After Effects Workshop 2

Again for the 2nd workshop we had i screen shotted throughout it, in order to help me understand what I have done and what to do in the future. I have annotated each image just so i can remember what they all represent. This workshop was more specific to designing and importing text into after effects and then working with it. I really enjoyed this workshop because i felt like i was really creating something, it was extremely satisfying. 

The Tool bar that is along the top of the After effects project window.

Here you can create your own type and font, if you don't want to do anything 

fancy with it. 

PHOTOSHOP

Photoshop has a lot of presets. The one im interested in

when creating a photoshop document is for film and video,

it then customises the screen accordingly. 

Again you have to change the settings to PAL

when you create the document you get greeted with a grid.

This grid represents two zones. The inside - Title safe zone, this

is the area recommended in order to keep your sequence within.

The outside - Action safe zone, anything here will be completely missed

off. 

The above process shows how you can produce the same

grids on After Effects so you can see where its going to

show up and where to space everything.

You need to crop the word that you want to use so that when you import it

it doesn't take up the whole frame.

IMPORTING

1. Importing the first images as FOOTAGE. This is the 

simplest way to import a file into photoshop.

When you select it, it will then  ask again if this is what you want

check again it is and then click okay.

It will then turn up in the project box again, so you can see

the image you have imported.

You can then drag it into the timeline box or into the composition to

get it into the frame and start working with it.

Change the background in order to check that the background has been deleted

and the word is the main thing you have on screen.

If you want to change anything about the word then the best way 

is to change it in photoshop and then in After Effects, right click in the project box

and click reload footage.

With regards to collect files this is a way to package all the text and images

and everything you have done, much like in-design. 

If you want to edit the type in photoshop, you need to type

whatever the text is and then rasterize the type so you can work

with it as an image instead of type.

You then need to use the selection tool to make the cut that you want around the type

and then select the 'layer via cut' this will make a new layer with the other part cut on it.

This is simple and easy technique to use. 

Above is an example of a word being cut and the different layers.

selection - layer via cut

When you import the images as FOOTAGE again, you can

then select the individual layers and move them around as you

would with the previous workshop we did.

IMPORTING

2. This time you import the files as a composition. 

This is a bit more complex keeping everything separated.

It will turn up as a composition, in the project folder. 

By selecting the Composition retain layers, this means

that the anchor points will stay around the individual letters.

ILLUSTRATOR

again same process as photoshop except doesnt come 

as PAL widescreen sqaure pixels it only comes as PAL widescreen.

This is because it works in vectors and doesn't need sqaure pixels.

Again you get a similar screen with the guides.

If you want to move an object onto a separate layer in order to animate on

its own then in the layers box you click and drag the square onto the new layer

you have created.

Example of the layers being split.

When you import the vector image into After effects it

will automatically rasterize it making it pixelated

so in the time line options you click the box in the middle 

making it un-rasterized so when you blow it up it won't

be all square.