Work with the speed graph – Adobe After Effects CS3 User Manual

Page 218

AFTER EFFECTS CS3

User Guide

213

Shorter temporal distance between keyframes increases layer speed.

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Apply the Easy Ease keyframe assistant, which automatically adjusts the speed of change as motion advances
toward and retreats from a keyframe.

“About animation, keyframes, and expressions” on page 183

Work with the speed graph

After you have set the shape of a motion path or created keyframes for a property, you can adjust the speed. Using
the speed graph, you can adjust the rate of change of a value.

For example, you can change the motion of a layer so that it slows just before a keyframe and then speeds up just after
the keyframe, or so that it moves quickly over a certain distance and then slows down smoothly. By adjusting the rise
and fall of the speed graph, you can control how fast or slow a value changes from keyframe to keyframe.

Note: Like the value graph, the speed graph displays x, y, and z (3D only) values in different colors: x values are red, y
values are green, and z values are blue.

You can control the values approaching and leaving a keyframe together, or you can control each value separately.
The incoming handle increases the speed or velocity when you drag it up, and decreases the speed or velocity when
you drag it down. The outgoing handle influences the next keyframe in the same way. You can also control the
influence on speed by dragging the handles left or right.

Direction handles in speed graphs

A. Incoming direction handle B. Speed control C. Outgoing direction handle

Note: If you want a handle to have influence over more than one keyframe, use roving keyframes.