Skip to main content
Participant
Jun 20, 2013 2:55 PM UTC
Answered

Missing Bezier Handles

I'm trying out After Effects CC and doing a simple position animation with an easy eased keyframe. I'm hping to adjust the bezier handles in the Graph editer as I've done a thousand time but I can't get them to appear. Am i missing a check box or something somewhere?

Mylenium
MyleniumCorrect answer
Legend
Jun 20, 2013 3:26 PM UTC

They changed the defaults to show the value graphs, which for position don't have handles, since one would edit the path in the comp Split the properties or switch to the temporal graph.

Mylenium

22 replies

Participant
Sep 24, 2022 1:09 AM UTC

My solution is going to the pen tool menu and use convert vertex tool. It did the job for me but the downside is the bezier handles appear on both sides instead of on the single side as you want.

 

Translate
Participant
Aug 17, 2023 6:43 PM UTC

Thanks for the pen tool convert vertex tip.  One of our new M1 iMacs wouldn't produce bezier handles on the motion path of footage items in the composition window, and this did the trick.  

Translate
Community Expert
Sep 6, 2020 11:50 PM UTC

Editing the speed graph for Position is almost always a better idea than trying to edit the value graph. The value graph controls what the motion path looks like and that is a lot easier to manipulate with the Pen Tool in the Composition Panel. Here's the first draft of a tutorial that is going to be part of a new series I am producing. Maybe it will be useful.

Translate
Inspiring
Jul 30, 2025 6:31 PM UTC

This was fantastic! Thank you, Rick!

Translate
Participant
Sep 6, 2020 8:39 PM UTC

7 years later and this is still relevant. Thanks!

Translate
james37
Participant
Dec 7, 2018 8:05 PM UTC

I may be missing something with this, but, when I 'Separate Dimensions', an other wise simple ease on my 'Position' movement, seems to go out of whack, and get somewhat unwieldy.

I don't seem able to keep my actual movement linearly. Is anyone else encountering this?

I understand the purpose of having the separate control over X,Y,Z, but wish I could simply add an easy to my A to B movement.

Translate
couragepassion
Participant
May 18, 2018 9:25 PM UTC

I found how to add Bezier Handles in After Effects CC 2018. You just have to click here:

The button is called: Separate Dimensions.

I hope that this works for you, it worked for me

couragepassion.com

Translate
Garlic_Suter
Participant
Mar 31, 2016 2:12 PM UTC

GOT IT. Go to Window > Mask Interpolation. Uncheck "Use Linear Vertex Paths".

You're welcome Internet.

Translate
Participant
Aug 5, 2019 8:43 PM UTC

Thank you Garlic guy!!

Translate
leonardc18823883
Participating Frequently
Feb 10, 2015 1:37 PM UTC

Why? How is it better than it was? What does it do except adding a step to get the handles AND having the dimensions separated when you don't need it, forcing you to have more key frames than you want???!!! I don't get it. I guess it makes something else more comfortable but what?

Translate
Path 88 Productions
Known Participant
Sep 5, 2015 2:31 AM UTC

Seriously.  WTF?

Translate
Mylenium
MyleniumCorrect answer
Legend
Jun 20, 2013 3:26 PM UTC

They changed the defaults to show the value graphs, which for position don't have handles, since one would edit the path in the comp Split the properties or switch to the temporal graph.

Mylenium

Translate
Participant
Jun 20, 2013 3:38 PM UTC

Thanks for the Reply  - Splitting the properties does the job.

Translate