The first component begins with an audio file, the sound track for the final piece. By applying an effect, you create a visual display of the audio file, which pulsates in perfect synchronization with the sound track. When you add an Adobe Illustrator file, the pulsating starburst appears through the transparent areas of this image.
Although the footage files are an Adobe Illustrator and an audio file, the process is the same as for any of the footage files you've imported for earlier lessons. However, this time you'll use the Import Multiple Files command, which requires fewer mouse actions than using the File > Import > File command, especially when you import many files.
1. |
Choose File > Import > Multiple Files to open the Import Multiple Files dialog box. Or, press Ctrl + Alt + I (Windows) or Command + Option + I (Mac OS). |
2. |
Select the Starburst.ai file in your _ai folder, and click Open (Windows) or Import (Mac OS). The dialog box disappears momentarily. |
3. |
When the Import Multiple Files dialog box reappears, go to your _audio folder and select Soundtrack.aif. Then click Open (Windows) or Import (Mac OS). |
4. |
When the dialog box reappears, click Done. |
Note
The Starburst.ai file contains a labeled alpha channel, which already contains the interpretation information After Effects needs. Because of this, the Interpret Footage dialog box does not appear during the import process.
Both items appear in the Project window, and they are currently selected. Click any empty area of the Project window to deselect them.
You can use the Footage windows to review footage files without placing them in compositions. The Starburst.ai file image is large and appears as black-on-black, so you'll use techniques that make it easily visible. Also, you'll play the audio file in the Footage window.
If you cannot hear the audio or if it is too loud, click the Footage window volume button ( |
Although this project uses only two source files, you'll practice good habits of organization that can help when you do complex projects of your own. This means creating folders for the Project window.
1. |
Choose File > New > New Folder, or click the folder icon ( |
2. |
Type ai files for the name, and press Enter or Return. |
3. |
Drag the Starburst.ai file into the ai files folder and expand the folder so that you can see the item inside. Make sure that nothing is currently selected. |
4. |
Choose File > New > New Folder again. |
5. |
Type audio files to name the new folder, and press Enter or Return. |
6. |
Drag the Soundtrack.aif file into the audio files folder and expand the folder so that you can see the item inside. |
Note
If you accidentally create one folder inside another one, you can drag the folders to organize them at the same level. To avoid doing this in the future, be sure to deselect all items in the Project window before you create a new folder.
You'll use a preset option to set options quickly for this composition.
1. |
Choose Composition > New Composition. |
2. |
Type Starburst Comp in Composition Name. |
3. |
For Preset, select NTSC D1 Square Pix, 720 x 540 in the pop-up menu. After Effects automatically fills in the next four settings:
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4. |
(Optional) In Resolution, select Half or lower, as needed for your system. |
5. |
In Duration, type 800 to specify eight seconds, and then click OK. |
Next, you'll add the audio file to the composition and preview it within the composition. You'll also change the default audio-preview time limitation.
1. |
Move the current-time marker to 0:00, select Soundtrack.aif in the Project window and drag it into the Timeline window. |
2. |
Choose Composition > Preview > Audio Preview (Here Forward) to preview the audio, or press the decimal key (.) on the numeric keypad. The audio preview plays to 4:00 and then stops. |
3. | |
4. |
Under Audio Preview, type 800 in Duration to change it from four seconds to eight seconds. Then click OK. |
5. |
Press the decimal key to preview again. You can now hear audio for the entire length of the composition. |
Note
If you don't hear the audio, look in the A/V Features panel in the Timeline window (to the far left of the layer, by default) and make sure that the Audio switch( ) is turned on. You can click this switch to toggle the audio layer off and on, but make sure that it's turned on now.
Next, you'll create a new solid layer and add a circular mask to this solid. You'll use the results in the next procedure to apply an effect.
1. |
If necessary, choose Composition > Background Color, select black, and click OK. |
2. |
Choose Layer > New > Solid. |
3. |
In the Solid Settings dialog box, choose the following settings:
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4. | |
5. |
In the Timeline window, select the Audio Spectrum layer. |
6. |
In the Tools palette, select the oval mask tool. You may have to press the rectangular mask tool and drag to select the oval mask tool from the pop-up display. |
7. |
Beginning approximately at the center of the solid, start to drag and then press Ctrl + Shift (Windows) or Command + Shift (Mac OS) to draw from the center and constrain the shape to a circle. Drag without releasing the mouse button until the circle is approximately one-eighth the size of the composition (about 90 pixels). |
You'll now generate an animated element with the Audio Spectrum effect. This is a visual effect that links a graphical representation of sound frequencies to a path. You'll use the path you drew in the previous procedure so that lines representing the sound radiate in and out from a single point on the path.
You have now created a graphical representation of the audio frequencies in the Soundtrack.aif layer. As a result, you have an animated image (the Audio Spectrum layer) synchronized with the audio. At the beginning, the layer image is small but it increases in size and intensity as the audio grows louder and more complex.
Some of the settings for the Audio Spectrum effect determine how After Effects calculates the lines for the display. Other settings determine visual properties of the lines themselves. For a description of each of these controls, see the Effects documentation available on the After Effects 5.0 Classroom in a Book CD and on the Adobe Web site for After Effects, in the in-depth section under After Effects product information. For general information and sample images showing examples of the Audio Spectrum effect in action, see After Effects online Help.
You'll now apply another effect to the Audio Spectrum layer. The Radial Blur effect creates smoother lines by blurring the graphic image of the audio. In this procedure, you'll also learn how to override the size limitation of a slider in the Effect Controls window by setting that option in the Timeline window.
