Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Reference guide

Using Help | Contents | Index Back 1
Adobe After Effects Help UsingHelp
Using Help | Contents | Index Back 1
Using Help
About online Help
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Adobe After Effects Help UsingHelp
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Adobe After Effects Help Contents
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Contents
Working with Projects, Windows, and Palettes 4
Preparing and Importing Footage 25
Building a Composition 50
Managing Layers 71
Animating Layers 95
Fine-tuning Animation 122
Working with Masks and Transparency 148
Applying Effects 170
3D Compositing 228
Creating Expressions 244
Managing Projects Effectively 264
Rendering a Movie 278
Using Property and Tracking Controls (PB only) 304
Using Motion Math (PB only) 317
Using Vector Paint (PB only) 333
Creating Particle Effects (PB only) 351
(5.5) Working with
After Effects 5.5 to Build a Composition 377
(5.5) Layers 381
(5.5) Working with Masks and Transparency 383
(5.5) Applying Effects 387
(5.5) 3D Compositing 391
(5.5) Expressions 397
(5.5) Rendering a Movie 402
Macintosh shortcuts 408
Windows shortcuts 423
Legal Notice 438

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Adobe After Effects Help Working with Projects,Windows, and Palettes
Using Help | Contents | Index Back 4
Working with Projects,
Windows, and Palettes
Working in a project
An After Effects project is a single file that stores references to all the footage you use in
that project. It also contains information about how you’ve arranged the footage in
compositions, including the details of any effects or animation you applied. Inside a
project, you create one or more compositions.After you have imported source footage
into the project, you can add footage items into the compositions.
Where you work with footage items
In a project, you work with footage items using primarily three windows: the Project
window , which lists all the source footage items you import; the Composition window ,
which displays images as they relate in space; and the Timeline window , which displays
compositions and animation events in terms of time. Add footage items to a composition
by dragging them from the Project window into either the Composition window or the
Timeline window.
Each Composition window has a corresponding Timeline window.When you edit a
composition in a Composition window, After Effects automatically displays the corre-
sponding Timeline window, and vice versa.
A. Source footage B. Project window C. Composition window D. Timeline window
As you work with compositions, you also use three other types of windows: Footage
windows, Layer windows, and Effect Controls windows.
A
BC
D

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• Footage windows are useful for viewing and evaluating footage items in their original
form (see “Viewing imported footage” on page 50).
•
To view a layer’s original source independently of other layers or to trim footage, you
can open a Layer window (see “Composition, Layer, and Footage window controls”on
page 16).
•
As you work with effects, you use the Effect Controls window to modify and animate
the effects (see “Working with effects” on page 170).
When you render your compositions into a movie, you work in the Render Queue window
to select rendering options and queue compositions for rendering (see “Using the Render
Queue window”on page 279).
How you start a project
Starting a project involves two tasks:(1) planning your project based on the formats of the
final output and (2) creating a project file. Once you have planned your project and
learned how to perform some basic tasks related to working in After Effects, you’ll be
ready to start importing footage (see “Importing files into a project”on page 28).You then
create a composition and begin working with your source footage (see “Working with
imported footage” on page 50).
Planning your project
Planning your project before you start importing footage makes your work easier. A large
part of planning is simply determining the best settings for your source footage based on
the media for which you will render your finished project.This step is essential to
achieving optimal image quality. Rendering order and nesting may also be part of project
planning (see “Organizing a project using nesting”on page 265).
Choosing the right media
Before you start importing footage items into your project, decide which media you’ll use
for your finished movies.Then determine the best settings for your compositions and
source material. For example, if you will be rendering your project to videotape, create
footage at an image size, color bit-depth, and frame rate that will produce the best image
quality on videotape. Likewise, if your project is intended for streaming video on the Web,
the image size, color bit-depth, and frame rate may need to be reduced to work with the
data-rate limits of streaming video on the Web. However, any footage item that can be
imported can be used in any composition.
If you will be rendering a project to more than one media format, always match the
resolution setting for your composition to the highest resolution setting used for your
output.Then set up the Render Queue window to render a separate version of the project
for each format.

