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Adobe After Effects 2020 for Mac v17.0 Tutorial

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Source: 爱上MAC  |  Software download link: Adobe After Effects 2020 for Mac

I. Software Positioning and Version Features

Adobe After Effects 2020 (version 17.0) is a professional motion graphics and visual effects software, widely used in film and television visual effects, TV packaging, advertising animation, UI motion design, broadcast package design, and other fields. As the industry-standard motion graphics and visual effects compositing platform, After Effects provides powerful 2D and 3D compositing, animation creation, and visual effects creation capabilities, and is deeply integrated with Adobe software such as Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Illustrator to form a complete video creation ecosystem.

Core Version Features (2020 Release Updates)

  1. Improved Content-Aware Fill: An improved fill algorithm based on Adobe Sensei AI that more intelligently removes unwanted elements from videos
  2. Enhanced 3D Design Space: Improved 3D transform controls and visualization tools
  3. Improved Motion Graphics Templates: More flexible template creation and editing capabilities
  4. Multi-Frame Rendering: Utilizes multi-core CPUs to improve rendering performance (further refined in later versions)
  5. Improved Media Cache: More efficient media cache management
  6. Composition Profiler: A performance analysis tool that identifies performance bottlenecks in compositions
  7. Expression Improvements: A more powerful JavaScript expression engine
  8. Native Format Support: Improved ProRes RAW and ARRIRAW support

II. Installation and System Configuration Optimization

System Requirements and Installation Preparation

  • Operating System: macOS 10.13 or later
  • Processor: 64-bit multi-core Intel processor
  • Memory Requirements: 16GB minimum, 32GB or more recommended
  • Graphics Requirements: 2GB GPU VRAM, Metal-supported graphics card
  • Storage Space: 6GB of available space required for installation; an additional 10GB or more recommended for disk cache
  • Display Resolution: 1280×1080 or higher

Preferences Optimization Settings (Key Steps)

  1. General Settings (After Effects > Preferences > General)
    • Create Split Layers on Original Layers: Choose according to your workflow habits
  • Create Layers on Original Layer: Choose based on your workflow habits
  • Sync Settings: Enable Adobe Creative Cloud sync
  • Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network: Enable when needed for script development
  • Preview Settings (Preferences > Preview)
    • Adaptive Resolution Limit: Set according to performance requirements
    • GPU Information: Display GPU usage
    • Audio Preview: Preview duration and sample rate settings
  • Display Settings (Preferences > Display)
    • Motion Paths: All keyframes or no keyframes
    • Show Thumbnails in Project Panel: Enable for easy asset identification
    • Disable Thumbnails: Disable when performance is poor
  • Import Settings (Preferences > Import)
    • Sequence Footage: Frame rate settings
    • Default Interpret Footage As: Set according to project requirements
    • When Creating Layers: Preserve layer size or document size
  • Output Settings (Preferences > Output)
    • Overflow Volume: Set the disk for render overflow
    • Sequence Files: Sequence file naming rules
    • Automatically Create Log Files: Render logging
  • Grids & Guides Settings (Preferences > Grids & Guides)
    • Grids: Spacing, style, color
    • Guides: Color, style
    • Safe Margins: Action-safe and title-safe zones
  • Label Settings (Preferences > Labels)
    • Label Colors: Customize label colors for different types
    • Default Labels: Set default label colors for various assets
  • Media and Disk Cache Settings (Preferences > Media & Disk Cache)
    • Disk Cache: Set cache location and size
    • Clean Database & Cache: Clean regularly
    • Conformed Media Cache: Shared media cache
  • Memory Settings (Preferences > Memory)
    • RAM Reserved for Other Applications: 2–4 GB recommended
    • RAM Preview: Set the number of RAM preview frames
  • Audio Hardware Settings (Preferences > Audio Hardware)
    • Device Type: Select based on your audio interface
    • Default Output: Select the main monitoring device
  • Auto-Save Settings (Preferences > Auto-Save)
    • Automatically Save Projects: Check to enable
    • Save Interval: 20 minutes (recommended)
    • Maximum Project Versions: 5 (retain historical versions)

    • III. In-Depth Look at the Workspace and Interface

    Core Workspace Layout

    1. Menu Bar: File, Edit, Composition, Layer, Effect, Animation, View, Window, Help
    2. Toolbar: Selection, Hand, Zoom, Rotation, and other tools
    3. Project Panel: Asset management, composition organization, project resources
    4. Composition Panel: Preview composition results, visual editing area
    5. Timeline Panel: Layer management, keyframe animation, time control
    6. Effects & Presets Panel: Effect library and animation presets
    7. Effect Controls Panel: Adjust effect parameters applied to layers
    8. Character Panel: Text formatting settings
    9. Paragraph Panel: Paragraph formatting settings
    10. Align Panel: Layer alignment and distribution
    11. Info Panel: Coordinate, color, and other information display
  • Audio Panel: Audio level monitoring
  • Preview Panel: Playback controls, RAM preview

