3 Tips for Navigating Adobe After Effects
When you first open Adobe After Effects, it can seem intimidating. Here are 3 tips to help you navigate the After Effects' interface like a pro.
After Effects is Adobe's post-production application for digital visual effects, motion graphics, and animation. And if you're just starting out in the world of motion design, learning After Effects can be daunting as it is a robust program. While it may take some time to fully understand the program, here are some tricks that will help you navigate the platform's interface.
Maximize Your Panel - You can easily become overwhelmed by the After Effects' interface. There are numerous panels and tools. To maximize the panel, use the grave accent ('). This will quickly bring the panel your mouse is positioned over to full screen.
Keyboard Shortcut IBON - Sometimes you may work with a layer that is shorter than your timeline. If you want to quickly shorten the length of your timeline to perfectly fit your layer use this keyboard shortcut IBON. Select the layer and then press "I", "B", "O", and "N", in that order. The "I" key takes you to the In point of the layer, "B" sets the beginning point of the composition, "O" takes you to the Out point of the layer, and "N" sets the ending of the composition.
Zoom In & Out on Your Composition - There are two ways to zoom in and out of the composition panel. First, you can use the Cmd/Ctrl along with +/-. You can also use comma (,) and period (.), which perform the same function.
To learn more about navigating the basics of Adobe's motion graphics software join us for a 4-session Introduction to Adobe After Effects CC course beginning February 17th. Plus, check out our other upcoming courses at mnn.org/learn.