How-tos for After Effects
Layer order matters — what's on top shows on top. Rearranging your layer stack is simple once you know how.
Sometimes you need to focus on just one or two layers. Visibility toggles, Solo, and Shy help you control what you see fast without deleting anything.
Clean names equal a clean mind. Rename layers to save tons of guesswork later when you're hunting for something specific.
Need a backup or a quick variation? Duplicate a layer — it is the fastest way to iterate and test ideas.
Shape layer is vector-based and crisp — perfect for clean UI elements or animated graphics that need to scale without losing quality.
Titles, lower thirds, little labels — text layers handle it all. They're super easy to create and even easier to edit.
After Effects comes with different workspace layouts depending on what you're doing — animation, color, effects, you name it. Switch between them based on your task.
By default, your composition background is black, but you can change it easily for better visibility while you're working and animating.
After Effects gives you different views for your comp — super useful when you're working with 3D layers and need to see things from multiple angles at once.
Sometimes high-quality previews slow you down while you're working. Dropping the quality temporarily helps your workflow stay smooth.
Solid layers are perfect for backgrounds, color blocks, or as bases for effects. Think of them as flat, colored rectangles you can place anywhere in your comp.
If your panels are all over the place and you can't find anything, don't panic. You can reset your workspace in seconds.
After Effects lets you customize your workspace by docking and undocking panels however you like. Set it up for how you work, not how someone else thinks you should.
The toolbar at the top is where you'll find your basic tools for creating and editing. It's the launch pad for most of what you'll do.
Sometimes you need to see the big picture of your entire timeline, other times you zoom to hunt for a single frame.
The timeline is where your animation comes to life. It's the control center for every layer and keyframe you create.
Folders are your best friend when projects get big. They work just like folders on your computer — organize everything and keep the chaos at bay.
Once you start importing lots of files, the Project panel gets messy fast. Keeping it organized makes your whole workflow smoother and faster.
Before you can animate anything, you need footage or images inside your project. It is straightforward to import files in After Effects — takes like 30 seconds.
Project settings affect your entire project, not just one composition. This is where you control things like color depth and working color space — stuff that matters for the final output.
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