Hello and welcome to the tenth video in
this Beginner's Guide to Adobe After Effects. In this tutorial I'm going to
demonstrate how you can add easing to your keyframes in After Effects. So in a
previous episode we learned how to create a simple animation using
keyframes. In this video I'll be showing you how to add smoothness to your
animations by using easing. So in this video we are going to be covering the
following topics: What is easing? Applying easing, different types of easing and
using the right kind of easing. After this video you will understand how
to apply easing to keyframes to animate. So let's get into it! So here I am in
After Effects where we left off in the previous episode. In that episode we
created a simple animation of a circle moving from point A to point B changing
scale and opacity in between. Now looking at our animation in preview mode it
looks great, but there is something rigid and plain about the movement. If we look
at the animation, I previewed at the start of the previous video we can see
it moves more smoothly and with more flow. Now this is because we have easing
applied to the keyframes and if we look in a timeline panel we can see the
keyframes are different from the ones we just applied to our animation. These
keyframes have different shapes applied. In After Effects this is called easing.
So what is easing? Well in principle easing adds smooth momentum between
keyframe points which in turn adds smoothness to our sequences. So let's see
how this works in practise. So to help explain easing I'll open a
quick demonstration document I have put together. Now I recommend you look at
this because this is really going to help you. So with the project folder open
click into the S2 essential practice folder, into the tenth folder easing and
open the yo-yo demo After Effects file and you will have the same document I
have opened here. Now if you've not yet downloaded the project folder and you
want to follow along and take a closer look at this demo you will need to
download the project folder first. You can download the project folder for
a small fee the download link with instructions is in the description. The
download folder comes with lots of exercise documents we will be using on
this course that have been carefully developed to aid your learning
experience. The folder also comes with document resources such as videos,
graphics and images you can use to build your first video presentation from
scratch later on in this course. To get the full learning experience I recommend
you get the project folder, download link with instructions is in the description.
So with the project folder open click into the S2 essential practice folder,
into the tenth folder easing and open the yo-yo demo After Effects file and
you'll have the same document I have opened here.
if I hit spacebar to preview, we can see the yo-yo animations. Now it's important
to mention here that these animations are all exactly the same, however they
move differently. This is because they have different easing effects applied.
Below each animation here is a little diagram for a reference showing you the
easing that has been applied to each animation above, the lines show the
smooth effect caused by the easing. So looking at the first yo-yo we can see it
moves quite rigidly from top to bottom with quite an abrupt shift at each end,
the momentum here is pretty consistent. Now looking at the second yo-yo we can
see it's a bit more smoother when it falls, the momentum seems to slow as it
reaches the bottom and then it snaps back at the top, now looking at the third
yo-yo we can see it's even more smoother when it falls and when it reaches the
top the momentum slows as it reaches the bottom then speeds up and slows again as
it reaches the top creating a continuous smooth action with a nice swing at each
end. So now I want to draw your attention to the timeline panel, looking in the
panel we can see that each layer has the same amount of keyframes applied but
have some different shapes. In After Effects there is a variety of keyframes
you can apply to create various movement and smoothness effects and if we look
carefully we can see the keyframes below are matching the keyframes in the
diagram just under each yo-yo animation. Now let's take a quick look at keyframe types. So these are the common keyframe
shapes you'll encounter when applying easing to your keyframes. At this stage
it will help to recognize the shapes and what they do, if you'd like to take your
time to look over these keyframes you can also look at the keyframe page on
the PDF course document that accompanies this course. This document has been
prepared to help you and accompany your learning experience. This can be
downloaded for free the link is in the description. So here we have the first
keyframe, this is a diamond shape and is referred to as a Linear keyframe,
these are the default keyframes created when you add effects to your layers
initially and these typically creates a plain and direct movement. On a diagram