    • Workspace Presets and Customization

    1. Preset Workspaces
      • Standard: Default balanced layout
      • All Panels: Show all available panels
      • Animation: Emphasizes the timeline and Graph Editor
      • Effects: Emphasizes the Effects and Effect Controls panels
      • Minimal: Simplified interface with maximum preview area
      • Paint: Emphasizes the Brush and Paint tools
      • Text: Emphasizes the Character and Paragraph panels
      • Motion Tracking: Emphasizes the Tracker panel
    2. Custom Workspaces
      • Window > Workspace > New Workspace
      • Drag panel tabs to adjust the layout
      • Dock and float panels: Drag panels to a new position
      • Panel groups: Combine related panels
      • Save workspace: Name and save your custom layout
    3. Panel Management Tips
      • Resize panels: Drag panel edges
      • Close panels: Right-click the panel tab > Close
      • Restore panels: Reopen from the Window menu
      • Reset workspace: Window > Workspace > Reset

    In-Depth Look at the Toolbar

    1. Selection Tool (V)
      • Select, move, and adjust layers
      • Marquee-select multiple layers
    2. Hand Tool (H)
      • Pan the Composition panel view
  • Hold Spacebar to temporarily switch
  • Zoom Tool (Z)
  • Rotate Tool (W)
  • Unified Camera Tool (C)
  • Anchor Point Tool (Y)
  • Shape Tool (Q)
  • Pen Tool (G)
  • Type Tool (Ctrl+T)
  • Brush Tool (Ctrl+B)
  • Stamp Tool (Ctrl+B)
  • Eraser Tool (Ctrl+B)

    • In-Depth Project Panel Usage

    1. Importing Assets
      • File > Import > File (Command+I)
      • Drag and drop files into the Project panel
      • Import multiple files: Command+Shift+I
      • Import folder: Preserve folder structure
    2. Interpreting Footage
      • Right-click footage > Interpret Footage > Main
      • Frame Rate: Set sequence frame rate
      • Fields and Pixel Aspect Ratio: Video field settings
      • Color Management: Color profile
      • Alpha Channel: Transparency channel interpretation
    3. Managing Assets
      • Create folders: Organize assets
      • Rename assets: Clear identification
      • Add label colors: Visual categorization
  • Search assets: search by name
  • Composition Management

    • IV. Composition Creation and Settings

    New Composition Strategies

    1. Composition Settings dialog (Command+N)
    2. Common presets
    3. Advanced settings

    Composition Nesting and Pre-composing

    1. Nested Compositions
    2. Pre-compose (Command+Shift+C)
    3. Composition Flowchart

    Composition Panel Operations

    1. View Controls
    2. View Options
    3. View Aids
  • Guides: Drag from rulers
  • Grid: Command+’
  • Safe Margins: Action-safe and title-safe
  • 3D Views

    • V. In-Depth Look at the Layer System

    Layer Types

    1. Footage Layers
    2. Text Layers
    3. Shape Layers
    4. Adjustment Layers
    5. Null Object Layers
    6. Light Layers
    7. Camera Layers
    8. Solid Layers (Command+Y)

    Layer Properties

    1. Transform Properties
    2. 3D Layer Properties
    3. Text Properties
    4. Audio Properties

    Layer Operations

    1. Layer Selection
    2. Layer Ordering
    3. Layer Management
    4. Layer Markers

    Layer Modes and Masks

    1. Layer Blending Modes
    2. Track Mattes
    3. Layer Styles

    VI. Keyframe Animation System

    Keyframe Basics

    1. Keyframe Definition
    2. Keyframe Types
    3. Keyframe Operations

    Keyframe Interpolation

    1. Spatial Interpolation (Position Animation)
    2. Temporal Interpolation (Time Variation)
    3. Graph Editor

    Applying Animation Presets

    1. Animation Preset Types
  • Utilities: Utility presets
  • How to apply presets
  • Saving presets

    • Expression Animation

    1. Expression basics
    2. Common expressions
    3. Expression controls

    VII. Effects and Preset Application

    Effects System Overview

    1. Effects Panel Organization
    2. How to Apply Effects
    3. Effect Controls Panel

    Detailed Guide to Common Effect Categories

    1. 3D Channel Effects
    2. Stylize Effects
    3. Transition Effects
    4. Keying Effects
    5. Blur & Sharpen Effects
    6. Simulation Effects
    7. Distortion Effects
    8. Generate Effects
    9. Time Effects
    10. Color Correction Effects

