In Spline Tricks Parts 1 and 2, we looked at an overview of Auto-trace (an easy way to create splines for masks) and how to use some of those splines as positional data. While there are some advantages to using Auto-trace in some instances, other uses may not be so "press and play." So, in this latest installment in our Spline Tricks series, we'll examine some of the obvious and not so obvious issues and explain some fixes that may help you to work around the problems. (CreativeMac

Several years ago, my PaintBox initiation began with rotoscoping signatures for a game show that featured celebrities' names in the promo. For the show's promotional campaign, I was charged with the task of replicating the light-pen animation that was used on the set to animate each signature for the 15 celebrities that would appear that week. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

You are probably familiar with the X,Y, Z pixel coordinate placement of layers in After Effects. But what if you need to nudge something less than a full pixel? You can certainly do it, but why is it helpful? In this beginner Adobe After Effects exercise, we’ll examine how nudging along the Z space can create a two sided object. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

A great number of you like the project based After Effects exercises I have done over the years. One area that continues to be a favorite is the station interstitial. Interstitials are those bumper pieces you see between shows that tie everything together. In this After Effects 6.0 Pro exercise, we’ll create an ‘Up Next’ bit for our make believe station. To help us out, we’ll also you an effect from Profound Effects’ Useful Things. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

In this tutorial, Philip Hodgetts first looks at the affect of the Displacement Filter first, then moves on to Time Displacement before discussing a source of gradient images suitable for Displacement and Time Displacement Mapping. (Creativecow.net)

In the first two portions of our project exercise, we created a rain of 3D pills in NewTek’s LightWave 3D, saved that animation out as a series of RPF files that we then brought into After Effects to add some post Depth of Field and fog work using AE’s 3D effects. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

The After Effects expression language has a seldom-used random number generator that is really quite a gem. Dan Ebberts says “seldom-used” because he doesn't believe he's ever seen it used in a single expression he's seen posted on the internet. It’s not the easiest command to understand and the documentation is pretty sparse but once you get past that it’s very cool. (Creativecow.net)

Use Auto-trace to create a motion path for layers and/or effects in AE 6.

Working with the Auto-trace parameters. A description and users guide for AE6 Auto-trace.

One of the cool new features in AfterEffects 6 is the Auto-trace feature. While it may appear to be as low-tech as its Photoshop cousin, the Magnet Lasso tool, it provides much more interesting data for the animator, the most basic of which is the automation of animated garbage masks. As part of a quick series of tutorials using AE's Auto-trace feature, this overview provides some basics. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

There's more to splines than simple image extraction. Sure they're great for cutting mattes, but mask data in After Effects is based on Bezier paths that contain specific values which can be used for more than alpha channels. In this tutorial, we take a quick look at "lifting" the shape data for use in less obvious tasks, including position keyframing. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

I’m not an expert on expressions in After Effects, but I have found over the last couple of years some very handy expressions to help create a more complex looking animation. In this After Effects exercise, we’ll look at an expression that adds a time delay or offset to multiple layers. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

If you were amazed by the halo effect created in my last exercise, you were probably equally disappointed when you tried to apply the effect over a colored backdrop. Quickly the effect went in the toilet for one simple reason – the black portions of the effect do not key – or at least not yet. In this After Effects exercise, we’ll create our own Unmult effect and save it as a favorite. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

It is no surprise when I say 3D animation is everywhere. Nearly every show, commercial, and movie you see has some type of 3D work in it. While processor speeds have increased our productivity, those speeds also cause us to want to do more, which just so happens to increase render times. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

In the last installment, I demonstrated how to export an RPF file from LightWave so the files contained Z-depth information that we can use in Adobe After Effects. In this installment, we’ll continue on our final project. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Last time we left off just as things were starting to get interesting, as we had added faux scanlines, a hotspot, and a nice bulge effect to our fan-tabulous screenshot of the Library of Congress site. The whole idea, of course, is to inject a little va-va-voom into the traditionally boring subject of screenshots in a video, so let's continue on and finish prettying this sucker up. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Demonstrates motion tracking of the mosaic effect by, in short, attaching it to a layer that is attached to a null object that is attached to a moving car in the clip. 5 minutes 37 seconds.

