How to Create a Matching Composition in Adobe After Effects – Step-by-Step Guide
A matching composition in After Effects means creating a new composition that has the same settings as an existing footage or composition. This ensures that your animations, effects, and edits align perfectly without issues like resolution mismatch or frame rate problems.
Here’s how you can create a matching composition in Adobe After Effects step by step.
1. Open Adobe After Effects
- Launch Adobe After Effects and open your project.
- If you don’t have a project yet, go to File > New > New Project.
2. Import Your Footage
To create a composition that matches your video file:
- Go to File > Import > File…
- Select the video, image, or animation you want to match.
- Click Open, and it will appear in the Project Panel.
3. Create a Composition from Footage (Best Method)
The easiest way to create a composition that perfectly matches your video:
✔️ Drag and drop the video from the Project Panel to the New Composition Icon at the bottom.
💡 Shortcut:
- Right-click on the footage in the Project Panel.
- Select New Comp from Selection.
- After Effects will automatically create a composition with the same resolution, frame rate, and duration as your footage.
4. Manually Create a Matching Composition
If you want to set the composition manually, follow these steps:
- Click on Composition > New Composition (Ctrl + N / Cmd + N on Mac).
- In the Composition Settings Window, match these settings with your footage:
- Width & Height: Match your video resolution (e.g., 1920x1080 for Full HD).
- Frame Rate: Use the same frame rate as your video (e.g., 30fps or 60fps).
- Duration: Set the same duration as your video or longer if needed.
- Pixel Aspect Ratio & Color Settings: Match your footage details.
- Click OK to create the composition.
5. Adjust if Needed
- If the settings don’t match exactly, right-click on the footage inside the composition and select Transform > Fit to Comp to resize it properly.
- You can also go to Composition > Composition Settings anytime to adjust the settings manually.
Conclusion
Creating a matching composition in After Effects ensures smooth editing, proper scaling, and correct frame rates. Using the drag-and-drop method is the easiest way, but you can also manually adjust settings if needed. Now you’re ready to start your motion graphics or video editing with the perfect composition!