    Effect Animation and Presets

    1. Effect Keyframes
    2. Effect Presets
    3. Effect Combinations

    VIII. Text and Shape Animation

    Creating Text Layers

    1. Type Tools
    2. Character Panel
    3. Paragraph Panel

    Text Animators

    1. Animator Groups
    2. Range Selector
  • Animator Properties
  • Text Animation Presets

    • Path Text

    1. Path Creation
    2. Path Options
  • Path Animation

    • Shape Layers

    1. Shape Creation
    2. Shape Properties
    3. Shape Animation

    IX. 3D Features and Cameras

    3D Layer System

    1. Enabling 3D Layers
    2. 3D Views
    3. 3D Coordinate System

    Camera System

    1. Creating a Camera
    2. Camera Tools
    3. Camera Animation

    Lighting System

    1. Light Types
    2. Light Creation
    3. Light Animation

    3D Renderer

    1. Classic 3D Renderer
    2. Cinema 4D Renderer
    3. Ray-traced 3D renderer

    X. Rendering and Output Settings

    Render Queue

    1. Add to Render Queue
    2. Render Settings
    3. Output Module Settings
    4. Output Settings in Detail

    Choosing an Output Format

    1. Video Formats
    2. Image Sequences
    3. Audio Formats
    4. Other Formats

    Rendering Optimization

    1. Render Settings Optimization
    2. Multi-machine Rendering
    3. Render Monitoring

    Proxies and Preview Rendering

    1. Proxy Creation
    2. Preview Rendering
    3. Cache System

    XI. Expression Basics and Applications

    Getting Started with Expressions

    1. Enabling Expressions
  • Expression Syntax
  • Expression Errors

    • Common Expression Functions

    1. Time-related
    2. Math Functions
    3. Loop Functions
    4. Wiggle Functions
    5. Layer Control

    Expression Application Examples

    1. Position Wiggle
      wiggle(3, 50);
    2. Rotation Loop
      loopOut(type="cycle");
    3. Scale Follow
      thisComp.layer("Controller").transform.scale;
    4. Color Change
      freq = 1;
amp = 50;
[wiggle(freq, amp), wiggle(freq, amp), wiggle(freq, amp)];
    5. Time Delay
      delay = 0.5;
thisComp.layer("Main Layer").transform.position.valueAtTime(time - delay);

    Expression Controls

    1. Slider Control
    2. Angle Control
    3. Checkbox Control
    4. Color Control
    5. Point Control

    12. Common Workflows and Best Practices

    Project Organization Strategies

    1. Folder Structure
    2. Naming Conventions
    3. Asset Management

    Animation Workflow

    1. Pre-Production
    2. Animation Production
    3. Post-production Adjustments

    Visual Effects Workflow

    1. Keying
    2. Tracking and Stabilization
    3. Particle Effects
    4. Light Effects Processing

    Performance Optimization

    1. System Optimization
    2. Project Optimization
    3. Composition Optimization

    Collaborative Workflow

    1. Team Projects
    2. File Exchange
    3. Review Workflow

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    Table of contents

    • I. Software Positioning and Version Features
    • Core Version Features (2020 Release Updates)
    • II. Installation and System Configuration Optimization
    • System Requirements and Installation Preparation
    • Preferences Optimization Settings (Key Steps)
    • III. In-Depth Look at the Workspace and Interface
    • Core Workspace Layout
    • Workspace Presets and Customization
    • In-Depth Look at the Toolbar
    • In-Depth Project Panel Usage
    • IV. Composition Creation and Settings
    • New Composition Strategies
    • Composition Nesting and Pre-composing
    • Composition Panel Operations
    • V. In-Depth Look at the Layer System
    • Layer Types
    • Layer Properties
    • Layer Operations
    • Layer Modes and Masks
    • VI. Keyframe Animation System
    • Keyframe Basics
    • Keyframe Interpolation
    • Applying Animation Presets
    • Expression Animation
    • VII. Effects and Preset Application
    • Effects System Overview
    • Detailed Guide to Common Effect Categories
    • Effect Animation and Presets
    • VIII. Text and Shape Animation
    • Creating Text Layers
    • Text Animators
    • Path Text
    • Shape Layers
    • IX. 3D Features and Cameras
    • 3D Layer System
    • Camera System
    • Lighting System
    • 3D Renderer
    • X. Rendering and Output Settings
    • Render Queue
    • Choosing an Output Format
    • Rendering Optimization
    • Proxies and Preview Rendering
    • XI. Expression Basics and Applications
    • Getting Started with Expressions
    • Common Expression Functions
    • Expression Application Examples
    • Expression Controls
    • 12. Common Workflows and Best Practices
    • Project Organization Strategies
    • Animation Workflow
    • Visual Effects Workflow
    • Performance Optimization
    • Collaborative Workflow
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