Paint strokes and masks in After Effects are both forms of vector paths, but converting one into the other isn't always straightfoward. This tutorial shows how to take strokes from the Vector Paint effect, as well as AE 6's new Paint tools, and turn them into masks. (Creativecow.net)

The key to a good composite is successful integration into the background image. Sometimes you may have a very bright background or be keying from a DV camera, which nearly always results in imperfections because of the choke or screen blur effects that are necessary to achieve good edges. Light wrap, or light spill, is a very handy in these situations. In this tutorial, John Starr Dewar demonstrates an easy way to achieve light spill with a little bit of pre-composing. At the end, John also sho

n this tutorial, Colin James demonstrates creating something with glass planes that refract & blur footage behind them ~ much like the opening to the show, CSI:Miami. (Creativecow.net)

In this tutorial, Ben Unguren gives AE newbies a simple introduction to the concept of nesting. He assumes you have an understanding of what keyframes, layers and compositions are. This is in theBasics of After Effects Series. (Creativecow.net)

The WB Network has a very cool corner bug where a glowing line sweeps across the screen and around their logo. While it may seem like you have to do this in a true 3D program, with Trapcode’s 3D Stroke 2.0 you can get the same results in a few simple steps. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

After the last exercise, I got a few e-mails asking how I created the flying swirls around the Mindsprung emblem. It is fairly simple if you know how to manipulate 3D, and in this exercise, we’ll create a 3D atom using nothing more than the out of the box After Effects Production Bundle. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Ever have a complex composition in After Effects and want to make an adjustment to multiple layers? Unless you know about Adjustment Layers, you will be spending a lot of time applying the same effect to multiple layers. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Making smoke is something a Smoke Plugin does. Well, not necessarily. If you have the "old" After Effects 5.5 Prod Bundle, you can roll your own smokes. And fire? Yeah, we got that too, thanks to Colorama. Here are some basics. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

A lot of people stopped to check out the After Effects 6.0 review I wrote the other day… A LOT OF PEOPLE! Most have been blown away with the Text Tool and some of the amazing things you can do with it. To whet your appetite, here is a quick tutorial to show you how to create your own DMN logo in After Effects 6.0. You’ll want to bookmark this tutorial, because on delivery day, you’ll want to rip right into using the new Text Tool. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Here's another article for an AE Forum user: How to make a cube in AE 5.x+. If you're new to 3D or are simply having trouble figuring out how to make all these layers parent together in order to form your cube, don't worry. This might help. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

With some effects, achieving a "3D look" is sometimes better left to an actual 3D application. Let's say, for example, that you want to create the effect of a flag waving and dancing across the canvas like a snake. Well, some of you might be tempted to try this inside your motion graphics package. But here's a quick and effective way to do it in Maxon's Cinema 4D XL, which you can then render and bring into Discreet Combustion, Adobe After Effects or any other compositing a

by Stephen Schleicher While playing with After Effects, I rediscovered a way to reshape text to look like something else. The reason I say rediscovered is because even the best AE user will occasionally forget an effect that is not used too often. In this After Effects exercise (which will work in AE5.5 or the new AE6.0), we’ll use the Reshape effect to mold our effect. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Doing your own superhero movie? How the heck do we “Normals” summon our heroes in the time of need? Batman used the Bat Signal. In this Adobe After Effects Pro exercise, we’ll create our own Bat Signal reflecting off the clouds. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

If you're making your own 3D boxes in AE 5, you know it can be done, but what a hassle. Perhaps you saw Digital Anarchy's 3D Assistants, but thought, "I only need a cube." Well, Adobe heard you. Packaged inside the new After Effects 6.0 Pro is 3D Assistants Lite from Digital Anarchy.(DigitalMediaNet.com)