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For film and video, try to match import and composition settings with settings in the
output module used to render a movie. For example, to ensure smooth playback, the
footage frame rate selected in the Interpret Footage dialog box should match the setting
in the Composition Settings dialog box and the output module in the Render Queue
window. Also, the composition-frame size should be determined by the image size in the
playback medium. However, any footage item that can be imported can be used in any
composition. See “Preparing motion-footage frame rates for final output” on page 42,
“Understanding basic composition settings”on page 57, and “Changing output module
settings”on page 284.
If you will be mixing source footage with different pixel aspect ratios, correctly specify this
ratio for each footage item in the Interpret Footage dialog box. See “About D1, DV, and
various pixel aspect ratio footage” on page 46.
The suggestions that follow will help you select composition settings. However, the best
way to ensure that your project is suitable for a specific medium is to make a test compo-
sition and view it using the same type of equipment your audience will use to view it.
Film If you will be rendering for film, consider both the aspect ratio of the frame size you
select for your composition and the frame rate of your source footage. For footage that
was transferred from film to video using the 3:2 pulldown telecine method, you must
remove 3:2 pulldown before adding effects. See “Removing 3:2 pulldown from video
transferred from film” on page 45.
CD-ROM When you create a movie that you plan to render for playback from a CD-ROM,
you may need to specify import and composition settings that take into account the wide
range of hardware that your audience may be using, possibly including older single- or
double-speed CD-ROM drives.
To make your final output compatible with older CD-ROM drives, try to reduce the data-
transfer rate of your final output by specifying certain settings for footage items:
•
Lower the frame rate as far as you can in the Composition Settings dialog box without
making motion seem too jerky. Start at 15 frames per second (fps).
•
When rendering your final composition, choose a file type and compressor/decom-
pressor ( codec ) appropriate for the final media. For example, for a cross-platform CD-
ROM, you might specify a QuickTime codec or a codec designed for low data rates,such
as Indeo, Cinepak, or Sorenson Video. Regardless of which codec you select, however, it
must be available on the system used by your intended audience to ensure successful
playback. Also consider the key frame rate of the codec you have selected. See the
Adobe Web site for more information on QuickTime compressors and codec key frame
rates.
Videotape If your final output will be videotape, set up your composition with a specific
video format in mind, such as NTSC or PAL. Using broadcast-safe colors and maintaining
frame size and compression ratios are also important considerations.These guidelines will
help in setting up a composition intended for videotape:
•
Select a frame size in the Composition Settings dialog box that matches the frame size
of the destination video format.
•
Use only NTSC-safe colors when adding or changing color in a project.

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Adobe After Effects Help Working with Projects,Windows, and Palettes
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• If you will be using an MJPEG codec, keep in mind that the frame sizes and resolutions
available for rendering are determined by the specific MJPEG board you are using.Refer
to the specifications for your MJPEG board.
Animated GIF When you render an animated GIF, colors are dithered to an 8-bit palette.
Before rendering your final project,render a test composition so that you can adjust colors
if the results are not what you expected. If any source footage includes an alpha channel,
be sure that you know how it will affect your final project before you start rendering.
Streaming video over the World Wide Web Streaming video resembles a conventional
television signal in that video is sent to the viewer frame by frame, instead of by
downloading a large file to the hard disk. Streaming video on the Web is constrained by
the limited bandwidth (56 Kbps or less) of most consumer modems, which is even lower
than those used for CD-ROM playback. Use the same techniques that are listed for CD-
ROM playback, but adapt them for further reduction in file size and data-transfer rate.You
can export QuickTime streaming directly from After Effects. See “Exporting footage using
QuickTime components”on page 289.
Downloading video over the World Wide Web If your final output will be downloaded
as a file from the World Wide Web, the main concern is the size of the file, which directly
affects how long it takes to download the file.QuickTime and Microsoft Video for Windows
are formats often used when rendering final output that will be downloaded.When you
render a QuickTime movie, After Effects automatically creates a movie that can play on
both Windows and Mac OS without modification.
Intranet playback An intranet is an in-house or private network that uses Internet
network protocols. Intranets generally use higher-quality communications lines than
standard telephone lines, so they are usually much faster than the Internet.The data-
transfer rate for playback can be 100K per second or faster, depending on the speed
of your intranet.
Flash (.swf) files When you export compositions as Flash (.swf) movies, After Effects
maintains vectors as much as possible. However, some items cannot be represented as
vectors in the Flash file. See “Exporting to Macromedia Flash (SWF) format”on page 286.
Considerations for cross-platform projects
After Effects project files are compatible with both the Mac OS and Windows platforms.
You can do several things to ease the process of exchanging projects between platforms.
Project hierarchy When you move a project to a different computer and open it, After
Effects attempts to locate the project’s footage files, first looking in the folder in which the
project file is located, second using the file’s original path or folder location, and third
searching the root of the directory where the project is located.
If you are building cross-platform projects, it is best if the full paths have the same names
on Mac OS and Windows systems. If the footage is on a different volume than the project,
make sure that the appropriate volume is mounted before opening the project, and that
network volume names are the same on both systems.
It helps to store footage in the same folder as the project file or in another folder within
that folder. Here's a sample hierarchy:
c:\newproject\project_file.aep
c:\newproject\source\footage1.psd
c:\newproject\source\footage2.avi

