In-class demonstration
Puppet Animation:
Tutorial files: puppetanim.aep brickKiln1.psd This photo is mine, I give you permission to use it for the purposes of this class. It is of a brick kiln taken in Vietnam.
- 1. Open AE and create a new composition 720 x 480, 5 sec.
- 2. Import brickKiln1.psd as composition which will import the layers separately
- 3. eliminate BG layer, keep BG copy
- 4. place BG copy and Layer 1 in timeline, Layer 1 on top
- 5. scale both to 48%
- 6. turn off BG layer temporarily, highlight Layer 1
- 7. with pushpin icon in very top icon menu, create 3 pin locations – one at the top of the chimney, one at each of the bottom corners (in that order)
- 8. Highlight pin 1 (top of chimney)
- 9. create keyframe for position by clicking on stopwatch
- 10. move to 2 sec., move pin to the R
- 11. copy original keyframe, paste into second 3 in timeline
- 12. move to 4 sec., move chimney to L
- 13. move to 5 sec., copy keyframe at frame 1, paste into frame 5.
You should have the chimney swaying back and forth.
You can refine the timing by opening the graph rather than the timeline
It should show a linear (straight lines only) graph from one keyframe position to the next.
To change the speed of travel from one keyframe to the next, change the type of spline from linear to one of the Bezier family by R clicking on a keyframe and choosing Keyframe Interpolation.
You can reshape the path, which is a graph of speed in pixels per second.
You can also do auto ease in and out for each keyframe and see the shape of path that is created by R clicking on a keyframe and choosing Keyframe Assistant and Easy Ease (in or out).
example from Adobe site: http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/aftereffects/articles/aftcs3it_puppettool_02.html
