Flash + After Effects

297 Pages·2008·17.35 MB·English

by  Chris Jackson

TOC.indd 1 1/4/2008 12:06:59 PM
This page intentionally left blank
Chris Jackson
TOC.indd 3 1/4/2008 12:06:59 PM
This eBook does not include ancillary media that was packaged with
the printed version of the book.
Acquisitions Editor: Paul Temme
Publishing Services Manager: George Morrison
Project Manager: Andre A. Cuello
Assistant Editor: Chris Simpson
Marketing Manager: Rebecca Pease
Cover Design: Chris Jackson
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK
Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of the publisher.
Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights
Department in Oxford, UK: phone: [phone], fax: [phone],
E-mail: [email protected]. You may also complete your request on-line
via the Elsevier homepage (http://elsevier.com), by selecting “Support & Contact”
then “Copyright and Permission” and then “Obtaining Permissions.”
Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been written, Elsevier prints its books
on acid-free paper whenever possible.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Application submitted
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-0-240-81031-7
For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at www.books.elsevier.com
08 09 10 11 12 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the China
TOC.indd 4 1/4/2008 12:07:00 PM
Table of Contents
2
Introduction ....................................................................ix
Chapter 1: Getting Started in After Effects
2
Project Workflow..............................................................2
2
Creating a Project .............................................................4
2
Setting Keyframes...........................................................13
2
Applying Effects..............................................................27
2
Rendering a Project ........................................................32
Chapter 2: From Flash to After Effects
2
Flash to Broadcast Video.................................................38
2
Publishing SWF Files for After Effects..............................45
2
Using the QuickTime Exporter ........................................51
2
Exporting ActionScript-driven Movies .............................56
Chapter 3: From After Effects to Flash
2
Exporting Vector and Raster Objects ..............................64
2
Exporting SWF Files ........................................................66
2
Exporting PNG Image Sequences....................................77
2
Working with Flash Video (FLV)......................................83
v
TOC.indd 5 1/4/2008 12:07:00 PM
Chapter 4: Alpha Channels
2
What Are Alpha Channels? ............................................92
2
Keying in After Effects ....................................................93
2
Adding Cue Points .......................................................101
2
Creating an Interactive Video Game .............................109
Chapter 5: Type in Motion
2
Creating and Animating Type .......................................118
2
Animating Text Along a Path ........................................123
2
Applying Text Animation Presets ..................................126
2
Using Text Animators ...................................................131
Chapter 6: The Third Dimension
2
Entering 3D Space ........................................................140
2
Animating in 3D Space .................................................147
2
Creating 3D Environments ...........................................156
Chapter 7: Character Animation
2
Flash Character Animation........................................... 170
2
Parenting..................................................................... 170
2
Parenting Plus Expressions.............................................177
2
The Puppet Tools...........................................................185
2
Interactive Puppets........................................................191
vi Table of Contents
TOC.indd 6 1/4/2008 12:07:00 PM
Chapter 8: Visual Effects
2
Controlling the Weather ...............................................200
2
Blowing Stuff Up ..........................................................209
2
Playing with Fire ...........................................................219
2
Fun with Fractals ..........................................................224
Chapter 9: Shapes and Sounds
2
Shape Layers ................................................................232
2
Digital Audio Basics ......................................................241
2
Sound Visualization ......................................................249
Chapter 10: Optimization and Rendering
2
Understanding Compression ........................................258
2
Determining the Data Rate ...........................................262
2
Publishing for the Web .................................................266
2
Publishing to a DVD .....................................................272
2
Index ............................................................................277
vii
TOC.indd 7 1/4/2008 12:07:00 PM
This page intentionally left blank
Introduction
Flash Designers: Take your projects to the next
level with After Effects’ robust toolset. You are
about to take a journey that combines these
two powerhouse applications. Enter the world
of Adobe After Effects. Welcome aboard.
2
What Is This Book About? ..................................................x
2
Who Is This Book For? ......................................................xi
2
Book Structure and Layout Conventions ............................xi
2
About the Author ............................................................xiii
2
Acknowledgements .........................................................xiii
2
For Instructors .................................................................xiv
2
Credits ............................................................................xiv
Chapter_00.indd 9 1/4/2008 12:10:13 PM