How to use graph editor in After Effects: A beginner’s guide
Ever wondered what is the «secret recipe» behind those amazing animations that you come across every now and then?
Well, learning how to use the graph editor beats everything when it comes to transforming your ability to work in After Effects. Having worked in motion graphics for quite some time, I can vouch that most skilled professionals use this feature to bring their animation videos to life.
So, if you’re serious about becoming a professional motion graphics designer, be ready to use the graph editor quite often.
This article will drive you through the basics of the graph editor in After Effects. It may seem quite intimidating at first; however, once you get the hang of this incredible feature, be ready to notice a considerable amount of improvement in the way your animations turn out.
What is a graph editor in After Effects?
Hoping to go past default easy-to-use keyframes and looking forward to digging deeper into how to bend curves as per your will?
Well, say hello to your new best companion, the graph editor in After Effects. The fundamental function of the graph editor is to graph how your movement will work out over time in a sound manner, thereby improving the video quality.
The Graph Editor outlines property values using a two-dimensional graph, wherein the composition, time is represented horizontally, i.e., from left to right. On the other hand, in layer bar mode, the time graph represents only the horizontal time element without displaying a graphical, vertical representation of changing values.
Speed graph vs value graph
There are two ways to display and read the information, the speed graph and the value graph. Both are unique in terms of visual representation and in how they can be manipulated. That’s pretty straightforward to understand, right? No.
The difference between the two graphs is often pretty confusing to animators who have just stepped into the world of motion graphics design.
So, here’s a summary of the two:
- The Speed Graph is a visual representation of the speed of the movements, out of the possible 100
- The Value Graph is a visual representation of the property’s actual value that is being transformed in the graph editor.
New to After Effects? Or don’t know how to use the graph editor in After Effects? Don’t worry; you are not alone. Most beginners tend to ignore this essential panel, or some don’t even know it exists. However, for those of you who are truly passionate about being a motion graphics artist, it’s time you start to learn graph editor in After Effects.
Ready to explore the power of Graph editor? Let’s dive in!
Where is the graph editor in After Effects?
Wondering how to open graph editor in After Effects? Well, you can open the graph editor in two different ways:
- When you go toward the top of the timeline panel, you’ll notice an icon looking like a graph, right next to the motion blur; simply click on this button.
- Press Shift + F3.
- The Graph Editor is selected once it turns blue.
Types of graph editor
The default keyframes are sometimes not what you need while working on a particular project. So, if you want to add a pop of life to your animations, you need to have control over what happens between the keyframes.
A rush of speed out and then an immediate halt, a bouncing ball, text overshooting back and forth; well, these are only a few examples of what the graph editor can do. Keep reading to find out how to edit graph in After Effects.
Easy ease
- Put something in your composition.
- Hit «P» to pull up the Position or toggle the arrow down and right-click on Position > Separate Dimensions.
- Set two keyframes and move your object from left to right. If you’re not too sure about it, move it back to where it started.
- Select both keyframes, and Easy Ease them by hitting the F9 key or right-click on the keyframe > Keyframe Assistant > Easy Ease.
- Now hit the Shift + F3 keys to open the graph editor or click on the graph icon.
- You’ll now notice a soft «S» curve. Isn’t it a lot better than not putting any ease on an animation?
However, if you genuinely want to make your animations feel like butter, dive deep into the graph editor to push and pull those Bezier handles.
Extreme ease
- Now take those Bezier handles and drag them to create a more prominent «S.»
- The steeper the line, the quicker your object will move toward the center.
Explode out and ease in
- Now take that first keyframe and drag the handle towards the top.
- The steep angle will pop out from the start and ease to an end.
Ease out
- Easing out makes the animation start more quickly than the linear ones, and it additionally has deceleration at the end.
- It is a great curve to make something fall.
To learn how you can use the graph editor in After Effects, watch the video.
Wrapping Up
Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool by which you can achieve amazing Visual Effects(VFX), logo animations, and video creation. Of course, it might seem pretty intimidating initially; however, it is a skill that one can master over time.
Ready to take your animation skills to one level up? Well, working with a graph editor in After Effects will definitely help you transform your motion graphics design careers. This guide is strictly targeted towards those who want to learn how to use the graph editor in After Effects and improve their animation skills for their next video project.
The MoGraph Secret Weapon: Using the Graph Editor in After Effects
Nothing transforms your ability to work in After Effects more than learning how to use the graph editor. Professionals depend on this feature to bring their animations to life, and if you're serious about becoming a professional motion designer you're going to be using the graph editor all the time
Now, when you started learning After Effects you may have ignored this essential panel, or maybe you don't even know it exist. Either way, we highly recommend that you take the time to learn the graph editor.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: USING THE GRAPH EDITOR IN AFTER EFFECTS
To demystify this mysterious panel we teamed up with Jacob Richardson to create an amazing new quick-tip!
Pretty neat huh? The graph editor is one of those tools that never ceases to amaze.
WHAT IS THE GRAPH EDITOR IN AFTER EFFECTS?
Looking to go beyond default easy-ease keyframes and want to dig into speed data or bend movement influence to your will? Meet your new best friend, the graph editor. The Graph Editor is simply. a graph. Its essential function is to graph how your movement will play out over time in an understandable way.
