Chapter2.The Timeline

Chapter 2. The Timeline

I've been a long time coming, and I'll be a long time gone. You've got your whole life to do something, and that's not very long.

Ani Difranco (American singer, songwriter, and guitarist)

The timeline is After Effects' killer application. It is the reason above all others that After Effects is equally effective for motion graphics or visual effects work. Node-based compositors make it easy to see render order, but they can make coordinating the timing of events more difficult.

With the timeline, you always know how layers and their keyframes relate in time. Some would argue that render order is more significant than timing for visual effects work. Of course, both are significant, but once you get the hang of managing the timeline well, render order is no longer such a problem.

The timeline actually makes render order explicit; the layers render starting with the lowest first and ending with the top last (assuming they are all 2D). If you twirl down the properties of each layer, you see the order in which they will render, top to bottom. Chapter 4, "Optimizing the Pipeline," further explores the render pipeline.

The Timeline window is also a relatively user-friendly part of the application, albeit one packed with hidden powers. By unlocking those powers and mastering them, you can streamline your workflow a great deal, setting the stage for more advanced work.

One major source of hidden powers is the timeline's set of shortcuts: A lot of what you can accomplish in the timeline can be accomplished more efficiently and effectively with keyboard shortcuts and context menus. My feeling is that these are not extras to be learned once you're a veteran, but small productivity enhancers that you can learn gradually all the time, enhancers that collectively give you a lot of extra momentum and confidence as an After Effects artist.