📌 Copy, Paste, Move, Stretch & Motion Blur in Adobe After Effects | AE Animation Basics
Adobe After Effects (AE) is a powerful tool for motion graphics and animation, but mastering its essential functions—copying, pasting, moving, stretching, and applying motion blur—can significantly improve your workflow and animation quality.
In this guide, you'll learn how to efficiently manipulate keyframes and layers in After Effects like a pro. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced animator, these tips will help you work faster and smoother.
Let's dive in! 🚀
🎯 1. How to Copy & Paste in After Effects
Copying and pasting in After Effects isn’t just for text and layers—you can also copy keyframes, effects, and properties!
✅ Copying & Pasting Keyframes
Want to reuse an animation? Just copy and paste its keyframes.
📝 Steps to Copy & Paste Keyframes:
1️⃣ Select the layer with the keyframes.
2️⃣ Press U to reveal the keyframes.
3️⃣ Click on the keyframes you want to copy (Shift+Click to select multiple).
4️⃣ Press Ctrl + C (Cmd + C on Mac) to copy.
5️⃣ Move the playhead to the desired position.
6️⃣ Press Ctrl + V (Cmd + V on Mac) to paste.
📌 Pro Tip: You can copy keyframes from one property (e.g., Position) and paste them into another (e.g., Scale) to create unique animations!
🎯 2. How to Move Objects in After Effects
Moving layers and keyframes precisely is essential for perfect animations. Here’s how to do it efficiently.
✅ Moving Layers in the Timeline
🔹 Select the layer you want to move.
🔹 Drag it left or right in the timeline to change its timing.
🔹 Use Shift while dragging to snap it to the playhead.
✅ Moving Keyframes Precisely
🔹 Select the keyframes you want to move.
🔹 Drag them left or right to adjust timing.
🔹 Hold Shift to move them in larger increments.
🔹 Press Alt + Left/Right Arrow to nudge keyframes frame by frame.
📌 Pro Tip: Hold Shift + Drag to snap layers or keyframes to the nearest marker or frame.
🎯 3. How to Stretch & Speed Up Animations
Want to speed up or slow down an animation? You can stretch keyframes to control timing!
✅ Stretching Keyframes Manually
🔹 Select all keyframes of an animation.
🔹 Hold Alt and drag the last keyframe outward to slow it down.
🔹 Drag it inward to speed it up.
✅ Using the Graph Editor for Speed Control
1️⃣ Select your keyframes and press F9 for Easy Ease.
2️⃣ Open the Graph Editor (click the Graph Editor button).
3️⃣ Adjust the speed graph to create a smooth acceleration or deceleration.
📌 Pro Tip: Use Time Remapping (Right-click > Time > Enable Time Remapping) for advanced stretching and slowing down effects.
🎯 4. How to Enable Motion Blur in After Effects
Motion blur adds realism and smoothness to animations, making them feel natural.
✅ How to Apply Motion Blur to a Layer
🔹 Click the Motion Blur Toggle (shaky circles icon) in the timeline for the desired layer.
🔹 Enable Motion Blur for the composition (Click the master switch at the top).
✅ How to Adjust Motion Blur Intensity
1️⃣ Go to Composition > Composition Settings > Advanced.
2️⃣ Adjust the Shutter Angle (higher values = more blur).
3️⃣ Recommended setting: 180° - 360° for natural blur.
📌 Pro Tip: Use motion blur selectively to avoid unnecessary rendering time.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Mastering copy, paste, move, stretch, and motion blur in After Effects will significantly enhance your animation workflow and allow you to create professional, smooth motion graphics.
✅ Copy & paste to speed up animation workflows.
✅ Move keyframes & layers for precise timing.
✅ Stretch animations for speed control.
✅ Apply motion blur to create realistic movement.
Now that you've learned these essential techniques, start practicing them to level up your animations in After Effects! 🚀
💬 Got any questions? Drop them below! ⬇️