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The newproject folder can then be copied in its entirety across platforms,and After Effects
will properly locate all of the footage.
File-naming conventions When possible, name your footage and project files with
Windows-compatible filename extensions, such as .mov for QuickTime movies and .aep
for After Effects projects. If files will be used on the World Wide Web, be sure that filenames
adhere to the appropriate conventions for extensions and paths.
Mac OS file types On Mac OS systems, footage files should have proper Mac OS file
types. Using services for Macintosh in Windows NT Server or Windows 2000 Server, you
can set up explicit extension-to-file-type mappings; see the system’s server documen-
tation. If footage files are not properly recognized on Mac OS systems, select All Files for
Show in the Import File dialog box to override the Mac OS file types.To open a Windows
project on a Mac OS system, the project must have the correct .aep extension.
For a list of common extensions and their associated file types, see the Adobe Web
site.
Resources Ensure that all resources are available on both systems. Resources can include
fonts, effects, and compressors.
Time basics
Time is central to many operations in After Effects.You can view, specify, and manage time
in various ways.Whichever way you handle time, there are several specific time concepts
you should understand as you create a project.
Time display
The way you view and specify time in After Effects depends on the display style, or unit of
measure, that you use to describe time. By default, After Effects displays time in Society of
Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) timecode : hours, minutes, seconds, and
frames.You can change to another system of time display, such as film frames, or feet and
frames of 16mm or 35mm film. See “Setting time-display options”on page 9.
Video-editing workstations use SMPTE timecode that is often striped (encoded) onto
videotape for reference. If you are creating video that will be synchronized with video that
uses SMPTE timecode, use the default timecode display style.
Frame rate
Each composition you create can have its own frame rate . The frame rate is the number of
frames the rendered composition produces in every second when played back.The frame
rate you use is generally determined by the type of output you will produce. For example,
video for NTSC television plays at 29.97 frames per second (fps), and PAL plays at 25 fps.
When you set up changes over time, After Effects treats the changes as continuous
throughout a composition timeline. Each frame is rendered as a slice out of the timeline at
the frame rate you specify. Because After Effects treats time continuously, it is possible to
change a composition’s frame rate at any time or override the frame rate of a composition
when you render the final movie. See “Setting frame rate”on page 58.

