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Some Interface Questions
I am working on a registering several thousand frames individually. The process goes pretty quick but I was thinking there might be a few ways to speed up the process and remove some Key Strokes. So my questions are as follows:
1) Is there a way to make the arrow keys “nudge” the selected image more than just a single pixel? Maybe 2 pixels at a time?
2) Is there a way to move to the next “clip” in the composition timeline? Right now each “clip” is 6 frames and I am using PAGE DOWN to move to the next one. This is an extra 5 keystrokes I would like to remove.
In addition: I am creating an animated image sequence by dragging a folder of sequenced images into the new composition button. This opens a dialogue where I can input how many frames I want each image to exist for. As mentioned above I am working on 6 frames (base 30) for the image, but I was wondering if there was a menu to change this after the fact? Say change it to 7 frames? or 5 Frames?
Please and Thank-you!
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4 Replies
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Adding Shift moves the layer 10 pixels instead of 1.
See these two sections of the After Effects Help page containing all of the keyboard shortcuts:
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Todd Kopriva, Adobe Systems Incorporated
After Effects quality engineering
After Effects team blog
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Have you considered using tracking and stabilization [link] instead of doing the registration by hand?
Have you considered working with an image sequence [link] instead of piles of stills? You can change the interpretation to whatever frame rate you need (i.e., 5 fps).
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
Motion Tracking is not applicable on this particular project. I wish it were.
I have considered using an image sequence, but the way I am working with the project now was suitable so I did not bother investing the time to see how the two differ. I assume you can apply attributes to the entire batch of images as a whole? If so are you still able to apply attributes to a single image an not the whole?
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[Dustin Rosemark] “I have considered using an image sequence, but the way I am working with the project now was suitable so I did not bother investing the time to see how the two differ. I assume you can apply attributes to the entire batch of images as a whole? If so are you still able to apply attributes to a single image an not the whole?”
An image sequence appears in Ae as a single footage item (like a movie). This lets you treat it as a single entity in your timeline.
When you say “apply attributes to a single image and not the whole” — what exactly do you mean? Of course you can keyframe any property you like, you can split the layer wherever you need, etc.
In your example, you could import the image sequence, interpret it at 5 fps (30/6), click the position stopwatch on the first frame, then step through one frame at a time, repositioning to maintain registration. Everything will still work, but you’ll have only one layer on the timeline and each frame in the timeline will correspond to a single frame of the film but still keep correct time.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events
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