1. |
With the current-time marker at about 5:00, select the Audio Spectrum layer, if it is not already selected, and press E to open the Effects properties in the Timeline window. |
2. |
Choose Effect > Blur & Sharpen > Radial Blur. The Radial Blur effect is now listed below the Audio Spectrum effect in the Effect Controls window. |
3. |
Expand the Radial Blur effect in both the Timeline and Effect Controls windows so that you can see the Amount value in both windows. In the Effect Controls window only, expand the Amount to see the graphical preview and slider. You can drag the slider only as high as 118, but you can set higher values in the Timeline window. |
4. |
In the Timeline window, type or scrub to set the Amount value at 160. (Notice that in the Effect Controls window, the arrow points beyond the right end of the slider.) |
5. |
For Type, select Zoom to create a blur that pulls into the center. |
6. |
In the Switches Panel, set the Quality switch to Best ( |
7. |
In the Composition window, set the Resolution to Full to see the layer with full antialiasing so that you can see the results of the blur. |
8. |
Lower the Resolution and Quality settings, if necessary for your system, and then preview the animation. |
9. |
Close the Effect Controls window. In the Timeline window, click the arrow to collapse the layer-properties outline. Save the project. |
Note
After Effects uses a large amount of RAM when it calculates these effects, so you may notice a slowdown in workflow at this point, especially if you are working on a slower system or one with the minimum required RAM. For information about using RAM, see “Allocating RAM to After Effects” on page 2.
Next, you'll nudge the mask into position in the center of the Audio Spectrum image. If you drew the Mask 1 path so that it is centered in the composition frame, this procedure is not required. However, you should try this in any case, to learn how to move the mask within the layer instead of moving the entire layer.
1. |
Move the current-time marker to about 5:00, so you can see rays representing the audio track. |
2. |
Select the Audio Spectrum layer. |
3. |
Press M to open the Mask 1 Mask Shape property. The yellow path appears in the Composition window. |
4. |
In the Timeline window, select Mask 1. Four solid-yellow handles appear, representing the path points. |
5. |
Using the selection tool ( |
You're now ready to add the Adobe Illustrator file to the composition. You'll use a transfer mode so that the graphic display of the audio appears through the alpha channel of the starburst image.
1. |
Move the current-time marker to 0:00. |
2. |
In the Project window, select the Starburst.ai file, drag it to the Timeline window, and place it in the Layer 1 position. If it appears at some other layer number, you can drag it by its name to the top of the layer stack. Note This image is black artwork with an alpha channel, so you won't see its shape in the Composition window when you add it to the composition. It will also cover the Audio Spectrum layer, so you won't see that layer until you set the transfer mode. |
3. |
Move the current-time marker to approximately 3:00 (where the Audio Spectrum layer would not be completely black), so that you'll be able to see it behind the Starburst.ai layer when you set the transfer mode. |
4. |
Click Switches/Modes at the bottom of the panel in the Timeline window to open the Modes panel. Or, choose Panels > Modes in the Timeline window menu. |
5. | |
6. |
Move the current-time marker to 0:00, preview the animation, and then save the project. |
Audio Spectrum layer (left), alpha channel of the Starburst.ai layer (center), and Stencil Alpha transfer mode applied to relate the Audio Spectrum layer and Starburst.ai layer (right)
The Starburst.ai layer now acts like the holes in a stencil: You can see the Audio Spectrum layer only through the transparent areas of the Starburst.ai layer alpha channel.
You'll now set Rotation keyframes for the starburst image so that it spins as the Audio Spectrum layer pulsates behind it, seen through the starburst alpha channel.
1. |
In the Timeline window, move the current-time marker to 0:00 and select the Starburst.ai layer. |
2. |
Press S to open the Scale property, and then scrub or type 50% to reduce the image size by half. |
3. |
Press R to open the Rotation property. |
4. |
Make sure that the Rotation value is set to 0° and then click the Rotation stopwatch ( |
5. |
Press End to move the current-time marker to 7:29. |
6. |
Change the Rotation value to 90°. A second keyframe is added. |
7. |
Move the current-time marker back to 0:00 and preview the animation. Then save the project. |
You have finished building the starburst element, so it's time to render the composition.
Note
This composition is more complex than other compositions you have rendered in these lessons. Consequently, the rendering process will take longer than your earlier sessions. For example, if you've been rendering earlier movies in a minute or two, this one may take between 15 minutes and half an hour, depending on your operating system, hardware, and available RAM.
1. |
Close the Composition, Timeline, and Effect Controls windows for Starburst Comp. |
2. |
In the Project window, select Starburst Comp and then choose Composition > Make Movie. |
3. | |
4. |
In the Render Queue, click the underlined words Current Settings to open the Render Settings dialog box. |
5. |
Use the following Render Settings:
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6. |
In the Output Module pop-up menu, choose Custom to open the Output Module Settings dialog box, and set the following options:
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7. |
In the Compression Settings dialog box, select Animation and Millions of Colors+, and then click OK. |
8. |
In the Output Module Settings dialog box, review the settings: Channels is now set to RGB + Alpha, indicating that this item will be rendered with an alpha channel. Depth is set as Millions of Colors+, and Color is set as Premultiplied (Matted). When you are ready to continue, click OK. Note You'll render this composition as a silent movie, so do not select options for audio output. The sound track will be added to the final project at a later stage. |
9. |
Save the project one more time, and then click Render. |
When the rendering process is complete, close the Render Queue and double-click Starburst.mov in the Project window to view the rendered movie.
If you need to make any changes, reopen the Starburst Comp and make those adjustments. Remember to save those changes and render the composition again, using the same render settings.