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NTSC (29.97) drop-frame timecode
When you work with a composition that is set to a frame rate of 29.97 fps, After Effects
uses SMPTE 30-fps drop-frame timecode by default, making adjustments using the
SMPTE-standard method of renumbering the first two frame numbers of every minute,
except at every tenth minute. For example, the frame after 59:29 is labeled 1:00:02 instead
of 1:00:00. Non-drop-frame timecode is also available. In both cases, frames are not
discarded or skipped; they are merely numbered differently.
After Effects displays drop-frame timecode by using semicolons between the numbers
and displays non-drop-frame timecode using colons between the numbers. In the Project
Settings dialog box,you can choose how 29.97-fps compositions and footage display their
timecode. See “Setting time-display options”on page 9.
Duration
Each video footage item, layer, and composition in a project has its own duration.
Duration determines the beginning and ending times of the timelines in the Footage,
Layer, and Timeline windows. It is important to notice which duration you are viewing
while you edit in multiple windows. See “Understanding trimming”on page 81 and
“Positioning a layer in time” on page 76.
Frames and fields
Each frame in an interlaced video source is made up of fields . It’s important not to confuse
frames with fields. For video, every frame contains two interlaced fields. If you want to use
interlaced video as source footage, you’ll usually want After Effects to separate the inter-
laced fields. Separating fields ensures maximum image quality when you apply anima-
tions and effects to video that was originally interlaced. If you’re producing a movie for
videotape, you can render the composition to fields in a process known as field-rendering .
See “Interlaced and noninterlaced footage” on page 40 and “Field rendering”on page 44.
Setting time-display options
After Effects supports several methods of measuring and displaying time.The method you
choose applies to time display in the current project and in any subsequent project you
create. Changing the method does not alter the frame rate of footage or a composition—
it changes only how frames are numbered.You can choose from three time-display
options:
•
Timecode, which counts frames in frames per second (hours, minutes, seconds, frames).
•
Frames, which counts frames of footage without reference to time.
• Feet and Frames, which counts feet of 16mm or 35mm motion-picture film, and counts
fractions of feet in frames; 35mm film has 16 frames per foot, and 16mm film has 40
frames per foot.
A. Timecode B. Frames C. Feet and Frames
ABC

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When working with footage digitized from NTSC video, you usually use the 30-fps, drop-
frame timecode base.This counts NTSC-created frames using standard drop-frame
timecode for maximum device compatibility. For frames (or feet and frames) timecode,
you can also change the starting frame number to match the time-counting method of
another editing system you may be using.
To change the time display:
1 Open the project and choose File > Project Settings.
2 Select a time setting:
•
To use timecode, click Timecode Base, and then select a frame rate from the Timecode
pop-up menu.
• To use drop-frame time code for footage and compositions with a frame rate of 29.97
fps, click Timecode Base, and then select 30 fps from the Timecode Base pop-up menu
and Drop Frame from the NTSC menu.
•
To use non-drop-frame timecode for footage and compositions with a frame rate of
29.97 fps, click Timecode Base and then select 30 fps from the Timecode Base pop-up
menu and Non-Drop Frame from the NTSC menu.
•
To use frames for the display style, click Frames.
•
To use feet and frames for the display style, click Feet + Frames, and then choose a film
type from the Feet + Frames pop-up menu.
3 If desired, type a value in the Start Numbering Frames At option.This value applies only
when you have chosen Frames or Feet + Frames.
4 Click OK.
To instantly cycle through Timecode, Frames, and Feet + Frames, Ctrl+click (Windows)
or Command+click (Mac OS) the timecode display at the bottom of the Composition
window or at the top of the Timeline window.
Setting up a project
After you create a new project, you import footage into the project.You can also specify
project settings or application-wide preferences.
Creating a new project
By default, After Effects opens a new Project window when you start the application.
When you know the media for your final project, you are ready to create a project by
importing your footage items into a new Project window.You can also open a new Project
window at any time from the File menu. See “Working with the Project window”on
page 15.
To create a new project after closing the current project in After Effects:
Choose File > New > New Project.
Importing footage items
When you import a footage item, After Effects creates only a reference to the file and does
not copy or move the file itself.These references to your source files are displayed in the
Project window.