it appears like this, a linear keyframe as described creates a simple line of
movement over time where an object in this example a circle will move from
point A to point B within a certain time frame at a constant speed with a rigid
movement. So next we have what looks like an arrow shape pointing left, this
keyframe is referred to as an ease out keyframe, this keyframe could be applied
to add smoothness to the start of a sequence. On a diagram it appears like
this, an ease out keyframe creates a subtle delay in time at the start where
an object in this example a circle will move out from point A starting slowly
then building momentum into point B within a certain time frame though with
a fluent movement. It's called ease out because it creates
a subtle delay moving outwards from a keyframe. So next we have what looks like
an arrow shape pointing right. This keyframe is referred to as an ease in
keyframe. So this keyframe is the exact opposite of the previous. On a diagram it
appears like this, an ease in keyframe create a subtle delay in time at the end
where an object in this example a circle will move out from point A then decrease
momentum in to point B within a certain time frame though with a flowing
movement. It's called ease in because it creates
subtle delay moving inwards to the keyframe. So next we have what looks like
an hourglass shape, this keyframe can be applied to add
smoothness in a sequence and these typically creates smooth momentum used
between sequences. On a diagram it appears like this, an easy easy keyframe
create a subtle delay or movement over time instead of a constant speed, this
tends to create a swing type movement where an object in this example a circle
will move from point A and appear to curve over point B, slowing down subtly
then swinging over to point C within a certain time frame though with a flowing
movement. So that's how these keyframes are working on my yo yo animation. So I'll
press spacebar to stop the animation preview and now if I come into the
timeline panel and look at the first yo-yo one layer we can see that the
keyframes applied to this are linear keyframes.
These are the default keyframes that are applied initially as you begin to
animate the sequence. Now if I carefully click the first keyframe for the yo-yo, next
I will hold shift then click and drag to select the other two keyframes. Upon
release I will select them all and we can see they are highlighted in blue. Now
if I carefully come over to the left at the top of the timeline panel above the
layer names we can see an icon here called the graph editor, now if I click
this where the layers once were we can now see this visual diagram. What we are
looking at here is the momentum of yo-yo one between each keyframe, keep in mind
that this is not the physical direction movement of the object in the
composition panel above. Think of this as more of a momentum graph over time. The
smoothness of position in this instance is represented here by this green line.
Now notice how straight and rigid the line is, we can see that this diagram is
matching the one we have under the first yo-yo. Now remember this. So I'll click
back on the graph editor button to go back to my layers. So using linear
keyframes creates a more direct animated appearance where it goes from one point
to another with a consistent speed with no smoothness or change in momentum. So this time if we look at the second yo-yo 2 layer we can see that the same linear
keyframes are applied but this time the middle keyframe is an hourglass shape. This is an easy easy frame. Now if I carefully
click on the first keyframe for yo yo 2, next I will hold shift then click and
drag to select the other two keyframes, upon release, I will select them all and
we can see they are highlighted in blue. Now if I carefully come over to the left
at the top of the timeline panel and click the graph editor icon, once again,
what we are now looking at is the momentum of the yo-yo 2 shape between
each keyframe. Notice this time instead of the rigid line, there is a subtle
curve in the middle. Now we can see that this diagram is matching the one we have
under the second yo-yo. So I'll click back on the graph editor button to go
back to my layers. So using an easy easy keyframe in the middle creates a smooth
swing animation in between the sequence. So next let's look at the third yo-yo
layer, this time we can see we have something quite different. The first
keyframe is an arrow pointing left, this is an ease-out keyframe, the second frame
is an hourglass, an easy easy frame again and the last keyframe is an arrow
pointing right. This is an ease in keyframe. Now if I carefully click the
first keyframe for yo-yo 3, hold shift and click and drag to select the other
two keyframes, upon release I will select them all and we can see they're all
highlighted in blue. Now if I carefully come over to the left at the top of the
timeline panel and click the graph editor icon, again what we are looking at
now is the momentum of the yo-yo 3 shape between each keyframe.
