Zooming a Specific Amount

[jotasprout]

I'd like to zoom in (not animate zooming -- with the zoom tool) at, say, 150%. Not 100%. Not 200%. I'd like to type this somewhere. Clicking with the zoom tool, using the mouse wheel, or using the menu, I'm stuck with the same choices.

[Rick Gerard]

Not possible. The closest you can come is to use the FIT (keyboard shortcut Shift + / ) option and expand the Composition Panel. Personally I've never seen the need for anything but fit, 50% or 100% ( / )  and way bigger like 800% ( . or , to magnify more or less) or more to precisely check alignment with the pixel grid. Odd magnification factors will antialias edges so in practical terms there's not much real usable information that can be gained. I like the whole pixel values to check position, motion and compositing and with Comp Panel resolution set to Auto, it speeds up previews and makes them more accurate when you have all of the effects turned on. Anything else would just be a waste of my time but feel free to use the Adobe Feature Request/Bug Report Form.

[jotasprout]

Odd magnification factors will antialias edges so in practical terms there's not much real usable information that can be gained.

I completely disagree. Would you say that about Photoshop or Illustrator?

I'm creating an animated map. I want to draw a path with the pen tool (that I'll animate using Trim Paths) so I'd like to zoom in on the area in which I'll draw it -- getting as close as possible so I can do detailed work but wouldn't have to scroll or use the Hand tool in the middle of drawing. I think that's pretty darn "practical." No less so than in Photoshop or Illustrator. I've never understood how people feel they can answer questions with, "you don't need that" or "it wouldn't be useful."

[Dave_LaRonde]

jays55219621  wrote

I'm creating an animated map. I want to draw a path with the pen tool (that I'll animate using Trim Paths) so I'd like to zoom in on the area in which I'll draw it -- getting as close as possible so I can do detailed work but wouldn't have to scroll or use the Hand tool in the middle of drawing.

Now, you're aware that if you hold down the h key, the hand tool appears, correct?

And that when you release the h key, it reverts to the previous tool, correct?

I find this a very handy thing to use when I have to make a detailed mask-- pick a zoom factor like 800%, work on the mask, hold h, move the image, release h, and keep working on the mask.

I've NEVER felt there was a need for a custom zoom amount.

[14starsabove]

This does not work on Adobe AE CC 2018, I have the Move Tool selected, I press H, it switches to Hand Tool, I press H again, nothing happens.

[Szalam]

Are you saying it doesn't switch back to the previous tool?

[14starsabove]

Yes, I tried both on Composition view and on Layer view. it doesn't switch back to the previous tool.

I wish there was a 75% zoom option, it would help me out since I'm working on a vertical footage (it was recorded with a smartphone).

[Szalam]

For what it's worth, I just hold spacebar to temporarily activate the hand

tool (I think holding H does the same thing, but I don't have AE open to

check.) Or I tap H and then tap whatever tool I want next.

[MichaelKDavis]

Be sure you HOLD the H key when using it.  And then when you release, it will revert to the previously used tool.

[Horshack · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately there's no way to specify custom zoom levels. One way to hack around this though is to set the zoom to "Fit", then resize the composition/layer window using the vertical and/or horizontal resize sliders until the auto-fit zoom level matches the zoom level you want. Naturally for zoom levels above 100% this will require a monitor resolution that is higher than your composition's resolution.

[Rick Gerard]

I've never understood how people feel they can answer questions with, "you don't need that" or "it wouldn't be useful."

I was not trying to be condescending and I never said you don't need that, I was just pointing out the way I work with the tools that are available and offering my opinion accurately placing a path point.  Accurate placement of vector paths is extremely important in video if you are working with thin high contrast lines.

I offer a suggestion that may help you be more efficient, even in Photoshop or Illustrator. The goal is to eliminate any extra clicking or changing tools when faced with the problem you are describing. Use the keyboard to change to the pen tool (g), make sure the Composition panel is selected and press the ~ key to make it full screen, press the / key to fit the comp to the screen, click and drag to create your path, hold down the Alt/Option or Ctrl/Cmnd key to temporarily change the pen tool to the selection tool or the convert point tool to adjust your path, press the . or , key to zoom in or out for accuracy, usually to 800%, then hold down the space bar to move around on the comp and adjust the points as necessary making sure they are perfect, then it's the / key to fit the the comp to the screen for a final check. The pen tool never goes away and there's no need to grab any other tools or click anywhere but where you want to create or edit your path. When the path is the way you want it press the ~ key again to go back to the full workspace. This is the same way (slightly different keystrokes) that I work in Illustrator (with snap to pixel always turned when working on illustrations for video) or in Photoshop. I never click in tool bar for any common tasks. The keyboard shortcuts are right there when you hover over a tool and they are easy to learn. I cannot think of a time in the last 15 years that I have typed in a magnification factor except to show somebody in a class that I taught that you could. It is always better to look at the whole pixels when working on anything to do with video and in most cases, anything to do with editing a photo. It's only working in print with vectors where the pixel grid doesn't matter.

As I suggested, if you want to add the ability to type in a specific magnification factor then please file a feature request. If enough people do there is a chance it will be included in a future release.

[jotasprout]

I would have chosen this response as the correct answer -- it actually provides a solution or alternative. Somebody named Kevin Monahan marked that other response as correct. Horshack should totally have gotten that recognition and those points.

[Szalam]

jays55219621  wrote

I would have chosen this response as the correct answer -- it actually provides a solution or alternative. Somebody named Kevin Monahan marked that other response as correct. Horshack should totally have gotten that recognition and those points.

That has been fixed. Be sure to mark Rick's replies as helpful though because he does deserve some points and recognition for his offerings as well.

[Roei Tzoref]

Custom zoom would be very useful

in Ae. Ps and Ai have it and Ae should too. Here's a demonstration of the problem

and the solution:

ZoomOptionsAe.mp4 - Google Drive

Please ask for it in the wishform As I have.

[Roei Tzoref]

please vote here: smooth zooming via mouse – Adobe video & audio apps

[Ro.Riv]

Hey! You can use this script I found for zooming in any value you want: https://motionprincess.gumroad.com/l/ae-smooth-zoom