After Effects CS5 in Simple Steps

After Effects CS5 In Simple Steps provides a thorough, step-by-step approach to learn and master the skills required to work with After Effects CS5. The book explains the core concepts of video graphics and promises to enhance the skills required to create engaging motion graphics. In this book, you explore the new and improved features of After Effects CS5, such as Auto-keyframe mode, Refine Matte effect, and various effects and animation presets. The content presented in this book is equally helpful for the beginners as well as advanced learners. An easy to understand, stepby-step approach, supplemented with practical implementation and a plethora of real-life screenshots are some of the distinguishing features of the book.

The book covers:

• The new and improved features of After Effects Cs5
• The procedures to customize preferences to change the way After Effects CS5 works, such as changing the default undo level and enabling the Auto-Save feature
• The procedure to create After Effects projects and compositions, and save the project
• The procedure to preview media files, trim a video file, and loop an audio file
• The procedure to create and edit shapes using shape Tools, such as Star Tool and Pen Tool
• The procedure to use Path Operations, such as Repeater and Zig Zag
• The procedure to use paint tools to create and animate the brush stroke
• The procedure to work with 2D and 3D layers in After Effects CS5,including creating new layers, showing, hiding, and soloing a layer
• The procedure to work with animation, including adding a keyframe, editing a keyframe value
• The procedure to create, edit and animate masks in After Effects CS5
• The procedure to work with track mattes and chroma keys
• The procedure to create and animate text to create typewriter effect
• The procedure to apply and animate effects and animation presets
• The procedure to add and modify audio, light, and camera in After Effects CS5
• The procedure to render and export your final composition to various form