Importing Photoshop layers:
- Footage gives you an option to import the psd file as a flat image or choose a specific layer
- Composition–Document Size will import your photoshop layers as separate AE elements and automatically combine them into a comp, preserving original layer positions. All layers will be the size of your photoshop file and have the same anchor point/position values.
- Composition–Preserve Layer Size will import photoshop layers in the same way as the above option, but will size each layer according to its actual pixel dimensions. With this option, each layer will have a different anchor point/position value. For complex animations, I recommend this import option.
Most Important tutorial for this class – Precomps:
Motion Sketch
Parenting
- To parent layers (or a group of layers) to another layer on the timeline:
- select the child layer(s)
- use the @ icon in the Parent column (to the left of the layer name) to drag and drop over the parent layer
- OR select the parent layer name from the drop-down menu in the Parent column
Null objects ( null layers) & Parenting tutorial
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-after-effects-cc/using-shape-tools-to-make-masks/
Only for the newest After Effects Version ( CC June 2014)
Effects Masks:
Shape layers and precomping:
Working with Bitmap files (Photoshop)
Bitmap (pixel-based) files can’t be scaled above 100% without quality loss. When working with a Photoshop file and planning to scale the asset, make sure to build it at dimensions larger than the composition size. For example, if your comp size is 1920 x 1080, and you are planning to scale an object about 300%, build it at about 6000 pixels wide (1920*3).