Adobe After Effects is a software application for creating motion graphics and special effects used in video, online content and presentations. After Effects is available on both Mac OS and Windows computers. After Effects is used widely in TV and film post-production, the creation of special effects, and animation. After Effects is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud After Effects Creative Cloud (CC)Adobe After Effects CC is the industry standard software for visual effects and motion graphics. It is part of the subscription-based Adobe Creative Suite.
CC stands for “creative cloud” and is automatically updated for its users on a continuous basis. This collaboration also makes it easier to use other Adobe applications when needed. CC also allows syncing of your settings to use it on any computer anywhere in the world. Although the program can be stored locally, the subscription must be active to receive updates and have all functionality. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.
In this article, I’ll show you top 15 free templates after effects 2017/2018 free download. Decidedly you can find out a lot of AE templates, some of them are free to use, but some of them are paid and you need to buy.
What does After Effects do?There are so many things you can do with After Effects. A creative and technical program, you can compose, create and stylize 2D footage in a 3D space.
Depending on your role, the abilities of the program vary. It can design titles, create 2D cartoon characters, and more. Although it can do all these things, it is not the same as video editing software. This program is best used to apply effects after the footage has been edited. Who uses After Effects?After Effects is a specialized program and is primarily used by video editors, artists, graphic designers, social media and digital media designers, video producers, motion graphics designers and animators. Gaining proficiency in this program comes from in-depth training and hands-on use. The History of After EffectsAdobe After Effects originally came from the Company of Science and Art in Rhode Island in 1993.
This is where versions 1.0 and 1.1 were released. It was only available for Mac-based computers and was limited in its capabilities, which included layered compositing with mask, effect, transforms and keyframes.The next version of After Effects was 2.0 in 1994 by Aldus Corporation, which added motion blur, multi-machine rendering and a Time Layout window. Subsequent versions 2.0.1, 3.0, and 3.1 were released in 1995 and 1996. Adobe acquired Aldus in July, 1993 and the first Adobe version commenced with 3.0In May 1997 with version 3.1, the first Windows version was released, along with French and German translations.
In November of that same year, Animated GIF output and Path Text effect were released to users for free.Version 4.0 was released in January 1999 and added a number of improvements, including audio and transform effects, tabbed windows, particle playground, adjustment layers, rulers and guides, Premier import, Illustrator layers support, and label colors in the timeline. This was also the first dual Mac & Windows release of this program.4.1 followed in December of that same year, adding 3D channel effects, sequence layers, 30,000x30,000 image support and other enhancements.5.0 was released in April 2001 and added major bells and whistles. This was the introduction of Photoshop 6 vector mask import, PDF import, solo switch, 16 bits per channel color, Atomic Power plug-ins, 3D layers and lights, dynamic previews and more.In January 2002, version 5.5 was released and was the first OS X version. It added RealMedia output, Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator Classic bundled, effects palette, import camera data and multiple 3D views.Version 6.0 was released in August 2003. With this release came editable Photoshop text layers, paint, scripting, text layers and animation, Keylight, Scribble, Dust & Scratches and Open GL support. Version 6.5 was released in June 2004 with minor enhancements.In January 2006, Version 7.0 was released, adding Adobe Bridge support, display color management, Photoshop file creation, smart blur, a dynamic link with Premiere Pro, timewarp, 32-bit audio and the first Spanish & Italian versions.The introduction of CS3 came with version 8.0 in July 2007, added full color management, and the first Universal Binary Intel Mac version.
CS3 (8.0.2) was released in February, 2008 and was the last Mac PowerPC version.CS4 was released in September 2008, with updates in May 2009 and October 2010. CS5 was also released in 2010, overlapping CS4 to fix glitches that were present. The CS5 release made 64-bit native mandatory on OS X and Windows. CS5 had four updates.CS6 was released in April 2012, and added import from Final Cut Pro along with other enhancements. Live PSD 3D layer import was removed. CS6 had 2 upgrades.The first version of CC was introduced June 2013, which added Maxon Cinema 4D Lite & Cinewar3e integration, Refine Soft Matte, layer snapping and Warp Stabilizer VFX. Additional upgrades in October 2013 and December 2013 added OS 10.9 & Retina support, property linking, mask tracker, the automatic creation of folders for image sequences, and other small quality improvements.CC2014 was released June 2014.