"The Graph Editor represents property values using a two-dimensional graph, with composition time represented horizontally (from left to right). In layer bar mode, on the other hand, the time graph represents only the horizontal time element, without showing a graphical, vertical representation of changing values." — Adobe
SPEED GRAPH VS VALUE GRAPH
There are two different ways of displaying and reading information, the speed graph and the value graph. Both are unique in their visual representation and in how they can be manipulated. Sounds easy to understand right? Wrong.
Unfortunately, the difference between the speed graph and the value graph can be pretty confusing to animators who are new to motion design.
Here's a quick breakdown of the two different types:
- The Speed Graph — A visual representation of the speed of your movements (out of a possible 100)
- The Value Graph — A visual representation of the actual value of the property that is being manipulated in the graph editor.
Here's a visual example of the two different graphs. The Value Graph is on the left and the Speed Graph is on the right.
WHERE IS THE GRAPH EDITOR IN AFTER EFFECTS?
If you want to open the graph editor you can access it two different ways:
- At the top of the timeline panel you'll see a graph looking icon to the right of motion blur, simply click this button.
- Press Shift + F3.
You'll see that the timeline is swapped out for that not so scary graph editor. Note: The Graph Editor is selected when it turns blue.
WHY SHOULD I USE THE GRAPH EDITOR?
The default easy-ease keyframes are rarely exactly what you need when working on a project. If you're looking to bring an illusion of life, you need the ability to control what happens between the keyframes.
A burst of speed out and then an immediate stop, a bouncing ball, text overshooting its position and then slamming into position; These are just a few examples of possibilities that can be had with the graph editor.
Want to see something really cool? This is how a basic bounce is visualized using the value graph editor with just the Y-Position.
If you're looking for a speed graph example we've got you covered. Check out how you can use the speed graph editor for fine-tuning a time remap!
The below GIF is what that correlates to when looped. Notice the control over when the animation speeds up and when it slows down, giving these little characters life.
GRAPH EDITOR WORKFLOW TIPS
If you're looking to learn how to read and utilize the graph editor, check out our tutorial that get's you up-to-speed with animation curves using the graph editor.
If you've mastered the graph editor and need a quick way to add in some of your go to movements we highly suggest adding Flow to your toolset. Flow allows you to build a library of presets that you can quickly apply to your keyframes. We suggest really understanding how curves work to get the most out of this tool.
READY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANIMATION?
Are you ready to take your animation skills to the next level? Check out Animation Bootcamp. Animation Bootcamp is our most popular course, and for a good reason. It has helped transform motion design careers across the globe. Not only will you learn how to master the graph editor in Animation Bootcamp, but you'll learn the principles of animation alongside hundreds of other students.
If you're ready to dig deep and take on a challenge, head on over to our courses page to find out more!
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Настройка редактора диаграмм (Graph Editor) [РЕШЕНО]
ddd Не Нуб
Сообщения: 33 Зарегистрирован: 06 май 2016, 01:14 Благодарил (а): 7 раз
Настройка редактора диаграмм (Graph Editor)
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Сообщение #1 ddd » 22 май 2016, 23:39
Здравствуй.
Помоги, пожалуйста, разобраться с отображением графиков. В обучающих видео я вижу график выгнутый вверх с опорными точками внизу, а у меня первая точка внизу, а вторая правее вверху и график не выгнутый вверх, а по наклонной слева направо. Уже всё что можно перетыкал и переискал — ничего не нашёл по моей проблеме.
Отправлено спустя 15 минут 52 секунды:
Ну вот, как только задал вопрос, так тыкнул правой кнопкой на графике и выбрал Edit Speed Graph. Но теперь другая проблема: направляющие у опорных точек не хотят менять угол, а только меняют длину и высоту, оставаясь горизонтальными.
Speed
When you animate a property in the Graph Editor, you can view and adjust the rate of change (speed) of the property in the speed graph. You can also adjust speed for spatial properties in the motion path in the Composition or Layer panel.
In the Composition or Layer panel, the spacing between dots in a motion path indicates speed. Each dot represents a frame, based on the frame rate of the composition. Even spacing indicates a constant speed, and wider spacing indicates a higher speed. Keyframes using Hold interpolation display no dots because there is no intermediate transition between keyframe values; the layer simply appears at the position specified by the next keyframe. (See Motion paths.)
Motion path in Composition panel (top) compared to speed graph in Graph Editor (bottom)
A. Dots are close together, indicating lower speed (top); speed is constant (bottom). B. Dots are far apart, indicating greater speed (top); speed is constant (bottom). C. Inconsistent spacing of dots indicates changing speed (top); speed decreases and then increases (bottom).
For information about keyframe interpolation, see Keyframe interpolation.
The following factors affect the speed at which a property value changes:
The time difference between keyframes in the Timeline panel. The shorter the time interval between keyframes, the more quickly the layer has to change to reach the next keyframe value. If the interval is longer, the layer changes more slowly, because it must make the change over a longer period of time. You can adjust the rate of change by moving keyframes forward or backward along the timeline.
The difference between the values of adjacent keyframes. A large difference between keyframe values, such as the difference between 75% and 20% opacity, creates a faster rate of change than a smaller difference, such as the difference between 30% and 20% opacity. You can adjust the rate of change by increasing or decreasing the value of a layer property at a keyframe.
The interpolation type applied for a keyframe. For example, it is difficult to make a value change smoothly through a keyframe when the keyframe is set to Linear interpolation, but you can switch to Bezier interpolation at any time, which provides a smooth change through a keyframe. If you use Bezier interpolation, you can adjust the rate of change even more precisely using direction handles.