Notice this time we have the same curve at the top, but this time the lines curves
more out at the beginning and at the end. So this line is more curvy. Now we can
see that this diagram is matching the one we have under the third yo-yo. So
I'll click back on the graph editor button to go back to my layers. So using
an ease out keyframe at the start, an easy ease keyframe in the middle and an
ease in at the end we get a really nice smooth animation throughout the sequence.
So adding easing changes the momentum of of an effect between keyframes, this as a
visual effect adds smoothness to our sequences and is
something you will want to keep in mind and apply to your sequences as you
animate and build your video presentations. Now in After Effects applying easing is easy. So now I'm going to show you how. So to begin we are going to
need the animation project open we created in the previous episode. If you
have yours ready be sure to open it though, if you do not or you're joining
the course for the first time you can get this After Effects project in the
downloadable folder to follow along. With the project folder open, click into the
S2 essential practice folder, then into the tenth folder easing and open the
easing After Effects file and you will have the same document I have opened
here. So now we are ready to begin, so let's take a quick look at the current
animation. So I'll make sure the time indicator is at the start of the
timeline and I'll press spacebar to activate preview, right now we can see
this is a very plain and direct animation moving from left to right and
scaling down quite plainly. Now if we look in the timeline panel we can see
the keyframes for our animation we set earlier. Looking at these we can see they
are all diamond shape, these are linear keyframes which are the basic and plane
keyframes which create consistent momentum. Now I want to add some dynamic
to the animation, so to begin I want us to concentrate on the position keyframes.
So I'll press spacebar to stop the preview and the first thing I'm going to
do here is click the first position keyframe. With it selected I'm going to
right-click on the mouse then scroll down to keyframe assistance, scroll
across and select ease out. Upon click we will now see the keyframe change shape
from a diamond shape to the arrow pointing left. So just like that I have
added easing to my first keyframe. Now I used an ease out keyframe there because
it is at the start of the sequence and I want the circle to build up momentum
gradually from the start of the sequence, So next I will click the second position
keyframe, with it selected I'm going to right click on the mouse then scroll
down to keyframe assistance, scroll across and select easy ease, upon click
we will now see the keyframe change shape from a diamond shape to an
or glass shape. Now I used an easy easy frame there because it is between the
sequence and I want the circle to smooth over the middle of the sequence. So next
I will click the third position keyframe, with it selected I'm going to right
click on the mouse then scroll down to keyframe assistance, scroll across and
select ease in, upon click we will now see the keyframe change shape from a
diamond shape to an arrow pointing right. Now I added an ease in keyframe there
because it is at the end of the sequence and I want the circle to slow down
momentum gradually into the end of the sequence. So with easing applied to my
position keyframes I'll make sure the time indicator is at the start of the
timeline and I'll press spacebar to activate preview. So now we can see there
is a nice smooth transition from point A to point B and back again, instead of the
abrupt and robotic movement at each point we now have a nice smooth swing
like sequence. Now if I carefully click the first keyframe for position, next I
will hold shift then click and drag to select the other two keyframes. With them
selected I can carefully come over to the left at the top of the timeline
panel and click the graph editor icon again and this is the effect the easing
is having on the keyframes. So at the start we applied the ease out keyframe,
this is creating this nice curve out like so, then at the middle we applied
the easy ease, this is creating this nice smooth curve at the top then at the end
we applied the ease in that is creating this nice curve in like so. So I'll make
sure the time indicator is at the start of the timeline and I'll press spacebar
to activate preview. Now we can watch and compare the momentum of the animation
above over time with a momentum curve here in the graph editor. So we can see
the circle slowly moves out then gathers momentum to point B then towards the
curve it slows down over point B. Over the curve it starts to build momentum in
a swing action back to point A and as it approaches point A it decreases momentum slowly. Now because the starting point is at the end point, this appears to be an
influence animation. Now in this graph editor here, if we were to link this
