Show After Effects: 5 Common Problems & Fixes for First-Time UsersBy Kristian Gabriel, Adobe Expert/ACIWhenever you are learning a new application there are always quirks, oddly programmed features and tricks you must embrace to take full advantage of that application. After Effects, like any professional software, has a number of these "quirks" or problems you need to figure out to truly master this amazing software. The following are common issues, with solutions, that many first-time After Effects users face when learning After Effects. Looking to master Adobe After Effects. Why not join one of our legendary After Effects training classes in Los Angeles, or we offer Onsite After Effects classes countrywide. Obtain a quote for onsite Adobe After Effects training. Problem#1: Effects Look Cut-Off or MaskedOne common issue people have with After Effects happens when they apply certain effects to specific layers. Depending on the effect used (frequently some type of lighting effect like CC Light Rays or Trapcode Shine) the effect appears to be "cut off" similar to the picture above. When you are adding an effect to an adjustment or an individual object layer, some effects in After Effects will exclude the Alpha or the transparency of a layer. This means that the effect will only show on the visible portion of the layer and not drift outside of it’s bounding box. The short solution to this is to Right-Click the layer before adding the effect(s) and choose PRECOMPOSE and then Move All Attributes into New Composition. You will see the transforms or bounding box of the layer expand to the full size of the composition window. Now, if you add the same effect(s) - they should extend beyond the visible part of the layer. There are other solutions but this is the most common. Problem#2: My After Effects Is Slow!A slow After Effects can be caused by so many different things. Out of all the applications Adobe creates, After Effects takes the most resources and can really push your computer to the edge which is why you want a good up-to-date computer. The following is the short list of common issues that can cause your After Effects to slow down.
Note: Refer to Problem#4 for other issues that can slow down your computer. Problem#3: When I Export, I Don’t See H.264There are two primary ways to export from After Effects.
Add To Render Queue only gives you an abbreviated list of file formats - usually the formats you would use to output to other applications or archive your animation in a high-quality format. If you did want to use H.264-you would need to select QuickTime and then make the codec H.264. Otherwise, to output to a real H.264 (MP4) for social media or other purposes-choose Add To Adobe Media Encoder Queue. Problem#4: Where Is My Layer Located In My Project Panel?Losing one’s layers and where they originate from is common if you create larger projects with lots of layers. The following is a short breakdown of the most popular ways to locate the source of your media.
As you can see from the picture above, there are other 'Reveal' selections - but these are the most common. Problem#5: My After Effects Keeps CrashingWhile it may seem unprofessional for any software application to crash-it is a fact that the more professional the application-the more potential for it to crash (with a focus on video and animation applications). The following is a quick breakdown of the most common causes of crashing in After Effects.
Unfortunately, these problems and solutions are just a few of the many issues one could potentially have. If you are lucky, you won’t run into any of these. Many problems can be eliminated merely by keeping up-to-date with the latest computer hardware, newest operating systems and all newly update software and drivers. The older your equipment and software the more likely issues will occur. Even if your hardware is only a year or two old, it increases your chances of having problems. Anyways, good luck! How do you turn on a bounding box?The toggle for Bounding boxes is Cmd + Shift + B.
Why can't I see layers in After Effects?To make a layer visible or invisible look for this icon: The author of the AE template or project file you are working on may have used the 'Shy' switch. Any layer with the shy-switch enabled will be hidden when the master shy-switch is activated in your comp.
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