After Effects, Animation Day 2

Objectives

  • Reinforce learning objectives from Day 1 through review and practice
  • Learn how to create and use shape layers
  • Understand and apply anchor points and parenting to layers
  • NOTE FOR FUTURE SAGE: Currently, parenting is only introduced on day 2. At some point the curriculum needs to be revised so that this concept is applied at least one other time to help students remember it.

Link to files: https://files.learnsoftware.org/after-effects-animation/

Outline

See Day 2 files for examples of the finished projects

Introduction

  • Take some time to address questions or walk through a couple of concepts that students might be having trouble understanding (e.g. how keyframes work, layers, X-Y coordinates, etc.)

—–First Project (Pong)—–

Create a new composition

  • 5 seconds long
  • 30 frames per second
  • black background

Shape Layers

  • Create a Paddle using the Rectangle Tool
    • Rename the shaper layer
    • Can change the fill and stroke (and stroke width)
    • Move it to one end of the composition and duplicate it for the other side
  • Created the ball by making a smaller shape (either a square or circle)

Review Keyframe Animation

  • Use keyframes to animate the position of the pong and paddles
  • IMPORTANT: If the ball curves when changing direction, make sure to set the keyframe interpolation of the ball to Linear.
    • Select keyframes -> right click -> keyframe interpolation -> set Spatial Interpolation to Linear

—–Second Project (Solar System)—–

Create a new composition

  • 10 seconds long
  • 30 frames a second
  • 1080×1080 (Square)
  • Black background

Anchor Points

  • Create Two circles with the Ellipse tool: one large (our sun), one smaller (our planet)
    • Hold shift for proportional scaling
    • Can use the tools in the Align panel to center the large circle
  • Position anchor point of the planet to the center of the sun
    • Use Pan Behind tool (keyboard shortcut “Y”) OR keyboard shortcut “A” with layer selected
  • Keyframe rotation of Planet to orbit around sun
    • For a full rotation type “1” in the first rotation property, OR “365” in the second rotation property
  • Optional: Can apply a glow effect to the sun

Parenting

  • Create a second, even smaller circle (our moon)
  • Position the moon’s anchor point to the center of the planet
  • Parent the moon to the planet
    • In the layers tab, use the Pick Whip (spiral icon) OR the Parent drop-down menu next to it
  • Show how parenting causes the child object to follow the rotation, scale, or position of the parent
  • Keyframe the rotation of the moon to orbit around the planet

Example Activity:

  • Let students practice using anchor points and parenting to make their own mini solar system

Conclusion

  • Recap: Today we learned
    • How to create Shape Layers
    • How to adjust a layer’s anchor point
    • How to parent layers to each other
    • How to render a composition into a playable video file