This included the ability to import Sony RAW footage, MPEG-4 SStp, and video preview on an external monitor with Mercury Transmit. This also had two upgrades in September and December.CC2015 was released in November 2015, with upgrades in January 2016 and June 2016. The release of CC2017 in November 2016 introduced Creative Cloud Team Projects.
The upgrade in CC2017 allowed Team projects to be saved locally. The second upgrade of 2017 was released in April 2017 and added Lumetri Scopes, camera-shake deblur, and multiple GPU optimizations. After Effects file formatsAfter Effects CC can import and export certain file formats. There are also codecs (third-party plug-ins) that can extend this listing. To import a QuickTime or AVI file, the codec must be present on the computer. Error messages received usually mean the codec needs to be installed.
These are the current file formats supported per category: AudioThese audio files can be imported and exported:Advanced Audio Coding (AAC, M4A); Audio Interchange File Format (AIF, AIFF); MP3 (MP3, MPEG, MPA, MPA, MPE); and Waveform (WAV); Still imagesThese still image extension can be imported and exported. Note: You can import files of any still image format as a sequence.Adobe Photoshop (PSD); Cineon (CIN, DPX); IFF (IFF, TDI); JPEG (JPG, JPE); OpenEXR (EXR); Portable Network Graphics (PNG); Radiance (HDR, RGBE, XYZE); SGI (SGI, BW, RGB); Targa (TGA, VDA, ICB, VST); and TIFF (TIF). These still images files are only for importing into After Effects:Adobe Illustrator (AI, EPS, PS); Adobe PDF (PDF); Bitmap (BMP, RLE, DIB); Camera raw (TIF, CRW, NEF, RAF, ORF, MRW, DCR, MOS, RAW, PEF, SRF, DNG, X3F, CR2, ERF); CompuServe GIF (GIF); Discreet RLA/RPF; ElectricImage (IMG, EI); Encapsulated PostScript (EPS); Maya Camera Data (MA); and PCX.
Christopher Smith is president of American Graphics Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the publisher and editor of the Digital Classroom book series, which have sold more than one million copies. At American Graphics Institute, he provides strategic technology consulting to marketing professionals, publishers and to large technology companies including Google, Apple, Microsoft, and HP. An expert on web analytics and digital marketing, he delivers along with workshops on digital marketing topics. He is also the author of more than 10 books on electronic publishing tools and technologies, including the Adobe Creative Cloud for Dummies. Christopher did his undergraduate studies the at the University of Minnesota, and then worked for Quark, Inc.
Prior to joining American Graphics Institute where he has worked for 20 years.
Trying to figure out what an After Effects template is? Here’s a quick rundown.After Effects templates are a fantastic resource for anybody looking to make their project look professional and customized. Let’s take a look at the wide world of After Effects templates.
What Are After Effects Templates?An After Effects template is a customizable After Effects project file. Typically when a motion designer is working on a project in After Effects, they will use a file structure that is not formatted for other people to customize it. In a typical project file it’s not uncommon to see unnamed elements, poor organization, and confusing file structures. Templates, on the other hand, are labeled, well organized, and easy to understand.A good After Effects template is designed in such a way that users can easily change text, colors, and design elements without needing to understand the complex file structures created by the Motion Graphic Designer. Typically a motion graphic designer will create compositions (timelines) that allow you to simply drag and drop your images or footage inside, and text fields that can be easily customized in a similar fashion to a text editor.Some After Effects templates are used to create entire finished videos, while others are used to add in graphics to a video that’s already been created. There are also some After Effects templates that have been designed to create a certain effect. Our free After Effects template “” is a great example of an effect-based After Effects template.
What Hardware and Software Do I Need to Use an After Effects Template?In order to use an After Effects template you will need a copy of Adobe After Effects on a Mac or PC computer. If you’re not already familiar, After Effects it is an incredibly deep, yet approachable computer program used for motion graphics and VFX work. Some designers spend their entire careers mastering After Effects, but the majority of After Effects users simply use it to create simple graphics or visual effects for videos.After Effects is one of the programs included in the Creative Cloud by Adobe. Unlike other software manufacturers, Adobe sells their software in a subscription pack called the Creative Cloud. Instead of you purchasing the software outright, you actually license their entire library of softwares for a fee each month. While this may seem strange, it actually saves artists a lot of money in the long run.If you don’t already have After Effects on your computer, you can download a. You can fully customize and export videos during your trial, so if you simply purchased an After Effects template with no intentions of using the software again in the future, you might be able to get by without actually subscribing to the Creative Cloud.In order to use an After Effects template, you will need an After Effects project file along with any assets (video, pictures, music, etc.) that your project file may use. It’s best to think about your After Effects template as a video project.
