1.)Add markers to a layer to reference timings in an audio clip in real-time:
Hit the period button on the keypad and as the audio plays and you want a mark a spot in the clip hit the asterix key on the keypad. Keep doing this until your clip is done and when you stop the audio from playing, all your markers will show up
2.)Swapping footage
Select a layer in your timeline. Then grab a clip, image or comp in the project window and while holding down the option key drag it to the comp window and drop it. Whatever layer was selected will be replaced with the item you dropped on the comp window and that item will retain ALL parameters of the previous item.
3.)Duplicating output settings and multiple outputs
In the render window, if you have a comp that was rendered already and you want to do a new render with those exact settings you can select that finished render and hit command-D...it will duplicate that output, make it active and keep all the previous settings...all you have to do is save the file to your preferred location.
Also, on your output module, you can duplicate that and actually have your render output multiple versions of the same comp, i.e. one as a lossless codec and a second as sorenson, etc.
4.)Proportionally changing your keyframe timings without time strech
If you create a crazy animation with tons of keyframes only to find out it's too fast or slow, this is an easy way to correct that: select all the keyframes hold down the option key and click on the last keyframe of the set and pull it. If done right they should all space out or shrink up proportionally.
5.)Snap to the beginning or end of a layer
As you are scrubbing throught the timeline and you are trying to get to the front or back of that specific layer, if you hold down your shift key the time marker will snap to the closest layer in or out point
6.) Scrubbing audio in a timeline.
If you are trying to get a general idea of the movement of an audio piece or are trying to find that certain drum hit that you were going to use as an animation point if you hold down your command key while moving your current time indicator (time marker) and move it up and down the timeline it will scrub through the audio in real time.
7.) Timeline fine tuning.
Here's some keys to help with some fine tuning in the timeline:
•Select a keyframe and hit option-(left or right arrow) and it will move that keyframe 1 frame
•command-(left or right arrow) moves a frame forward or back as well as page up and page down
•shift-page up or page down moves it 10 frames forward or back
•option-(up or down arrow) choses layer above or below current
•option-command-(up or down arrow) moves current layer above next layer or below previous layer
•select any layer and hit the 'U' key and it will show you only parameters that have keyframes
•press 'home' or 'end' button to go to first or last frame of a comp
8.) Use a mask as an animation spline
If you are having a hard time of trying to make animation happen with the normal bezier tools built into AE you can use a mask to control your animation. First make a mask (open or closed) of any shape. Then click on that layer and twirl down the arrow until you see mask and twirl down the arrow to see mask shape (or select layer and hit m). CLICK ON THE MASK SHAPE PARAMETER TEXT and copy (command-c). Then choose your layer that you want to animate along the mask and hit P for position. CLICK ON THE POSITION PARAMETER TEXT and paste (command-v). You will now have your animation path. Now to make it follow properly with your layer still selected go to your layer menu and down to transform submenu and choose auto-orient. Then check the circle that says orient to path. And there you go!
Well, that's all I got now, I will update more later as I think of it. If you have any cool tips/tricks that are more that just the basic keys please share...let's all be better faster AE users!
Edited by boywonder, 28 October 2005 - 06:32 PM.
