You need to make the original map large enough that you never have to scale up the image more than about 120% to get the detail you need. Then, you create a grid over the map that is about two or three times your comp width. Saving each section as a PSD will allow you to isolate layers, but if you need the map, choose any image format that can match your comp's bit depth.   If I need to add graphics or text to a pixel-based image (map), I use Illustrator instead of Photoshop. If you embed images in the Illustrator file, follow the never scale more than about 125% rule.  It just takes planning.    I should probably do a tutorial on the workflow. I have not seen a good one on the subject. ... View more

Set the Paragraph Style to Centered.   ... View more

There is no automatic way to do that. You'll need to carefully photograph the product so that the Logo is very close to the same size in each shot, but not in the same position in the frame. This includes ensuring that the logo's angle to the film plane is the same in every shot. Then, set the Anchor Point for each image in the same spot on the logo. You might pick the top left corner of the design.    Then, every layer's position would be set to the same value, and each layer would be rotated and scaled so that the logos match. Using a Blend Mode like Difference would make this alignment easier. The Blend Mode would then be reset, and you would make the cuts. Parenting all layers to a Null would allow you to move in and scale the shot to simulate a camera move.    Nothing magic in the technique, just a lot of careful planning and manual work. ... View more

Try using Mocha AE for the tracking. The After Effects tracker requires much more detail in the object tracking section (inner square).   I don't have time to give you a step by step, but track the last shot with the square corners and you'll have to manually adjust the keyframes for the first four or five frames as the rectangle moves on screen.    Boris FX Trn ... View more

Press the 'u' key twice to reveal all of the modified properties of the shape layer Find the triangle you have drawn and select it Press Ctrl/Cmnd + X to cut it Use the Layer menu to create a new shape layer and then paste (Ctrl/Cmnd + v) ... View more

Grab the bottom edge of the Align/Distribute panel and pull it down to access the controls.  ... View more

If you want to have a symmetrical dashed line around a circle, decide how many dashes you want and divide the circle's circumference by the number of dashes. This is very easy to do if you calculate the circumference and divide that by the number of dashes you want. This expression added to the Ellipse/Stroke/Dashes/Dash property will give you 40 segments and fix the overlap problem: r = content("Ellipse 1").content("Ellipse Path 1").size[0]; c = Math.PI * r; s = 40; c/s Offset the Ellipse/Transform/Rotation by -1.5 times (-60) the number of dashes and animate the Trim Paths/Start from 100 to 0, and you'll then get a dashed line that grows counter-clockwise with the top dash centered. You can then set a keyframe for offset at zero, then move down the timeline the same number of frames, set a second keyframe at -1 for the number of rotations, and add a loopOut("continue") expression to the offset to keep the dashed line rotating smoothly.   You will get something like this: If you want to add gaps, you'll need to use the circumference formula again (C=2πr or C=πd) for the gap, then combine the values.   This should get you started. I have uploaded a project file.     ... View more

By far the simplest and easiest way to get to know any of the Adobe Suite products is to start with the Adobe Getting Started tutorials. You'll find the After Effects section begins here: https://www.adobe.com/learn/after-effects?locale=en&learnIn=1   After you have a handle on the basics and have looked at the training offered by any third-party effects suppliers like Video Copilot, Maxon, Boris Effects, or others, you may want to dig into some specialized paid online training. The best courses depend entirely on what you want to create using After Effects. I know many effects professionals who only concentrate on a few of the thousands of different types of projects you can create using After Effects, so they are known as experts in Compositing, Motion Graphics, or even Rotoscope instead of trying to be experts in everything.   When you pick a specialty you want to concentrate on, let us know what it is so we can point you to some good information.   You should also be aware that many of the 'tutorial videos' you find on YouTube are prepared by amateurs, so that the workflows may be inefficient. Make sure you vet your trainers. Some workflows that work for specific shots will not work at all on a shot from a different angle. ... View more

The easiest thing to do would be to create a brush texture in Photoshop that is a single spot, import the PSD to After Effects as footage, animate the path of the brush, Pre-compose, moving all attributes, then use the animated brush in the Main comp as a track matte for the layer below. Add Echo with these simple expressions to the brush pre-comp to create a drawn-on line: // Echo Time: -thisComp.frameDuration; // Number of Echos; timeToFrames(); The expressions add one echo for every frame behind the moving layer. Motion blur helps, and you may want to adjust the Composition Settings/Advanced/Shutter angle to get the blur you like.   Then, experiment with some copies of the brush layer that are parented to the animated layer in the pre-comp. Use the brush pre-comp as a track matte for another footage layer (I'm. just using a solid), and  you get something that looks like this: I've uploaded an AE v24 project file and a PSD for you to play with, just in case you are not on the latest version. ... View more

Check the 3D Renderer Tab in Composition Settings (Ctrl/Cmnd + k). Motion Blur and Depth of Field are disabled when using Advanced 3D and the C4D rendering engines. If you need those features, you'll have to switch to Classic 3D.   ... View more

The first thing you need to do is line up the anchor points. For left Justified text I use the following expression to put the anchor point at the bottom left corner of any text layer. txtBox = sourceRectAtTime(); h = txtBox.top + txtBox.height; w = txtBox.left; [w, h] A few more expressions will let you line up the text layers and add a shape layer for the background. Put the shape layer below the text layers and add three sliders named Line Padding, Height Padding, and Width Padding.    Now stack the text layers using this expression on the bottom text layer's position property: ref = thisComp.layer(index - 1).position; txtBox = sourceRectAtTime(); txtH= txtBox.height; hPad = thisComp.layer("Background").effect("Line Padding ")("Slider"); [ref[0], ref[1] + txtH + hPad]; With the anchor point expressions and the position expression on the bottom text layers you'll get a perfectly lined up couple of text layer separated by the Line Padding value.   Now it is time to work on the Shape layer Rectangle and set the Rectangle size. This is the expression for Contents/Rectangle 1/Rectangle 1/Size: ref1 = thisComp.layer(index - 2).sourceRectAtTime(); ref2 = thisComp.layer(index - 1).sourceRectAtTime(); h = ref1.height + ref2.height; w = Math.max(ref1.width, ref2.width); linePad = effect("Line Padding ")("Slider"); hPad = effect("Height Padding")("Slider"); wPad = effect("Width Padding")("Slider"); [w + wPad, h + hPad + linePad]; Then add this expression to the Shape Layer Anchor Point: p = content("Rectangle 1").content("Rectangle Path 1").size/2; hPad = effect("Height Padding")("Slider")/2; wPad = effect("Width Padding")("Slider")/2; [-p[0] + wPad, p[1] - hPad]; And finish that off with this expression on the Shape Layer Position: btmRef = thisComp.layer(index - 1).position; This should give you something like this: And a comp that lets you move the top text layer anywhere and make the lines as long as you want. Something like this: I hope you followed the logic of the workflow.    You generated expressions give you the ability to wipe on the text layers, but make no adjustments for multiple layers or line up the anchor points.    I modified your project a little bit, but I don't have the time to clean up the wipe by modifying the code generated by Animation Composer. It's a handy tool, but it creates code that's very difficult to read and modify.  I would probably rewrite the code for the Range Selector/Start. I hope this gets you started.   ... View more

Instead of trying to animate a mask, add a shape layer and use the pen tool to draw a path with no fill over the route. Then, turn the shape layer into a track matte for Layer 6 and add Trim Paths to it. With just a couple of keyframes, you can now reveal the line at a constant speed or speed up or slow down sections.   ... View more

Puppet Pin generates a mesh on an image that has an alpha channel. You might start there.  ... View more