After Effects Workspace

A. Application window B. Tools panel C. Project panel

D. Composition panel E. Timeline panel F. Time ruler
G. Grouped panels (Info and Audio) . Time Controls panel I. Effects ! Presets
panel
An After Effects project is a sin"le file t#at stores references to all t#e foota"e $ou use in
t#at project. It also contains compositions% w#ic# are t#e indi&idual containers used to
com'ine foota"e% appl$ effects% and% ultimatel$% dri&e t#e output.
A composition is w#ere $ou create all animation% la$erin"% and effects. An After Effects
composition #as 'ot# spatial dimensions and a temporal dimension called a duration or
len"t# in time.
Compositions include one or more foota"e items &ideo% audio% still ima"es arran"ed in
t#e Composition panel and in t#e Timeline panel. (imple projects ma$ include onl$ one
composition% w#ile ela'orate projects ma$ include se&eral compositions to or"ani)e
lar"e amounts of foota"e or intricate effects se*uences.
A foota"e item is t#e 'asic unit in an After Effects project. +ou can import man$ t$pes of
foota"e items% includin" mo&in" ima"e files% still,ima"e files% still,ima"e se*uences%
audio files% la$ered files from Ado'e P#otos#op and Ado'e Illustrator% ot#er After Effects
projects% and projects created in Ado'e Premiere Pro.
-a$ers are t#e components $ou use to 'uild a composition. An$ item t#at $ou add to a
composition suc# as a still ima"e% mo&in" ima"e file% audio file% li"#t la$ers% camera
la$ers% or e&en anot#er composition 'ecomes a new la$er. .it#out la$ers% a composition
consists onl$ of an empt$ frame.
/sin" la$ers% $ou can wor0 wit# specific foota"e items in a composition wit#out affectin"
an$ ot#er foota"e. For e1ample% $ou can mo&e% rotate% and draw mas0s for one la$er
wit#out distur'in" an$ ot#er la$ers in t#e composition% or $ou can use t#e same foota"e
in more t#an one la$er and use it differentl$ in eac# instance.
Tools panel
A. (election B. and C. 2oom
D. 3otation E. 4r'it Camera F. Pan Be#ind
G. 3ectan"ular 5as0 . Pen I. ori)ontal T$pe
6. Brus# 7. Clone (tamp -. Eraser
About the Timeline panel
/se t#e Timeline panel to animate la$er properties and set In and 4ut points for a la$er.
(In and 4ut points are t#e points at w#ic# a la$er% or foota"e item% enter and e1it t#e
composition.) 5an$ of t#e Timeline panel controls are or"ani)ed in columns of related
functions. B$ default% t#e Timeline panel contains a num'er of columns and controls% as
s#own in t#e followin" fi"ure8
A. Timeline panel name B. Current time C. (witc#es95odes column
D. -a$er Bar9Grap# Editor area E. Audio9:ideo (witc#es column
F. (ource ;ame9-a$er ;ame column G. Timeline panel switc#es . Composition 'utton
T#e time "rap# portion of t#e Timeline panel (t#e ri"#t side) contains a time ruler%
mar0ers to indicate specific times% and duration 'ars for t#e la$ers in $our composition.
A. Time na&i"ator start and end 'rac0ets B. .or0 area start and end 'rac0ets
C. Time ruler D. Timeline options E. 2oom slider
F. Comp 'utton G. ;a&i"ator &iew . Comp mar0er 'in
T#e duration of a composition% a la$er% or a foota"e item is represented &isuall$ in t#e
time ruler. 4n t#e time ruler% t#e current,time indicator indicates t#e frame $ou are
&iewin" or editin"% and t#e frame appears in t#e Composition panel.
T#e wor0 area start and end 'rac0ets indicate t#e part of t#e composition t#at will 'e
rendered or pre&iewed. .#en $ou wor0 on a composition% $ou ma$ want to pre&iew or
render onl$ part of a composition. Do t#is '$ specif$in" a part of t#e composition time
ruler as a wor0 area. A composition<s current time appears in t#e upper,left corner of t#e
Timeline panel.