Intermediate After Effects Arch 200c 2013 Fall
Course	Arch 200c
Date	2013/11/19
Learning Objectives	The Second of two Adobe After Effects workshops this session will build on foundational knowledge from the first workshop.
Agenda	Storyboard Check in - 30 minutes After Effects Part II
Uses Tool(s)

After Effects Part II

This workflow will cover three techniques for animating natural pehnomana in After Effects – fog and rain, ocean waves, and plant growth. All key After Effects terms that are found across the interface are in bold italic.

Helpful videos:

• Animating along a line
• Animating along a line II
• Working with Layer Masks

Creating Fog and Rain

Creating Fog and Rain with After Effects effects is relatively simple and involves some movement keyframing and layering/adjusting multiple compositions. It is important to keep in mind that there is no specific formula, rather small adjustments in the effect layers will result varied outcomes.

Step 1 – Creating the First Composition

• Create a new composition: composition -> new composition
  • Name this composition Fog_01
• Layer -> new solid layer - make this layer black
• Create first fog layer: with your solid layer selected go to effects -> noise and grain -> fractal noise . Here you can adjust many of the size, opacity, and rotation settings for desired effect.
• Keyframe the fog to move
  • Keyframe offset turbulence . Drag the red circular icon to move fog position.
  • Keyframe evolution . With the evolution keyframed the fog will appear to rotate over time.
• Add blur effect to the fog
  • Effect -> blur and sharpen -> CC vector blur
    • Adjust blur type, direction, fading, and angle offset
• Control/command + “d” to duplicate the fog layer
  • Right click and rename the new layer Fog_02
• Set both layer modes to ' screen'
  • This can be done in the layers panel by clicking the toggle switchs/mode and changing the mode to screen. This mode makes the layers act as overlays so the second layer can be seen through the first.

Step 2 – Create the Second Composition

• In the project window duplicate your first composition by dragging it to the film icon at the bottom of the project window. Rename this composition Fog_2
  • If you do not see the project window go to window -> project
• In the layer viewer for Fog_02 go to the layer drop down menu at the top of the screen > mask > new mask. Increase the y value of mask feather
• Duplicate Fog_02 in the layer window and adjust the feather mask so the higher layer is less.

Step 3 – Add Adjustments

• Create an adjustment layer in the layers panel for the Fog_02 composition.
  • Layer -> new -> adjustment layer
• Type tint in the dialogue box of the ' Effects and Presets' window.
  • Drag the tint icon to the adjustment layer.
    • Change Map White To a grey/blue color.

Step 4 – Create the Third Composition

• In the project window duplicate Fog_02 and rename it Fog_03. When you open Fog_03 in the layer panel you will notice that its layers are no longer shape layers, rather they are the Fog and Fog compositions.
• In the layer panel for the Fog_01 composition, copy the first layer and paste it in the Fog_03 layer panel. Make sure it is the top layer.

Step 5 – Add Additional Effects

• Blue hue - right click on the top layer of the Fog_03 composition: effect -> color correction -> photo filter
  • Change the filter drop down option to cooling
• Light from behind the fog – right click on the top layer of Fog_03 composition: effect -> stylize -> CC glass
  • Adjust the light color
  • Change light type to point and move the position to desired location
• Add rain – right click on the top layer of the Fog_03 composition: effect -> simulation -> CC rainfall
  • Adjust color, opacity, wind, size, etc.

Water and Cloud Effects

Step 1 – Set Up Base for Water

• Make a new Composition
• New solid layer: Layer -> new -> solid
  • Set the color to 50% Grey (B: 50%)
  • This grey is going to be important for displacement maps that will be used later
• New white solid layer
  • Make this layer about 2/3 larger than the grey layer. It should particularly be larger in the x direction.
• Adjust white layer
  • In the layers panel check the cube icon box to make this layer 3d
  • Rotate 90 degrees with rotate tool (upper left hand corner of screen) so it appears as a flat plane

• • With the white layer selected use the transform -> position values and/or arrow tool and control points to adjust the plane so it looks like a surface in perspective

=Step 2 – Build Up Base for Water

• Add fractal noise to white layer: right click on white layer -> effect -> noise and grain -> fractal noise
  • Change fractal type to dynamic
  • Under transform uncheck uniform scaling
  • Change scale width to 50
  • Scale height to 35

• Adjust offset turbulence within fractal noise effect – under transform drop down menu
  • Option click on timer icon for offset turbulence (numbers should turn pink)
  • In layer panel use pick whip (twirl icon) to grab x value
  • A script will appear in the timeline. Change first and second “temp” to “x” and third “temp” to “time*190”. This moves y value 190 pixels per second in y direction. Do a ram preview to see the movement. The y value can be adjusted and keyframed for a varied effect.

• Water evolves, that is to say it rotates slightly as it moves toward you.
  • Working in the fractal noise effect – option click on evolution stopwatch icon. A text box will appear in the timeline.
  • Type in expression: “time*300”. You can adjust this value for stronger/more subtle rotation as waves move forward.

Step 3 – Set Up Base for Sky

• Create a new composition called “sky pre comp”
• Make a new solid layer: layer -> new -> solid layer
  • This layer should be the same dimensions as the white layer used for the water base
• Make this layer 3d. Like in the water layer rotate and adjust this plane it so it is in the opposite perspective as the water layer. Remember it is the base for the sky, which is above the ocean.

