Bending 2D Layers

In this chapter you'll get a quick overview of what's new and changed in After Effects CS6.

This chapter provides valuable insights on how to import projects from other applications into After Effects. Also, you'll see the new and improved way to convert imported vector graphics from Illustrator to shape layers.

In After Effects CS6 there are major improvements when it comes to 3D animation. In this chapter we'll look at the new ray-traced 3D renderer, which allows you to extrude text and shape layers. You'll also learn how to bend and curve 2D layers in a 3D space and use the new bounding boxes and transform handles to make it easier to scale and rotate objects.

CS5.5 and earlier versions of After Effects allowed you to have one feather value all the way around, but with CS6's new variable-width mask feathering feature, you can get various combinations of feathering. In this chapter you'll learn how to use the 3D Camera Tracker to add realistic elements to a scene.

This chapter will give you an overview of the new Cycore effects, improved color bit depth, and the new Rolling Shutter Repair feature in After Effects CS6.

Rendering and re-rendering layers has never been easier than it is in After Effects CS6. In this chapter we'll review the system requirements for GPU acceleration and look at the global performance cache that makes everything so much faster.

This chapter will focus on new and changed features that have not been covered in other parts of the course. We'll also look at what features have been removed and how that might affect your workflow.