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To import source footage items into an After Effects project:
1 Choose File > Import > File or Multiple Files.
2 Locate and select footage files and click Open.
For details, see “Importing files into a project”on page 28.
Opening and closing a project
You can have only one project open at a time. If you try to open another project, After
Effects prompts you to save changes in the first project, and then closes the first project.
Closing the Project window closes any associated windows, but palettes remain open.
To open a project:
Choose File > Open Project, locate the project, and then click Open.
To close a project:
Click the Project window title bar to make it active and choose File > Close.
Saving a project
Save your work frequently as you develop a project.
To save a project:
Choose File > Save.
To save a project using a different name or location:
Choose File > Save As. Specify a filename and location and click Save.
The project currently open takes the new name and location; the original file remains as it
was.
To save a copy of the project using a different name or location:
Choose File > Save a Copy. Specify a filename and location and click Save.
The project currently open retains its original name and location,and a copy is created but
not opened.
Correcting mistakes
If you change your mind or make a mistake, undo your work.You can undo only those
actions that alter the project; for example, you can undo an edit, but you cannot undo
scrolling a window. Specify the number of levels that can be undone.The default is 20.
Specifying more levels increases memory requirements but may not affect performance.
Note: The Vector Paint effect (PB only) can perform only one level of undo, regardless of
the number of levels you set.
You can also discard changes by reverting to the last saved version of the project. Note
that when you revert to the last saved version, all editing and footage imported since you
last saved are lost.You cannot undo this action.

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To undo the most recent change:
Choose Edit > Undo.You can sequentially undo as many as 99 of the most recent changes
made to the program in any After Effects window, depending on how many undo levels
are set in Preferences.
To set the number of undo levels:
1 Choose Edit > Preferences > General.
2 Specify a number for Levels of Undo, and then click OK.
To revert to the last saved version:
Choose File > Revert.
Selecting 16-bpc color depth (PB only)
After Effects can work in 16-bit-per-channel mode, making a larger range of colors
available.When you work with high-resolution images that use a narrow range of colors,
such as when you’re creating subtle gradients for film effects or HDTV output, transitions
between colors are smoother with less visible banding, and more detail is preserved.
You can choose whether to work in 8-bit-per-channel or 16-bit-per-channel color mode
for each project. Directly import 16-bit images, including those from Photoshop, and
composite and color-correct footage in 16-bit mode.Take advantage of 16-bit color when
performing most After Effects tasks, including layer adjustment, frame blending, 3D, and
Cineon file import.The Info palette displays 16-bit color values with exact precision.
Many effects support 16 bits per channel. If an effect supports only 8 bits, and your project
is set to 16 bits, After Effects displays a warning icon ( ) next to the effect name in the
Effect Controls palette. Using an 8-bit effect in a 16-bit project will result in a loss of detail
for the effect’s layer.
When rendering to output module depths of Trillions of Colors, set the project to 16-bit
color depth to take advantage of the output file’s extra color precision.To optimize perfor-
mance, rough out a composition in 8-bit color mode, and then finalize and output 16-bit
files for maximum quality.
To specify color depth:
1 Open the project and choose File > Project Settings.
2 For Depth, choose 8 bits per channel or 16 bits per channel, and then click OK.
Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click the color depth indicator at
the bottom of the project window to toggle between 8- and 16-bits per channel color.
Setting preferences
When you start After Effects for the first time, the default settings are used.You may want
to change some of these default settings so that each time After Effects is opened, it uses
your selections instead of the standard defaults. After changing settings, you can easily
restore the default settings at any time. All After Effects default settings are stored in a
single file.

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After Effects saves the location and type of each open window with the project. Palette
positions are saved in the After Effects Preferences file, which applies to all projects.You
can also save custom workspaces; see “Customizing the workspace”on page 13.
To open a preferences dialog box:
1 Choose the preferences command you want from the Edit > Preferences submenu.
2 To switch to another dialog box, do any of the following:
•
Choose an option from the menu at the top of the dialog box.
•
Click Next to display the next dialog box in the menu list; click Previous to display the
previous dialog box.
For information on a specific option, see the index.
To restore all preferences to their default settings:
1 Make sure that After Effects is not running. If it is, choose File > Exit (Windows) or File >
Quit (Mac OS).
2 Do one of the following:
•
(Windows) Search for the“Adobe After Effects 5 Prefs” file (use quotation marks to
narrow the search) and delete it or move it to another folder.
•(Mac OS) Use the Finder to locate the“Adobe After Effects 5 Prefs”file in the Preferences
folder in your System folder and delete it or move it to another folder.
When you start After Effects again, it creates a new preferences file.
Customizing the workspace
Depending on the type of work you are doing, you may want to size and arrange palettes
and windows.This arrangement of windows is called a workspace. You can save custom
workspaces.
To restore default palette and window positions:
Do one of the following:
•Hold down Shift when starting After Effects.
•Choose Window > Workspace > Default.
•Choose Window > Reset Palette Locations.
To save the workspace:
1Arrange the palettes and windows the way you want them, including size and location.
2Choose Window > Workspace > Save Workspace.
3Type a name for the workspace, and click OK.The new workspace is added to the
Workspace menu.
To select or delete a custom workspace:
1To select a workspace, choose Window > Workspace, and then choose the name of the
workspace.
2To delete a workspace, choose Window > Workspace > Delete Workspace, choose a
name, and click OK.