together it would look like a wave as the ease out on the Left would join the
ease in on the right infinitely. So I'll click back on the graph editor button to
go back to my layers. So next I want to concentrate on the scale keyframes. So if
I press spacebar to stop the preview the first thing I'm going to do here is
click the first scale keyframe. With it selected I'm going to right click on the
mouse, then scroll down to keyframe assistance, scroll across and select ease
out, upon click we will now see the keyframe change shape from a diamond
shape to the arrow pointing left. So next I will click the second scale keyframe,
with it selected I'm going to right click on the mouse then scroll down to
keyframe assistance scroll across and select easy ease. Upon click we will now
see the keyframe change shape from a diamond shape to an hourglass shape. Next
I will click the third scale keyframe, with it selected I'm going to right
click on a mouse then scroll to keyframe assistance scroll across and select easy
ease again. Upon click we will now see the keyframe change shape from a diamond shape to an hourglass shape again. Next I will click the fourth scale keyframe,
with it selected I'm going to right click on the mouse then scroll down to
keyframe assistance, scroll across and select easy ease. Upon click we will now
see the keyframe change shape from a diamond shape to the hourglass shape
again. Lastly I will click the fifth scale keyframe, with it selected I'm
going to right click on the mouse and scroll down to keyframe assistance
scroll across, and select ease in. Upon click we will now see the keyframe
change shape from a diamond shape to the arrow pointing right.
So with easing applied to my scale keyframes I'll make sure the time
indicator is at the start of the timeline and I'll press spacebar to
activate preview. So now we can see that is a nice smooth scale transition
applied to the sequence, much nicer! Now if I carefully click the first keyframe
for scale, next I will hold shift then click and drag to select the other four
keyframes, with them selected I can carefully come over to the
left at the top of the timeline panel and click the graph editor icon again.
What we are now looking at is the momentum of the scale between each
keyframe. So now we can see something a little more interesting than the first
example. At the start we applied an ease out keyframe, at the end we applied an
ease in keyframe and all through the middle we applied the easy ease
keyframes. So see the effect it has here, it has created this nice curved line. So
I'll make sure the time indicator is at the start of the timeline and I'll press
spacebar to activate preview. So just like the smooth momentum of the
positioning, we now have smooth momentum for scale. So I'll click back on the graph
editor button to go back to the layers and the last effect we have applied is
opacity. Now opacity in this instance is a very subtle effect, we could add easing
to the keyframes but in this instance it would not have any obvious effect, if I
preview the animation it appears to work as I wish. So in this instance I'm just
going to leave the keyframe set to linear. So that is an introduction to
easing and how easing is applied to keyframes in After Effects. As we
progress on this course we are going to be animating more and more, expanding on
the principles we have learned in this video and adding easing to create more
complex and dynamic effects. So once you are happy with your animation, come up to
file scroll down and select save as. What we will do here is save a new version of
the After Effects document. Now I'm going to save this in the folder here in the
project folder. You can save this wherever you wish but make sure you
remember where it is as we will be using this in the next episode. Here I'll save
this as easing lesson project and click OK. Perfect! So to recap some key things to remember are: Adding easing changes the
momentum of an effect at the start , end or between keyframes. As a visual effect
easing adds smoothness to our sequences and this adds a more dynamic and smooth
aesthetic to our sequences. So over the last few episodes, we have
learned about animation principles and now we know how to create simple
animations. Now one of the main factors when creating video sequences is time.
Now we use the timeline to set our keyframes to animate and edit of video
to create a video presentation to specific times. As you start to build in
After Effects there are going to be various occasions where you will want to
customize the time it takes for an effect to happen, the speed of an
animation or even the speed of a video, you may want to slow something down or
speed something up. In the next video I'm going to discuss a feature in After
Effects called 'time stretching' and I'll also show you ways to control your
keyframe animations to slow down or speed up your sequence, So see you in the next video!