Step 4 – Build Up Base for Sky

• Add fractal noise to white layer: right click on white layer -> effect -> noise and grain -> fractal noise
  • Change fractal type to dynamic
  • Set noise type to linear
  • Up the contrast
• Adjust offset turbulence within fractal noise effect – under transform drop down menu
  • Option click on timer icon for offset turbulence (numbers should turn pink)
  • In layer panel use pick whip (twirl icon) to grab x value
  • Again in script text change first two “temp” values to “x” and the third to “time*80*. This will make the clouds move much slower than the water. This is another value that can be adjusted for desired effect.
• Clouds also evolve…
  • Working in the fractal noise effect – option click on evolution stopwatch icon. A text box will appear in the timeline.
  • Type in expression: “time*45”. This means the clouds will rotate 45 degrees per second. You can adjust this value for stronger/more subtle rotation as waves move forward.
  • In evolution options change random seed value to “1”. This just means that the clouds will have a different starting point than the water.

Step 5 – Background Layer

• Create a new composition and name it “Main”
• Create a new white solid layer and name it “background”. Make sure it is the same dimensions as the actual composition. Check the make comp size box when you set up the layer.
• Create a gradient effect: right click on layer -> effect -> generate -> ramp
  • Set the start color to dark blue.
  • Set the end color to light blue.

Step 6 – Combine Compositions

• In the project window drag your water composition into the layers panel for the main composition. Make sure it is above the “background” layer.
• Use a rectangle shape to mask portion above water.
  • Feather the mask a bit in the Y direction.

Step 7 – Make the Water 3d

• Add 3d effect: right click on water pre comp layer -> effect -> stylize -> CC glass
  • Settings (as always can be adjusted and keyframed for desired effect) – height: 20, displacement: 200, under the shading tab – ambient: 0.0, diffuse: 100, specularity: 65, roughness: .05
• Add color effect: right click on layer -> effect -> color correction -> tritone
  • Make highlights a very dark blue, mid-tones blue, and shadows light blue.

Step 8 – Add Sky to Main Composition

• Drag sky comp into the layer panel for the main composition. You will notice that the sky is not an overlay, that parts of it are still black.
• Adjust sky comp so it overlays correctly.
  • Make new solid white layer in sky pre comp layers panel.
  • Drag this new layer so it is under the original sky layer.
  • Under the trkmat change the drop down to Luma Matte

• In the layers panel for the main composition the sky should no longer have black spots.
• In the layers panel for the main composition change the mode for the sky layer to soft light.

• To give the clouds more depth, duplicate the sky layer in the project panel and add it to the MAIN comp.
  • Adjust the offset turbulence and evolution options for the new layer.

Step 9 – Add a Sunset and Water Reflection

• In the ramp effect for the background layer change the end color to a dark orange.
• In the tritone effect for water layer change the shadows to orange.
• Create a new black solid layer in the main layers panel. Place this layer above the sky and water layers.
• Right click -> effect -> generate -> lens flare
  • Change mode to add
  • Change lens type to 105 mm prime
  • Add tritone adjustment layer to change colors
• Make the water glow: create an adjustment layer above the water layer – right click effect -> stylize -> glow

Animating Plant Growth

This quick tutorial is just an intro to some simple movement and repetition techniques that can be used to animate growth.

Step 1 – Base Image

When animating the growth of leaves, flower pedals, grass, etc. you will want a base image to place these individual elements on top of. For this demo we are not concerned with the background and will simply be using a vector image of a tree branch.

• Create a new composition and name it MAIN
• Import a base Photoshop or Illustrator file: file -> import -> import as composition
  • Drag this composition into the layer panel of the MAIN composition
  • You can always add effects to this image later

Step 2 – Set-up Composition for Leaf Growth

• Create new composition and name it PRE LEAF
  • set this composition to a small size like 250x250 pixels
• Import Photoshop leaf file as a composition
  • Drag this composition into the layers panel for the PRE LEAF composition
• Move anchor point of leaf: in layers panel click “A” to bring up the anchor point control.
  • Click on the anchor point tool in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
  • Move anchor point to base of leaf.
• Make two duplicate leaf layers: command + d
  • Change the Z rotation and scale the two new leaves so they are slightly different from the original.
• Adjust color of leaves
  • Add a color effect to the two bottom leaves they are not all the same: effect -> color correction -> hue and saturation
• Add a drop shadow to two bottom leaf layers: effect -> perspective -> drop shadow
  • Opacity, feathering, and angle of the drop shadow can all be adjusted for desired effect.

Step 3 – Add Motion to Leaves

• Window -> Wiggler
  • With Z rotation value the same make a key frame at the start and end of the timeline
  • Select these key frames in the wiggler
  • Frequency - .5
  • Magnitude – 7.0

• Repeat the wiggle effect process for the second two layers and adjust the values slightly for each layer.
• Preview leaf animation.
  • If one leaf is passing in front of another this is a problem with the Y rotation.
  • A bit of guess and check but you can adjust the values for the Y rotation key frames ensure that the leaves do not pass in front of each other.

Step 4 – Make the Leaves Grow

• Select all layers -> click “S” to bring up the scale control for all the layers.
  • Set a key frame at 3 seconds (the leaves should be full scale here).
  • Slide the time picker to “0” and set the scale on all layers to “0”
  • If the leaves grow too fast or slow you can adjust where the second key frame is positioned in the timeline

Step 5 – Place Leaves in MAIN Composition

• Drag the PRE LEAF composition in to the layers panel for the MAIN Composition
• Propagate leaves: you can duplicate the PRE LEAF layer several times and place it in any position within the composition.
  • Check the 3d box to rotate the leaves in three dimensions.
• Create difference – you will probably want to make 3-4 different versions of the PRE LEAF composition to make the animation more varied, however once in the MAIN composition you can add additional scale as well as hue and saturation effects.
• Be sure to move the start point of each leaf layer so they all do not begin to grow at the same time.

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• Working between After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator
• Animating 2d Lines
• Rotoscoping
• Effects