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Using context menus
In addition to the menus at the top of your screen, context menus display commands
relative to the active tool or selected item.
To display context menus:
1Position the pointer over the footage or over a label in a palette or window, such as a
button in the Time Controls palette.
2Click the right mouse button (Windows) or press Control and hold down the mouse
button (Mac OS).
Using windows
Many After Effects windows are organized in groups by default.You can customize and
display these windows in certain ways depending on the type of window:
Composition window The title of a Composition window appears as a tab under the
group window’s title bar. By default, Composition windows are grouped into one window.
You can combine Composition windows with Layer and Footage windows.
Layer and Footage windows As with Composition windows, the title of a Layer or
Footage window appears as a tab under the group window’s title bar. By default, Layer
and Footage windows are grouped into one window.They can also be combined with the
Composition windows and other Layer and Footage windows.
Timeline windows Each composition name appears as a tab in the Timeline window.You
can combine Timeline windows only with other Timeline windows.
Effect Controls windows By default, effects you apply to layers are grouped in one Effect
Controls window.You can combine Effect Controls tabs only with other Effect Controls
windows.
Project window You cannot group Project windows with any other windows.
Reorganizing windows
Use the following techniques to reorganize windows:
•To change the default from grouped windows to ungrouped windows, choose Edit >
Preferences > General, deselect Tabbed Windows, and click OK.
•To rearrange or separate a group window, drag the tab for a window.
•To move a window to another group window, drag its tab to that group.
•To group Layer or Footage windows with Composition windows by default, open a
Layer or Footage window and choose Window > Group Tab with Comps.
•To display a window menu, click the triangle in the upper right corner of the palette or
window (not available for all windows or palettes).
•To resize a window, drag any edge (Windows) or drag its lower right corner (Mac OS).
•If a window contains more grouped windows than After Effects can display at once,
drag the slider bar that appears above the tabs.
•To open a Timeline window from its Composition window (and vice versa), select the
tab for the window and then click the Comp Family button above the vertical scroll bar.

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•To display a window that is obscured by other windows, select it from the Window
menu.
•If both the Composition and Timeline windows are closed, double-click the compo-
sition’s icon in the Project window to open both windows again.
•When you close a single window in a group, you can make sure that related windows,
such as the Timeline and Composition window for the same composition, are closed at
the same time.To turn on this option, choose Window > Closing in Groups to select it.
To close individual windows without closing related windows, deselect this menu
command.
Working with the Project window
The Project window is a storage area for compositions and references to footage items. In
the Project window you import, identify, replace, remove, and interpret footage items and
compositions.You can organize footage and compositions in the Project window using
folders.The folders you create in the Project window exist only in the Project window.You
can expand a folder to reveal its contents.You can also put folders inside other folders.
To remove footage from a project:
Do any of the following:
•To eliminate an item from a project, select the item and press Delete.
•To remove all unused footage items from a project, choose File > Remove Unused
Footage.
•To remove all compositions and footage items that are not used in the selected compo-
sition, choose File > Reduce Project.
•To remove all duplicate footage items from a project, Choose File > Consolidate All
Footage.
To organize footage items using folders:
Do any of the following:
•To create a folder in the Project window, choose File > New > New Folder, or click the
create folder icon ( ) at the bottom of the Project window.
•To move a file or folder into a Project folder, drag the file or folder from the Project
window list into a folder.

