Adobe After Effects Beginner (2023): Working With Shape Animations

Name: Adobe After Effects Beginner (2023): Working With Shape Animations
Author: Calvin Gaunce

Learn how to work with shape layers in After Effects, from creating and modifying shapes to applying keyframes and utilizing advanced shape layer techniques.

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Course: On-Demand

Hello, my name is Calvin Gantz and in these lessons you will learn how to work with shape layers in After Effects, from understanding shape layer properties and creating basic shapes to keyframing shape layer animations using animators. Shape layers are a fundamental part of creating vector based graphics and animations in After Effects. Vector graphics are created using mathematical equations to define the shape, which we don't really need to go in technically and understand what's going on there. What you do need to understand is that you can scale a vector graphic infinitely. So as I scale this graphic way past 100%, you'll see that we still have this nice crisp stroke on our ellipse here. If we were to drop in a PNG of that same ellipse as screenshot I took of it, which is a raster graphic one that is pixel based. As we scale that past 100%, we see a lot of pixelation on the stroke here. All shapes have transform properties like any other layer would, anchor point, position, scale, rotation, and opacity, and they also have this contents dropdown which contains any shapes inside. By default, all shapes have a path, a stroke, a fill along with their own individual transform. So let's start with the own individual transform here that is similar to the transform of the layer, anchor point, position, scale, rotation, opacity, and then we also have this skew and skew axis property. Now why might you use the shape transform properties over the layer transform properties? There's a variety of reasons, but simply looking at this layer here, we have two shapes on the same layer, and we may want to adjust the properties of only one at a time. The path of the shape layer is defined by the shape itself. What is the shape? We have the ability to adjust the size and position here. Other shapes have other parameters. The stroke is what it sounds like. It's a stroke that surrounds the path. We can set the color, the width, along with many other properties here. The fill is what goes inside of that shape, inside of the path. Other shapes have other properties associated with them. If we look at our polygon shape down here, this one is called a poly star. And in the poly star path, we have a type, which you'll see polygon. There's also a star option, and then more parameters here we can adjust. Moving on our star, this one, similar, it's a poly star. We can see that the path type on this one is star, and then we have similar properties to our previous polygon shape, along with a couple extra that are unique to the star type. And then we have custom shapes as well, drawn simply with a pen tool. We'll notice on this one, our fill is disabled. We can disable or even delete, fill, or stroke on an individual shape. Now we've only scratched the surface, but as you can see, shape layers are a powerful tool that allow us to create flexible and dynamic shapes for our animations. Stay tuned for the next lesson, where I'll show you how to create and modify basic shapes. Thanks for watching.

Beginner Provider : Calvin Gaunce 7 Lessons · 41m in English

Course Description

In this course, Adobe After Effects Beginner (2023): Working with Shape Animations, you will learn how to create and modify shapes, build dynamic animations using shape layer properties, utilize shape layer animators, and find creative solutions to creating complex visuals by using shapes. By the end of this course, you will be able to create visually appealing animations using a combination of basic shapes and custom shapes. Delve into the world of shape layer animations and uncover the endless possibilities they offer for crafting captivating visuals. These lessons will guide you through the process of transforming designs from basic shapes to complex animations. From creating and manipulating shapes, to infusing them with dynamic animations using shape layer animators, you'll unlock the potential to craft intricate designs that evoke emotion and engagement.

What You'll Learn

Create and modify basic shapes in Adobe After Effects
Build dynamic animations using shape layer properties
Utilize shape layer animators to create custom animations
Apply keyframes and transformations to shapes
Combine basic and custom shapes to craft complex visuals

Key Takeaways

The course teaches how to create, modify, and transform basic shapes using shape layers and their properties.
Shape layer animators are used to build dynamic, custom animations.
Keyframes and transformations are applied to shapes to produce animated designs.
By the end of the course, learners can create visually appealing animations combining basic and custom shapes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in this course?

You will learn how to create and modify shapes, build dynamic animations using shape layer properties, utilize shape layer animators, and find creative solutions for creating complex visuals using shapes in Adobe After Effects.

What skills does this course cover?

The course covers animations, data layers, and shape optimization.

What topics are included in the lessons?

Lessons cover an introduction to shape layers and properties, creating and modifying basic shapes, applying keyframes and transformations to shapes, shape layer techniques and effects, and final tips on shape layers.

What will I be able to do after completing this course?

By the end of the course, you will be able to create visually appealing animations using a combination of basic shapes and custom shapes.