How To Add Keyframes In After Effects

A Step-by-Stride Guide to Setting Keyframes in After Effects.

Short of the timeline itself, a keyframe is the most important animation tool in Afterwards Effects. So with this is mind we're going to take a bones look at how to set up keyframes in Afterwards Effects.

Nonetheless, it's non good to put the cart before the horse. First, permit's learn a piffling bit more about these mysterious keyframes.

What is a Keyframe in After Effects?

Keyframes are markers in time that allow you lot to tell Afterwards Furnishings where yous want to change the value for a layer or outcome property such as position, opacity, scale, rotation, amount, particle count, color, etc. By setting these 'markers' and changing the values you create animation.

Keyframes_Timeline Panel_1.jpg — Little Diamond Keyframes in the Timeline Console.

Every MoGraph (Movement Graphic) application has a timeline, and information technology's inside this timeline that y'all add keyframes to create motility. For Subsequently Effects, keyframes are set in the Timeline Console. When nosotros set these keyframes in the timeline we are telling Afterwards Effects where we want our animation to begin and where we want it to end.

Keyframes_Timeline Panel_2.jpg — Two keyframes, one begins the animation, the other ends it.

Why do we Need Keyframes in After Effects?

Keyframes are the almost crucial component for blitheness, and because of this they are used on all sorts of backdrop and effects. As nosotros learned above, keyframes tell After Effects where we want an animation to begin and where we want it to end.

Setting keyframes in the timeline panel to the scale transform option. Checkout the result beneath.

Keyframes practice more than merely movement a layer from ane side of the composition to the other. Y'all can utilise keyframes to alter the opacity of an element from 100% visibility to 0% visibility over time. Or could you change the scale of an element from 0% to 100% over time. You can even add keyframes to effects, which gives your furnishings greater flexibility, and this essentially unlocks a infinite world of Motion Design possibilities.

The end issue of setting keyframes to the scale transform option.

3 Steps to Setting Keyframes in Subsequently Effects

Now that nosotros know the basics of what keyframes are, and why they are important, let's walk through how to set keyframes in After Effects. This curt and basic do volition break things down in their simplest form, with the hope that you gain a firm foundation on how keyframes work and how you should utilize them on your future projects. Here'south a quick outline on how to set a keyframe in Afterwards Effects:

Pace one: Ready a starting value & select the stopwatch icon adjacent to the holding.
Step 2: Move your playhead to a new spot in the timeline.
Step iii: Accommodate the second value.

Hot Air Balloon Animation Keyframe Example

For this first instance we're going to use an image nosotros establish from Adobe Stock, the elements nosotros're going to breathing are the clouds in the background and the hot air balloon in the foreground. We'll exist using two simple keyframes to change the position value for each element. Permit's get going!

STEP i: Fix YOUR Offset KEYFRAME WITH THE STOPWATCH ICON

Let's make up one's mind our starting indicate for the balloon and set our first keyframe by clicking the stopwatch side by side to the position holding. Remember, this technique tin work for any effect or transformation property in Afterwards Effects. Neat!

Set up where the airship is coming from and click that stopwatch icon.

Footstep 2: Move THE PLAYHEAD TO THE Second LOCATION

Next, let's movement our time indicator to the end of the timeline. For your project you can motility your playhead anywhere you want.

Pace iii: ADJUST THE SECOND VALUE Property

Now move out balloon to the other side of the comp. You lot'll see once nosotros release the mouse push button a new keyframe is created. You lot can hit the spacebar to preview your new animation, merely let'southward accept this a littler further...

Tell Subsequently Furnishings where the balloon is going.

Okay, let's get the clouds moving the in opposite direction. First we'll prepare a keyframe clicking the stopwatch, this tells After Effects where we want the position of our clouds to start.

At present, tell After Effects where the clouds are coming from.

Now, we'll move the time indicator to the end of the timeline ruler and so motility our clouds slightly in the opposite direction that we moved the airship.

And so tell Later on Effects where they are going.

Just similar that we've created a elementary parallaxing blitheness using just two keyframes for each chemical element. Now, yous can go more than complex than this if y'all want, so allow'southward take a await at how to do that.

Animative Text with Keyframes

For this case we're going to adjust the values for the position and opacity of our logo and two text layers that will appear over our airship and clouds.

However, with this animation nosotros need to tell After Effects where we want our elements to come from, then where we want it to stop for a duration of 3 secs, and finally where we desire it to go to. With this said we'll be using 4 keyframes instead of two. Let'southward get going!

*Note: Since I'thou working with three elements that I desire to all motion together I'yard going to select all iii layers and hit the "P" central on the keyboard. This pulls up the position transform option. As long as I keep all layers selected keyframes I add volition be added to all three. If y'all desire to learn more about After Effects keyboard shortcuts check out this tutorial.

Footstep 1: SET THE ENDING VALUE

Outset what I similar to practise is set the logo and text exactly where I want them to end up in the composition. Then I create my get-go keyframe by clicking the stopwatch. This may feel bad-mannered, but animating in opposite is a great blueprint-centric way of creating an animation.

This time we start past telling Subsequently Effects where the elements need to finish up.

STEP 2: SET THE STARTING VALUE

Next I tell After Effects where I want the elements to come from by moving my time indicator back i full 2d. And so I move the elements, you'll discover once again that when I move them AE creates a new set of keyframes.

Then we tell it where information technology came from.

STEP 3: SET THE SECOND STATIC KEYFRAME

Now, I move the time indicator 3 seconds by the keyframe I created in step 1. Then without moving my elements I click the "add keyframe" icon to the left of the stopwatch. By doing this I've told After Furnishings that for 3 seconds I don't want my elements to move.

Then we tell After Effects how long information technology needs to exist visible without moving.

STEP 4: SET THE ANIMATE-OUT KEYFRAME

Finally, I move the time indicator ahead 1 second past the keyframe created in stride iii. From hither I can motion the elements down and outside of the composition frame.

In just a few steps we've created a simple and like shooting fish in a barrel animation that didn't crave a lot of piece of work, plus we learned the fundamentals of how to set keyframes. Let's take a look at the last result.

Is setting keyframes really that easy?

Yes, setting keyframes isn't going to exist the hardest thing you lot exercise in Later on Effects. Believe me, there are plenty of other confusing things to learn. But at present that you lot know the basics, the best thing I can tell you is to get working and repeat the process over and over. The more you work with keyframes, the more comfortable you'll be with working with them. You lot'll even become to the point where setting keyframes becomes second nature.

If you want to learn about some advanced-level keyframe techniques go cheque out our intro to the graph editor tutorial. It's one of the most helpful tutorial's you'll ever run into. Motion Mondays (our weekly newsletter) is also a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest Motion Pattern trends and sharpen your skills. Just signup by clicking that register button at the top of the page. Now become create!!

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