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•To move a file or folder from a folder to the top level of the Project window, drag the file
or folder to the gray information area at the top of the window.
•To show or hide the contents of a folder, click the triangle to the left of the folder icon.
To customize the Project window:
•To resize a panel, drag the bar on the right side of the panel’s heading.Drag left to make
the panel smaller, or right to make it larger.
•To hide a panel, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) any panel heading and
choose Hide This.
•To show a panel, right click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) any panel heading and
choose Panels > panel heading.
•To show or hide a panel, choose Panels > panel heading from the Project window menu.
•To disable thumbnails, choose Edit > Preferences > Display, select Disable Thumbnails
in Project Window, and then click OK.
To create a new composition from the Project window:
Click the create new composition icon ( ) at the bottom of the Project window.
To create a new composition that automatically uses the same dimensions, duration,
and frame-rate settings as a footage item, drag the selected item or items onto the
create new composition icon at the bottom of the Project window.
To manage footage items in the Project window:
Do any of the following:
•To display information about a footage item or composition, select the footage or
composition. Information is displayed at the top of the Project window next to the
thumbnail image.
•To sort footage items by any column, click the column name in the Project window. For
example, click Type to sort items by footage type.
•To rename a composition or folder, select the composition name or folder, press Enter
(Windows) or Return (Mac OS), type the new name, and then press Enter or Return
again.
•To find footage items in the Project window, choose File > Find, type the name of the
footage item, and click OK. Select Find Missing Footage to locate all footage items that
refer to a file that has been moved, deleted, or renamed.
Composition, Layer, and Footage window controls
Use the Composition, Layer, and Footage windows to preview and edit different parts of a
project.These windows share a set of controls that you can use to view safe zones (the
visible areas of a television screen), view RGB and alpha channels, and change the magnifi-
cation.These controls function the same way in all three windows.

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Displaying After Effects viewing controls in the Footage window
By default, the Footage window displays movie controls for movie footage rather than the
After Effects viewing controls found in the Layer and Composition windows. QuickTime
and Video for Windows controls are fast and familiar tools for playing movie footage, and
they play audio if it’s included in the footage. However, for the preview options discussed
in this section, you must open the footage in a standard After Effects Footage window.
Note: A standard After Effects Footage window is always used for non–QuickTime and
non–Video for Windows footage.
To display a footage item in the Footage window:
Double-click a footage item in the Project window.
To display .mov or .avi movies in the standard After Effects Footage window:
Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you double-click a footage item in the Project
window. After Effects Footage windows provide editing commands not available in Video
for Windows or QuickTime Footage windows.
Changing magnification in windows
The lower left corner of a Composition, Layer, or Footage window shows the current
magnification.When you change magnification, you change the appearance of the pixels
in the window, not the actual resolution of the composition.
To zoom in or out:
Do one of the following:
•Using the zoom tool, click inside the window you want to magnify.
•Using the zoom tool, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you click inside the
window you want to reduce.
•Double-click the zoom tool in the toolbox to view at actual size.
•Choose a magnification from the menu in the lower left corner of a Footage, Layer, or
Composition window.
Viewing safe zones and grids
In Footage, Layer, or Composition windows, you can display safe zones for titles and
action, as well as grids used for aligning layers.
Television sets enlarge a video image and allow some portion of its outer edges to be cut
off by the edge of the screen.This is known as overscan. The amount of overscan is not
consistent across television sets, so you should keep important parts of a video image,
such as action or titles, within margins known as safe zones. When you arrange layers in a
composition, do the following:
•Keep important scene elements, graphics, and actors within the action-safe zone.
•Keep titles and other text within the title-safe zone.

