5 Deselect the Enable Motion Blur button, and then save the project AE_CIB.book Page 191 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 191 Classroom in a Book Rendering the Text Circle Comp The element is complete and ready for rendering On most systems, this rendering takes only a few minutes 1 Close the Composition,... controls appear under each layer All of the layer keyframes also appear and are at the same time positions because these layers are duplicates AE_CIB.book Page 199 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0 199 Classroom in a Book 3 For Layer 2, draw a marquee around one pair of the Size and Tracking keyframes and drag them to another point on the timeline It doesn’t matter which pair of . PM 193 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5. 0 Classroom in a Book 2 In the Composition Settings dialog box, type Numbers Comp to name the compo- sition. 3 In Preset, select NTSC D1 Square Pix, 720 x 54 0. After Effects. topics listed under “Fine-tuning Animation” in After Effects online Help. AE_CIB.book Page 178 Monday, October 8, 2001 12:08 PM 179 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5. 0 Classroom in a Book Adjusting opacity Next. 12:08 PM 183 ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5. 0 Classroom in a Book Because this element is so wide, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you double- click the movie to open it in the After Effects Player