Adobe After Effects CS3 User Manual

Page 226

AFTER EFFECTS CS3

User Guide

221

Layer panel for time remapping

A. Current-time indicator B. Time-remap value C. Remap-time marker D. Navigator bar

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The Graph Editor provides a view of the changes you specify over time by marking your changes with keyframes
and a graph similar to the one displayed for other layer properties.

When remapping time in the Graph Editor, use the values represented in the Time Remap graph to determine and
control which frame of the movie plays at which point in time. Each Time Remap keyframe has a time value
associated with it that corresponds to a specific frame in the layer; this value is represented vertically on the Time
Remap value graph. When you enable time remapping for a layer, After Effects adds a Time Remap keyframe at the
start and end points of the layer. These initial Time Remap keyframes have vertical time values equal to their
horizontal position on the timeline.

By setting additional Time Remap keyframes, you can create complex motion results. Each time you add a Time
Remap keyframe, you create another point at which you can change the playback speed or direction. As you move
the keyframe up or down in the value graph, you adjust which frame of the video is set to play at the current time.
After Effects then interpolates intermediate frames and plays the footage forward or backward from that point to the
next Time Remap keyframe. In the value graph, reading from left to right, an upward angle indicates forward
playback, while a downward angle indicates reverse playback. The amount of the upward or downward angle corre-
sponds to the speed of playback.

Time-remapping graph

A. No change B. Fast motion C. Freeze frame D. Backward motion

Similarly, the value that appears next to the Time Remap property name indicates which frame plays at the current
time. As you drag a value graph marker up or down, this value changes accordingly and a Time Remap keyframe is
set, if necessary. You can click this value and type a new one, or click and drag the value to adjust it.