One of the trippiest effects of all time has to be the Star Gate sequence at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Originally, Kubrick and the rest of the crew didn’t have the benefit of computer technology to assist in the creation of the movie. Instead they relied on a “Slit Scan” machine created by innovator Douglas Trumbull. This created the illusion of two planes of infinite proportions. Some of the shots that went into the final effect included aerial landscape footage and ch

Adobe After Effects 6.0 has some great new paint features. If you're familiar with its old Vector Paint plugin, you'll definitely love the new options that the After Effects team incorporated with the Photoshop paint engine. And if you weren't a fan of the old paint and its interface oddities, you'll have good reason to take a look at paint again under the new version. With this in mind, this week we kick off a new series exploring the painting features in After Effects 6.0.(Digi

In a previous article, we created the shape of an object out of its name. In this After Effects exercise, we’ll take a 2D fish and make its tail thrash in a 3D environment. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

One of the new changes/features in Adobe After Effects 6.0 is Convert Audio to Keyframes. This Keyframe Assistant does as the name implies and is a great replacement for Motion Math. And let’s face it, after the introduction of Expressions, the only reason to use Motion Math was to create keyframes from audio. In this overview exercise, I’ll walk you through the use of this new assistant to get an animated character to talk. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Classic B-movies used all sorts of low budget conventions to get the hero from one exotic location to the next. Raiders of the Lost Ark paid homage to these classic movies and techniques by using the now classic animated line moving from country to country tracking the flight path of the plane the hero was traveling in. In this After Effects exercise, we’ll recreate that classic B-movie shot using modern day technology. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Over the last couple of weeks, I have gotten a few requests asking how to recreate the opening credits of the television series Alias as well as how to do the cool “fly through letters” effect that reveals the new location. Instead of repeating myself in many an email, here is your recipe using the Adobe After Effects 6.0. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Glint passes can add a simple bit of motion to a static image, or provide the additional highlight the client is looking for. It's a handy, yet simple trick to have in your skill set. This week we'll take a look at one technique for creating this effect using Maxon's flagship 3D program, Cinema 4D, along with Adobe After Effects to develop easy glint passes that add dimension in an instant. If you're a veteran user, you may think it a basic technique, but take a look at an altern

Ever go on a shoot, only to come back and hear the client say, "Gosh I wish the (insert name here) would have worn a green shirt instead of a red one". Now you can satisfy the client by using one of the color changing effects in After Effects. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

There are going to be times when you need to repurpose an animation in an After Effects Timeline. Knowing how to do it quickly is not only a huge timesaver, but could be a lifesaver on a tight deadline. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Instead of creating complex paths or masks in After Effects, it can sometimes be easier to create those items in Adobe Illustrator and simply copy and paste them into After Effects. Here’s how. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I showed you how you can use After Effects’ Particle Playground to create a plethora of falling turkeys. With the next holiday already here, let’s create some snow particles and have them pile up on a layer. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

As a compositing wizard, you may be asked to blend a CG element onto a real world surface. Transfer Modes and Opacity changes will only take you so far before you reach the end of their limit. In this After Effects Production Bundle Tutorial, we’ll take an image and composite it believable on top of a rusted piece of metal. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

In the past I have proclaimed how the Color Difference Key in Adobe After Effects was the best all purpose keyer in the After Effects gallery of plug-ins. There are some limitations to the Color Difference Key effect; especially when it comes to keying whispy, smoky elements, or when you don’t have a chromakey background to begin with. In many cases, the Inner Outer Key effect will be able to help you out. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

When keying footage there will be times when you have a poorly lit set, imperfections in the background, etc. and you only really need to key that area immediately around the foreground subject. During these times you would use a garbage mask to isolate the foreground element and get rid of any background crud. But what happens if you need to animate the mask? (DigitalMediaNet.com)

