Here are several general tips for using After Effects READING: A link to AE keystrokes/shortcuts. https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/user-guide.html/after-effects/using/keyboard-shortcuts-reference.ug.html VIDEO: Relinking missing assets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6PNAAVcsqg&feature=youtu.be VIDEO: How to Gather All Assets…except fonts! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqYTT525npk
Why Choose This Method? If you love to draw If you want the maximum in expressiveness If you want full control …then this is the technique for you! Start with drawings!
Why This Method? This technique is best suited for artwork more akin to “Adventure Time”, where the legs and arms are like tubes or spaghetti. It uses the puppet tool in AE. For an example of how to construct the artwork, download and take a look inside the Illustrator file, “beatnik.ai”. The download is zipped.
The following tutorials review how to set up your artwork (in Illustrator this time) and import it into After Effects as a composition, ready to walk. I demo using a skeleton created for this lesson. Sorry, he’s not available for download.
Whether you began by drawing, using cut paper or digital files, you will likely use imaging software, like Photoshop or Illustrator, to prepare and build your character for the “pieces/parts” walk cycle. IMPORTANT: Unless you plan to do true frame-by-frame and not Cel animation, make sure that your pieces/parts are on a transparent background! Break