Basic Animation and the Graph View

Basic Animation and the Graph View

Figure 2.4 shows the fi rst step: a very basic animation
blocked in using Linear keyframes, evenly spaced. It won’t
look like a bouncing ball yet, but it’s a typical way to start
when animating, for new and experienced animators alike.

To get to this point

. Having set the fi rst keyframe at frame 0, move the ball

off left of frame.

. At frame 24, move the ball off right of frame, creating a

second keyframe.

. Now add the bounces: At frame 6 and 18 move the ball

straight downward so it touches the bottom of frame.

This leaves fi ve Position keyframes and an extremely

unconvincing looking bouncing ball animation. Great—it

always helps to get something blocked in so you can clearly

see what’s wrong. Also, the default Graph Editor view at

this point is not very helpful, because it displays the Speed

Graph, and the speed of the layer is completely steady at

this point—deliberately so, in fact. That’s why keyframes

were created in that order (although in a moment you’ll

see how to avoid having to do it that way with a new

feature).

To get the view shown in Figure 2.4, make sure Show Reference

Graph is enabled in the Graph Options menu .

This is a toggle even advanced users miss, although it is now

on by default; in addition to the not-very-helpful Speed

Graph you now see the Value Graph in its X (red) and Y

(green) values. However, the green values appear upsidedown!

This is the fl ipped After Effects Y axis in action; 0 is

at the top of frame so that 0,0 is in the top left corner, as it

has been since After Effects 1.0, long before 3D animation

was added.