Best After Effects Tips and Tricks, Shortcut Keys for YouTubers

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Best After Effects ShortCuts keys

• Precompose Layer (It’s like grouping layers): Ctrl + Shift + C
• New Adjustment Layer: Alt+Ctrl+Y
• Open Recent Project: Ctrl +Alt + Shift +P
• To rename the layer: Select Layer and press Enter Key
• To cut or split the layer: Select the layer endpoint and press the following Shortcut key: Ctrl+Shift+ D

AE Tips & Tricks

Create Different Animations

Animation 1: To Add a Numbers running Animation

1. Select the Text Layer,
2. Add Slider control Effect via Effects & Preset Widget.
3. In Text Properties, Alt + click the Source Text Timer to open Expression Editor.
4. Then in Effects -> Slider Control settings, Just Click the parent pick whip to that slider control.

Now, when you adjust the slider, the numbers will change. But this slider output Display decimal value.
To change that to an integer value, Paste the following command in the Expression editor.

x=Math.floor(effect("Slider Control")("Slider"));
x+" %"
J

Just remove the %, to get the whole number. That's all.

Reference: Adobe Community, Numbers counting up in AE (YouTube video)

Working with Layers

Move the Pivot Point to the Center

1. Select the layer
2. The go-to Layer -> Transform -> Center Anchor Point in Layer Content (Short-cut key: Ctrl+ Alt+ Home)

Trim/Crop composition Timing in AE

• First Set the In, and Out points using the following Short cut keys: In Point – B & Out Point – N
• To Trim the composition, use the following shortcut key: Ctrl+ Shit + X.

Sort the layers based on the order you want

Sortie, a free plugin (You can pay if you really like this one) allows you to sort the layer based on layers order, in point (Settings: In, ASC), etc.

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Trim the layer length based on another layer's length

Use Trim to Layer, a free plugin (You can pay if you really like this one) to trim the selected layer length based on the above or below layer.

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Working with Images

How to Create a Gradient Background

• Create a solid layer.
• Open the Effects and Preset panel via Windows -> Effects & Presets (Shortcut key: Ctrl + 5. 5 in the top of the keyboard).
• Search with the keyword “gradient”.
• Apply the “4-Color Gradient” or “Gradient Ramp”which one you want to the solid layer.
• Change the gradient colors. That's all.

Blur Email Address, Phone number, and name

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1. Create an Adjustment layer. Adjust the layer size based on the blur location.
2. Apply “Gaussian Blur” to the adjustment layer from the “Effects & Presets” panel.
3. Set the “Blurriness” value to 5 or whatever you want.

How to Replace Image or Composition in AE

1. First, add a replacement image to your AE project.
2. Then select the layer that should be replaced and hold down the Alt key.
3. Then grab the replacement image in the project panel and drag it onto the layer to be replaced.

Reference: Replace Image or Composition (YouTube video)

How to Flip an Image or Composition

Select Image and go to Layer -> Transform -> Flip Horizontal/ Flip Vertical.

Rendering

How to render transparent video in After Effects

1. Remove any background and check whether the video is transparent or not via the “Toggle Transparent Grid” button.
2. File -> Export -> Add to Render Queue.
3. In “Render Queue”, click the “Output Module” settings.
4. Select Format -> “QuickTime”
5. In the “Video Output” section, click the “format options' button. Choose “Video codec” to “Animation”. Click “OK”.
6. Then select the channels to “RGB+Alpha”. Then click the “OK” button.

That's all. Now render the video. You will get a transparent video.

Problems & Solutions: Missing/Grayed Out

Problem 1: Is the 3D view icon/layer switch missing?

Press the “F4 key” to switch between the switch column to mode.

Problem 2: RGB+Alpha option grayed out when I tried to export transparent video in AE

1. Add your file to Render Queue.  Click the “Output Module” settings.
2. In Output Module Settings Windows, click the “Format Options” button.
3. Select the video codec from “Apple ProRes 422” to “Animation”.
4. Now try to select “Video OutPut channels” to “RGB+ Alpha”.

Problem 3: How to Find Missing Image File in After Effects

• Select the Broken images in AE Project.
• Then Right-Click the broken images and choose to Replace Footage. 
• Next, select “File” and select the missing images from your computer.
• Once you find the missing file in After Effects, it automatically asks for other missing images you have found. So, just click OK. That’s it. Now your missing image has been replaced successfully.

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That all.

If you want to create your own AE scripts, then do not forget to check out our guide to setting up VS code for AE scripting.