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After Effects also provides grids that you can use to help arrange and align layers. Set the
grid spacing using the Grids & Guides Preferences dialog box.
A. Grid B.Title-safe zone C. Action-safe zone D. Overscan
To view safe zones:
In a Footage, Layer, or Composition window, click the safe-zones icon ( ) to show or hide
the safe zones.
To view a standard grid:
With a Footage, Layer, or Composition window active, choose View > Show Grid or Hide
Grid.
To view a proportional grid:
Press and hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and click the safe zones icon.
To snap a layer to a grid:
With a Footage, Layer, or Composition window active and the grid shown, choose View >
Snap to Grid and then drag a layer until it snaps to the desired grid lines.
Changing safe-zone margins and grid spacing
You can change the percentage of window area marked as title-safe or action-safe, and
you can change the number of grid cells. Safe-zone margins represent the percentage of
image area not included in the safe area.You can set spacing options for standard grids or
proportional grids.The size of proportional grids increases or decreases when the compo-
sition size changes; the size of standard grid squares remains the same regardless of
composition size.
To change safe-zone margins:
Choose Edit > Preferences > Grids & Guides, type values for Action-Safe Margin and Title-
Safe Margin, and click OK.
To change grid spacing:
Choose Edit > Preferences > Grids & Guides,type a value for Gridline Every, type a value for
Subdivisions, and click OK.
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To change proportional grid spacing:
Choose Edit > Preferences > Grids & Guides,type Horizontal and Vertical values for Propor-
tional Grid, and click OK.
Using rulers and guides
You can display rulers along the sides of the Composition, Layer, and Footage windows to
provide a visual guide for positioning and editing your footage. Using the cross hair in the
upper left corner of the rulers, you can change the origin, or zero point, in both rulers.
Changing the zero point makes it easy to measure from a specific point in the image. By
default, rulers are hidden.
For added precision in positioning objects, you can create guide lines.You can also lock
guide lines to prevent them from being repositioned.
Note: Rulers and guide lines are only a reference in the Composition, Layer, and Footage
windows.They do not appear in your rendered movie.
To display or hide rulers:
Choose View > Show Rulers or Hide Rulers.
To set the zero point in rulers:
Drag the cross hair from the intersection of the two rulers (in the upper left corner) into
the image area.
To create, reposition, lock, hide, or remove a guide line:
Do any of the following:
•Position the pointer inside either ruler and drag where you want to create a guide line.
•In the image area, drag a guide to reposition it.
•To lock or unlock guides, choose View > Lock Guides.
•In the image area, drag a guide line into a ruler to remove it.
•To display or hide all guide lines, choose View > Show Guides or Hide Guides.
•To remove all guide lines, choose View > Clear Guides.

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Viewing color and alpha channels
You can preview the red, green, blue, and alpha channels of a still image or movie in a
Footage window, Layer window, or Composition window.When you view a color channel,
areas with that color are displayed according to the color value of each pixel. For example,
if you view the red channel, areas with high red values are displayed as white.
To see the color values in a color channel displayed in the channel’s own color instead
of white, hold down Shift and click the desired color channel icon.
When you preview the alpha channel, After Effects displays transparent and opaque areas
as black and white to make identification easier. Degrees of opacity appear as shades of
gray.
To view a color channel or alpha channel:
1Open the Composition, Layer, or Footage window to view a channel for a composition,
layer, or footage item, respectively.
2At the bottom of the window, click the icon that corresponds to the channel you want
to display.
A. Red channel B. Green channel C. Blue channel D. Alpha channel
Taking and viewing a window snapshot
When you want to compare one view to another in the Composition, Layer, or Footage
window, take a snapshot of one view and temporarily replace the window image with the
snapshot. For example, you might want to compare two frames in different locations in a
movie.You can instantly show and hide the snapshot to identify differences between the
views. If you have a sound card installed, you hear a sound when you take a snapshot.
When working with snapshots, here are some tips to keep in mind:
•Snapshots taken in one kind of window can be displayed in another kind. For example,
you can take a snapshot of a Layer window and display the snapshot in the Compo-
sition or Footage window.
•Displaying a snapshot does not replace the content of the window.
•If the snapshot has a different size or aspect ratio than the window in which you display
it, the snapshot is resized to fit the window.
•Choose Edit > Purge > Snapshot to free up memory used by your snapshots.
•Snapshots are for reference only and do not become part of the layer, composition, or
rendered movie.
To take a snapshot:
Click the take-snapshot icon at the bottom of the window, or press Shift+F5.
To view a snapshot:
Click and hold the display-snapshot icon at the bottom of the window, or press F5.
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