The following are quick modifications the you can do to a layer in After Effects, steps that are common to compositing and animation production.
These are in addition information about solid layers and colour and gradient overlays.
Layer category
In After Effects, referring to the Main Menu, there is a Layer menu. To get there, go to the Main Menu >
Layer. You will find numerous adjustments that you will be able to apply to a given layer.
First of all
To make a change to a layer, click on it, to ensure it is selected and active.
Layer > Transform
These are options to:
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- Flip Horizontal – in a sense, this will mirror the image of the layer, horizontally
- Flip Vertical – similarly, this will mirror the image of the layer, vertically
Layer > Time
There are several features in this section that are useful for timing and changes to movement in a movie file or image sequence.
Time > Time Stretch
By entering a Stretch Factor, movement will slow down or speed up, to a New Duration:
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- 100 = 100%, the same duration
- 50 = 50%, half of the duration and twice the speed
- 200 = 200%, twice the duration and half the speed
- And so on
Time > Reverse Layer
Once you activate this option, movement in the layer will shift to the opposite direction and will play in reverse.
Time > Freeze Frame
Where the Current Time Locator is set in the Timeline, when the Freeze Frame option enabled, movement will freeze at that spot. A “hold key frame” is placed in the layer (in a category called “Time Remap”).
Time > Freeze Frame on Last Frame
Use this feature when you need to hold on the last frame of a movement phrase and need to extend it for the duration of the composition. (Again, a “hold key frame “is placed in the layer, in a category called “Time Remap.”)
If the hold needs to be shorter or edited, you can change the duration by clicking and dragging the “out-point” of the layer to a designated moment in the Timeline.