As a motion graphic artist, a company looking to have their logo animated for video and film work has probably approached you. There are literally hundreds of ways to approach this task. In this After Effects Production Bundle exercise, we’ll use fractal noise and ramp effects, along with a Track Matte to make the company’s logo go up in smoke. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

After Effects typically isn’t used to edit transitions, yet the program has some simple transitions built in. While you may not use the After Effects transitions as a transition between video clips, you may discover other uses for these effects; especially the Gradient Wipe. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

I’m going to begin a multi-part tutorial/feature that looks at how you can create (or recreate) a rotating star for your next After Effects project. We’ll begin by looking at a sequence of images that will not import as a sequence and how you can use the Sequence Layer option to correct this problem. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

In the last installment, we looked at how image sequences can be generated when the images themselves won’t import into After Effects so we could create a rotating sun. While the solution worked, there was still the problem of being able to composite the footage over other layers. In this After Effects Production Bundle tutorial, I’ll show you how to take care of the corona issue as well as create your own Sun from scratch. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

If you haven’t used wiggle, the expression that gives your layer a little shake, then you are missing out. Wiggle allows you add randomness to a property of a layer. For example, you can cause a jittery chaotic motion to a layer by applying the wiggle expression to the Position property of a layer. Here is how it works. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Radio Waves is one of those After Effects plug-ins which at first seem to be kind of lame. However, when you start experimenting and going beyond the basics, interesting results are sure to follow. In this After Effects tutorial, we’ll briefly explore how Radio Waves work and then create a unique background for a children’s television network. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

It was 1950 when Bette Davis first said it in "All About Eve," and people have been misquoting it ever since. Fortunately, After Effects knows bumps, and people have been using it famously since its introduction. If you're new to Displacement Mapping, this might help. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

I get requests every so often on what is the easiest way to edit many layers in the After Effects Timeline to create a sequence. The easiest answer is to use the Sequence Layer assistant. Here is what it is all about. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Making smoke is something a Smoke Plugin does. Well, not necessarily. If you have the "old" After Effects 5.5 Prod Bundle, you can roll your own smokes. And fire? Yeah, we got that too, thanks to Colorama. Here are some basics. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Here's another article for an AE Forum user: How to make a cube in AE 5.x+. If you're new to 3D or are simply having trouble figuring out how to make all these layers parent together in order to form your cube, don't worry. This might help. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

While playing with After Effects, I rediscovered a way to reshape text to look like something else. The reason I say rediscovered is because even the best AE user will occasionally forget an effect that is not used too often. In this After Effects exercise (which will work in AE5.5 or the new AE6.0), we’ll use the Reshape effect to mold our effect. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

Doing your own superhero movie? How the heck do we “Normals” summon our heroes in the time of need? Batman used the Bat Signal. In this Adobe After Effects Pro exercise, we’ll create our own Bat Signal reflecting off the clouds. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

If you're making your own 3D boxes in AE 5, you know it can be done, but what a hassle. Perhaps you saw Digital Anarchy's 3D Assistants, but thought, "I only need a cube." Well, Adobe heard you. Packaged inside the new After Effects 6.0 Pro is 3D Assistants Lite from Digital Anarchy. (DigitalMediaNet.com)

One of the trippiest effects of all time has to be the Star Gate sequence at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Originally, Kubrick and the rest of the crew didn’t have the benefit of computer technology to assist in the creation of the movie. Instead they relied on a “Slit Scan” machine created by innovator Douglas Trumbull. This created the illusion of two planes of infinite proportions. Some of the shots that went into the final effect included aerial landscape footage and ch

Not only can After Effects 6.0 track a single point in a motion clip, it can also track multiple points. These multi-points are tracked and the resulting data can be used to distort a layer you are applying the data to. In this segment, we’ll look at multipoint tracking and how you can use it to create a believable effect. (DigitalMediaNet.com)