After Effects 6.0 has been shipping for over a week now. Many of you probably have it in hand now and are wondering where you can get the latest tutorials on how to use this fantastic product. Fear not dear reader, we've been busy writing tutorials over the last couple of weeks and present a current summary to you now.
REVIEW[an error occurred while processing this directive]First off, if you don't know what After Effects 6.0 is, you might want to become familiar with it. If you have been hiding on the far moons of Klapulon Rigel 5 and didn't know there was an update to After effects, you might want to check it out.
Adobe After Effects 6.0
Major upgrade worth the wait
by Stephen Schleicher
When Adobe released After Effects 5.0 some two years ago, it was a major breakthrough in compositing technology – 3D layers, vector painting, speed and workflow improvements were all major advantages to this application. With the near-release of After Effects 6.0, Adobe has done it again by adding and improving upon an already-great animation and compositing package.Read More
TUTORIALS
Just Can’t Wait
Text Tool in After Effects 6.0
by Stephen Schleicher
A lot of people stopped to check out the After Effects 6.0 review I wrote the other day… A LOT OF PEOPLE! Most have been blown away with the Text Tool and some of the amazing things you can do with it. To whet your appetite, here is a quick tutorial to show you how to create your own DMN logo in After Effects 6.0. You’ll want to bookmark this tutorial, because on delivery day, you’ll want to rip right into using the new Text Tool.Read More
SHA-SHA-SHARK
Reshaping Text in After Effects
by Stephen Schleicher
While playing with After Effects, I rediscovered a way to reshape text to look like something else. The reason I say rediscovered is because even the best AE user will occasionally forget an effect that is not used too often. In this After Effects exercise (which will work in AE5.5 or the new AE6.0), we’ll use the Reshape effect to mold our effect.Read More
Boxes, Boxes!
Creating 3D geometry easily in After Effects 6
by Ko Maruyama
If you're making your own 3D boxes in AE 5, you know it can be done, but what a hassle. Perhaps you saw Digital Anarchy's 3D Assistants, but thought, "I only need a cube." Well, Adobe heard you. Packaged inside the new After Effects 6.0 Pro is 3D Assistants Lite from Digital Anarchy.Read More
AE6 Overview Part 1: Tracking and Stabilizing Motion
Improved feature in latest version
by Stephen Schleicher
One of the things that can plague even the best of videographers is a shaky camera shot. I always try to stress the importance of using a tripod when shooting, but because of the nature of the shoot (or people ignoring good advice) not using a tripod could be a necessity. This could lead to a great take ruined by a wobbling camera. Time and budget may not allow the production crew to go back for a reshoot, so what do you do when the producer is screaming for a nice stable shot?Read More
AE6 Overview Part 2: Stabilization
Stabilizing motion
by Stephen Schleicher
In the last installment, I gave a tour of the improvements and features found in the Tracking and Stabilize Motion features of After Effects 6.0 Pro. In this installment we’ll work through an exercise putting the Stabilize Motion feature to work.Read More
AE6.0 Overview Part 3: Motion Tracking
Single Point Tracking
by Stephen Schleicher
Even better than being able to stabilize a shot is the ability for After Effects 6.0 to track regions or points in a layer and apply that tracking information to another layer in your composition. With the tracking feature, it becomes a simple matter of making computer-generated graphics, effects, or even complex compositions follow a point in your video. Read More
AE6 Overview Part 4: Multipoint Tracking
Tracking CG elements to real world footage
by Stephen Schleicher
Not only can After Effects 6.0 track a single point in a motion clip, it can also track multiple points. These multi-points are tracked and the resulting data can be used to distort a layer you are applying the data to. In this segment, we’ll look at multipoint tracking and how you can use it to create a believable effect. Read More
While there have been other After Effects tutorials written over the last couple of weeks, these are the ones that have been After Effects 6.0 specific. Rest assured dear reader that more AE6.0 tutorials are one their way.
There you have it. Launch your upgrade and have some fun!
When not working deep in the labs of the DMN Central Division testing the latest and greatest software/hardware products Stephen Schleicher can be found at the local university teaching a few courses on video and web production. He can be reached at schleicher@mindspring.com. You can also visit him on the web at www.mindspring.com/~schleicher where he has a growing list of his many tutorials.
Ko Maruyama is a freelance animator who is currently working in Los Angeles on cel and 3D animations for broadcast. You can find him in the After Effects Forum and in the Visual Effects Forum. The email is komaruyama@mac.com.