Just because you have the project file doesn’t mean you have all of the video assets on your computer. Be sure when downloading an After Effects template that you don’t forget to save your assets as well. Here on RocketStock, we include all of our video assets in the folder with the After Effects template so you don’t need to worry about losing the assets. How Do I Use an After Effects Template?To use an After Effects template, you will need to have the template project file along with all of the video editing assets.
If you don’t already have After Effects open, you can either start the program and open the template file by navigating to FileOpen, or you can simply double click the project file on your computer.When you open an After Effects template, you will typically see all of the files on the left side of the screen in a box called the project panel. In the middle you will see a large video screen called the composition panel. You will also see a timeline at the bottom of the program. The timeline is where all of the different video, audio, and graphic elements are placed when they are used to create the final video.For a simple graphics project, you might just have a video and text layer in your compositions timeline. In a template, there will be many more elements, sometimes hundreds. Luckily for you, a good template won’t require you to navigate all of those layers.
Instead, a good template (like the ones found here on RocketStock) will only ask you to access a few simple layers at most.At the heart of every good After Effects template is a well-organized composition structure. For most templates, all you will need to do is access the composition that corresponds with the scene you are trying to change.
For example, if you want to change the end logo, you can look for a composition called “End Logo” and manipulate the text or elements as you need them.Every After Effects template is different, so it’s important to read any documentation that comes with your template to make the whole editing process easier to understand. All of our templates here at RocketStock are standardized, meaning they are all customizable in a similar file structure. How Are After Effects Templates Different From Scripts, Expressions, Assets, Plugins and Presets?There are a lot of After Effects related files sold on the internet. The most common are After Effects templates which we’ve already covered in this post, but you’re likely to run across a few other After Effects items online.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what each of them are:. After Effects Script: Lines of code that tell After Effects to do something.
Typically scripts are used to save motion graphic designers time from doing mundane or repetitive tasks like duplicating layers. After Effects Expression: An expression is a quick snippet of code that will tell After Effects to change the value of a certain parameter.
For example, the “wiggle” expression will tell After Effects to wiggle a number value. Expressions are normally used by intermediate to expert After Effects artists. You can get by in After Effects without learning a single expression. After Effects Asset: An asset is simply a file that can be dragged and dropped into your After Effects project. An asset can be video, audio, or image files.
Typically video editors will use assets to stylize their footage in After Effects. After Effects Plugin: An After Effects plugin is a third-party plugin that gives After Effects extra functionality beyond what it’s already capable of doing. One popular plugin is Element 3D, which allows users to create and customize 3D objects directly in After Effects.
After Effects Preset: A preset is simply a predefined group of effects and keyframes that can be easily applied to layers. The most common type of presets are text animation presets and color grading presets.For more information on the differences between all of these elements check out this.
What Is Included in an After Effects Template?An After Effects template will come with the project file and all of the assets required to create the template. By default, you shouldn’t have to do anything besides simply open the project file to begin editing your template. However, if for some reason your asset files are put in the wrong spot, when you open up your project you might get an error message. Don’t fret.Missing footage can be found by simply moving the asset back into the appropriate file structure, right clicking on the file in the project panel, and selecting reload footage. How Can I Make My Own After Effects Template?Making your own After Effects template is surprisingly easy. Again, the only difference between a template and a regular project file is organization, so all you have to do is organize your After Effects project file in a meaningful way. The best thing to do is put yourself in the shoes of your user.
Easy to understand file structures are a must. Once you’re ready to save your template, you can simply navigate to FileSave AsSave As and then (under the menu that says File Format) select After Effects Template Project.If you’re interested in selling your After Effects template, check out our here on RocketStock.
We’re always looking for new and talented artist to submit world-class After Effects templates. The Media in My After Effects Template Is Missing!By default, you shouldn’t have to do anything besides simply open up the project file to begin editing your template. However, if for some reason your asset files are put in the wrong spot, you will get an error message when you open up your project. Don’t fret.Missing footage can be found by simply moving the asset back into the appropriate file structure, right clicking on the file in the Project Panel, and selecting reload footage. What’s the difference between a.aep and a.aet project file?There is only one difference between an.aep and an.aet project file: overwriting. After Effects template files are designed so that (when a user opens them) After Effects will make a copy of the file so that the original doesn’t get overwritten.If you have more After Effects related questions about templates or After Effects in general check out our here on RocketStock.