Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 5.5 Help Manual page 123

Adobe After Effects Help
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Temporal interpolation and the Value graph
Using the Value graph in the Timeline window, you can make precise adjustments to
the temporal property keyframes you've created for your animation. The Value graph
provides complete information about and control of the value at any point in time in a
composition. The Timeline window also provides information about the speed of changes
between values (or speed along a motion path) in the Speed or Velocity graph. See "Using
the Value graph to change a layer property value" on page 130.
The Value graph appears when a nonspatial layer property contains two or more keyframes.
Each temporal interpolation method appears as a specific icon, so you can immediately
see what kind of interpolation is applied to a keyframe. Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command
(Mac OS) as you click a keyframe icon to switch between Linear and Auto Bezier interpo-
lation. For information on each type of interpolation, see "Comparing interpolation
methods" on page 123.
A B
Timeline keyframe icons A. Linear B. Linear in, Hold out
C. Auto Bezier D. Continuous Bezier or Bezier
Comparing interpolation methods
All interpolation methods provided by After Effects are based on the Bezier interpolation
method, which provides direction handles so that you can control the transitions between
keyframes. Interpolation methods that don't use direction handles are constrained
versions of Bezier interpolation, and are convenient for certain tasks.
To learn more about how different temporal interpolation methods affect layer properties,
experiment by setting up at least three keyframes with different values for a temporal
property such as Rotation, and change the interpolation methods for all keyframes as you
view the Value graph in the Timeline window.
To learn more about how different spatial interpolation methods affect a motion path,
experiment by setting up three keyframes for Position with different values on a motion
path, and change the interpolation methods as you view the motion path in the Compo-
sition window. For more information, see "Determining where to set and modify
keyframes" on page 103 and "Adding keyframes to a Value graph" on page 130.
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Fine-tuning Animation
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