Includes index.

Chapter 01 Interface: Synopsis -- Before you start -- Understanding the interface -- Tip of the day -- Templates -- Adobe Bridge -- The Project panel -- The Composition viewer -- The Timeline -- The Time Controls panel -- Importing files -- Importing movies -- Importing Photoshop files -- Importing Illustrator files -- Importing audio files -- Customizing the workspace -- Working with panels and frames -- Recap -- Inspiration-Jerry Ibbotosn. Chapter 02 Basics: Synopsis -- Basic compositing -- Composition settings -- Project settings -- Adding footage to your comp -- Working with layers -- Importing files as comps -- Basic animation -- Keyframes -- Navigating through time -- Layer switches -- RAM Previewing -- Animating multiple properties -- Editing keyframes -- Fine tuning animation -- Basic keyframe interpolation -- Copying/pasting keyframes -- Continuous rasterization -- Keyframe assistants -- Replacing layers -- Applying effects -- Rendering movies -- Archiving projects -- Recap -- Workflow -- Inspiration-SteveCaplin. Chapter 03 Import: Synopsis -- Importing Photoshop compositions -- Layers -- Channels -- Ready-made comps -- Blending modes -- Adjustments layers -- Layer styles and layer effects -- Editable text -- Layer sets -- Importing illustrator compositions -- importing paths and masks -- Converting merged footage to a layered comp -- Importing image sequences -- Importing audio files -- Sequencing layers -- Importing folders -- Importing from editing applications -- Mac Only - importing from Final Cut Pro -- PC only - importing Adobe Premiere Pro compositions -- FIxing broken links -- Replacing Footage in the Timeline -- Adobe Bridge -- The bridge interface -- Technical considerations -- Video formats -- Frame rates -- Time display styles -- 3.2 Pulldown -- Resolution issues -- Frame aspect ratio -- Pixel aspect ratio -- Working in widescreen -- Fields and interlacing -- Recap -- Inspiration - Bill Byrne. Chapter 04 Animation: Synopsis -- Animation rules - part 1 -- Animation types -- Adjusting motion paths -- Spatial keyframes -- Linear -- Auto Bezier -- Continuous Bezier -- Temporal keyframes -- The Graph Editor -- Roving keyframes -- Continuous Bezier -- Retiming animations -- Animation rules - part 2 -- Panning and zooming -- Basic image panning -- Copying and pasting paths -- 2D zooming -- Exponential Scale -- The Smoother -- Animation rules - part 3 -- Time-stretching footage -- Frame Blending 1 - frame mix -- Slowing things down -- Time remapping -- Freeze-frames -- Auto-editing -- Using layer markers -- Frame Blending 2 - pixel motion -- Time effects -- Recap -- Inspiration - Joan Armatrading . Chapter 05 Compositing: Synopsis -- Channels -- Channel effects -- Mattes -- Minimax -- Alpha channels -- Masks -- Solids -- Drawing masks -- Mask modes -- Nesting -- Collapsing transformations -- Editing nested comps -- The Pen tool -- Drawing straight lines -- Drawing curves -- Adjusting Bezier curves -- Adjusting mask properties -- RotoBezier masks -- Auto-Trace -- Smart Mask Interpolation - pro only -- Interpolating complex shapes -- Blending modes -- Basic keying -- Preparation -- Standard version keying -- Recap -- Inspiration. Chapter 06 Grouping: Synopsis -- Nesting -- Pre-composing -- The flowchart panel -- Changing render order -- Collapsing transformations -- Parental hierarchy -- Basic parenting -- Hierarchies -- Uses for parental hierarchy -- Grouping layers -- Hierarchal motion -- Animation -- Working with null objects -- using nulls as control layers -- Advanced parenting -- Non-uniform scale problem -- Controlling 3D rotation -- Character animation -- Recap -- Inspiration - Kate Isles. Chapter 07 Effects: Synopsis -- Color effects -- Speeding up workflow -- RAM Preview Options -- Pre-rendering -- Using proxies -- Saving effect settings -- Time effects -- Combining filters -- Animation Presets -- Presets basics -- Not so simple -- Looking further -- Applying individual properties from presets -- Effects as well as presets -- Sort it out -- Conclusion -- Recap -- Inspiration - Joost van der Hoeven. Chapter 08 Text: Synopsis -- Fonts -- Serif -- Sans serif -- Basic text -- The Character panel -- Text animators -- Range selectors -- Adding multiple properties -- Working with mulitple animators -- Other types of selector -- Applying effects to text -- Animating effects -- Animating animator properties -- Text presets -- Saving text presets -- Applying text presets -- Bonus trick -- Browsing presets with Adobe Bridge -- Customizing presets -- Messing around with fonts -- Creating outlines -- Fun effects for text -- Track Mattes -- Recap -- Inspiration - Birigitta Hosea -- Studio venus. Chapter 09 3D: Synopsis -- 3D in After Effects -- 3D layers -- 3Deffects - Pro only -- 3D workspace -- 3D views -- Custom views -- Camera tools -- Orthogonal views -- Mulitple views -- 2D and 3D layer order -- ADjusting 3D rotation -- Orientation -- Rotation -- 3DC render plug-ins -- Axis modes -- Local axis mode -- World axis mode -- View axis mode -- Camera basics -- Camera settings -- the POI -- 3D Assistants -- Animating cameras -- Auto-Orienting cameras -- Orbital camera move -- Pre-comping 3D layers -- Lighting basics -- Light types -- Lighting a scene -- Light options panel -- LIghting scheme one - basic -- Casting shadows -- Material attributes -- Lighting scheme two - stained glass -- Lighting scheme three - disco lights -- Depth of field -- Recap -- Inspiration - Rachel Max. Chapter 10 Paint: Synopsis -- Paint basics -- Input devices -- The Brush tool -- The Eraser tool -- Animating paint -- Stop-frame look -- Scribble and Auto-Trace -- Matte Painting -- The Clone Stamp tool -- Scratch removal -- Extending existing footage -- Clone Presets -- More erasing -- Time offset -- Advanced cloning -- Motion tracking - pro only -- Recap -- Inspiration - John Williams . Chapter 11 Expressions: Synopsis -- What are Expressions? -- .