Adobe After Effects CC Classroom in a Book (2017 release)

Lisa Fridsma has long loved the process of teaching others to use Adobe products. She has written, edited, and designed over thirty books in the Classroom in a Book series over the last decade and a half (including books on Photoshop and After Effects), going back to her time on-staff at Adobe. She’s currently the owner of Darlington Hill Productions (Informational illustrations and publishing). Lisa lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her family and two above-average dogs.  Brie Gyncild aims to make technical information accessible to those who need it. Brie wrote The Photoshop CS5 Pocket Guide and The Photoshop Elements 8 Pocket Guide. She has also co-written The Photoshop Show Starring Russell Brown; numerous editions of the Classroom in a Book series on Photoshop, After Effects, Flash, and Acrobat; and several editions of the How to Wow series. Brie lives in Seattle with two cats and an overgrown garden.

• Getting Started                                                                                                                                 About Classroom in a BookPrerequisitesInstalling After Effects and BridgeOptimizing performanceRestoring default preferencesOnline contentHow to use these lessonsAdditional resourcesAdobe Authorized Training Centers1       Getting to Know the Workflow                                                                                   About the After Effects work areaGetting startedCreating a project and importing footageCreating a composition and arranging layersAbout layersAdding effects and modifying layer propertiesAnimating the compositionAbout the Tools panelAbout timecode and durationAbout the Timeline panelPreviewing your workOptimizing performance in After EffectsRendering and exporting your compositionCustomizing workspacesControlling the brightness of the user interface Finding resources for using After EffectsReview questions and answers2       Creating a Basic Animation Using Effects and Presets                                 Getting startedImporting footage using Adobe BridgeCreating a new compositionWorking with imported Illustrator layersApplying effects to a layerApplying and controlling effectsApplying an animation presetPreviewing the effectsAdding transparencyRendering the compositionReview questions and answers3       Animating Text                                                                                                                          Getting startedAbout text layersInstalling a font using TypekitCreating and formatting point textUsing a text animation presetAnimating with scale keyframesAnimating using parentingAbout parent and child layersAnimating imported Photoshop textAnimating type trackingAnimating text opacityUsing a text animator groupAbout text animator groupsAnimating a layer’s positionTiming layer animationsAdding motion blurReview questions and answers4       Working with Shape Layers                                                                                              Getting startedAdding a shape layerCreating custom shapesDuplicating shapesDuplicating and modifying a compositionPositioning layers with snappingAdding compositions to a 3D projectAdding the finishing touchesExtra credit Review questions and answers5       Animating a Multimedia Presentation                                                                   Getting startedUsing Creative Cloud Libraries in After EffectsAdjusting anchor pointsParenting layersPrecomposing layers Keyframing a motion pathAnimating additional elementsApplying an effectAbout solid-color layersAnimating precomposed layersAnimating the backgroundAdding an audio trackSupported audio file formatsEditing audio files in Adobe AuditionReview questions and answers6       Animating Layers                                                                                                                     Getting startedPreparing layered Photoshop filesAbout Photoshop layer stylesSimulating lighting changesDuplicating an animation using the pick whipAbout expressionsAnimating movement in the sceneryAdjusting the layers and creating a track matteAbout track mattes and traveling mattesAnimating the shadowsAdding a lens flare effectAdding a video animationRendering the animationRetiming the compositionReview questions and answers7       Working with Masks                                                                                                             About masksGetting startedCreating a mask with the Pen toolEditing a maskAbout mask modesCreating a Bezier mask Feathering the edges of a maskReplacing the content of the maskZooming and panning by touchAdding a reflectionCreating a vignetteUsing the Rectangle and Ellipse toolsAdjusting the timingTips for creating masksTrimming the work areaReview questions and answers8       Distorting Objects with the Puppet Tools                                                             Getting startedAbout the Puppet toolsAdding Deform pinsDefining areas of overlapStiffening an areaAnimating pin positionsSquash and stretchRecording animationAct it out with Adobe Character AnimatorReview questions and answers  9       Using the Roto Brush Tool                                                                                                About rotoscopingGetting startedCreating a segmentation boundaryUsing Adobe Premiere Pro with After EffectsFine-tuning the matteRefine Soft Matte and Refine Hard Matte effectsFreezing your Roto Brush tool resultsChanging the backgroundAdding animated textOutputting your projectExtra creditReview questions and answers10    Performing Color Correction                                                                                       Getting startedPreviewing your project on a video monitorAdjusting color balance with levelsAdjusting color balance with Color Finesse 3Replacing the backgroundColor-correcting using Auto LevelsMotion tracking the cloudsReplacing the sky in the second clipColor gradingExtra Credit Review questions and answers11    Using 3D Features                                                                                                                    Getting startedCreating 3D textUsing 3D viewsImporting a backgroundAdding 3D lightsAdding a cameraExtruding text in After EffectsWorking with Cinema 4D LiteIntegrating the C4D layer in After EffectsFinishing the projectReview questions and answers12    Working with the 3D Camera Tracker                                                                       About the 3D Camera Tracker effectGetting startedRepairing rolling shutter distortionsTracking the footageCreating a ground plane, a camera, and the initial textCreating realistic shadowsAdding ambient lightCreating additional text elementsLocking a layer to a plane with a null objectAnimating the textAdjusting the camera’s depth of fieldRendering the compositionReview questions and answers13    Advanced Editing Techniques                                                                                         Getting startedUsing Warp Stabilizer VFXBicubic scalingWarp Stabilizer VFX settingsUsing single-point motion trackingChecking for driftMoving and resizing the track pointsUsing multipoint trackingmocha for After EffectsCreating a particle simulationUnderstanding Particle Systems II propertiesAbout high dynamic range (HDR) footageReview questions and answers  14    Rendering and Outputting                                                                                                Getting startedCreating templates for the Render QueueAbout compressionExporting using the Render QueuePreparing movies for mobile devicesRendering movies with Adobe Media EncoderPreparing a movie for broadcast outputReview questions and answers  Appendix: General keyboard shortcuts