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Adobe After Effects
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The Stats
- Developer: Adobe
- Version: CS4
Purchase After Effects CS4
- Full Version
- Upgrade
- Upgrade Matrix
- Get it as part of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection
- Adobe Volume Licensing: TLP Program
Demo Version
Description
Adobe® After Effects® CS4 software features 2D and 3D compositing and animation tools, sophisticated effects, and tight integration with Adobe’s world-class design applications. Expand your creative options by importing Adobe Photoshop® CS4 Extended 3D and video layers, and create the look of cel animation from live footage with the new Cartoon effect. Explore new creative arenas by exporting After Effects compositions to Adobe Flash® CS4 Professional software for editing, and track even the most challenging shots with the 2.5D planar motion tracking in Mocha for Adobe After Effects software, which is included. Whether you’re producing motion graphics or visual effects, After Effects CS4 delivers an uninterrupted, streamlined workflow.
Features
Import of 3D layers from Photoshop
Import 3D models from Adobe® Photoshop® CS4 into Adobe After Effects® CS4 to composite them with other elements, and more.
Searchable timelines and projects and easier nested comp navigation
Locate any element in a comp or project with the new QuickSearch. Quickly navigate between nested comps with the new Mini-Flowchart.
Independent keyframing of x, y, z values, plus 3D compositing improvements
Composite in 3D space more easily: Keyframe x, y, and z position values separately, and use the new unified camera, which makes the After Effects camera tool work more like those in 3D modeling applications.
Compositions exported as layered projects
Export compositions as layered, XFL format projects that can be opened and edited in Adobe Flash® CS4 Professional software. Many After Effects assets such as text and Adobe Illustrator® artwork are preserved as vectors.
Cartoon effect
Instantly give live footage the look of cell animation. Stylize video by reducing the color palette of a clip and by emphasizing edges.
Integrated workflow for mobile device authoring
Select devices in Adobe Device Central and automatically set up an After Effects project that targets those devices, with settings that match the targeted devices and the Render Queue setup to output to the proper codecs and resolutions.
Mocha for Adobe After Effects from Imagineer Systems
Use this powerful 2.5D planar tracking application from Imagineer Systems to track the motion of elements — even in challenging shots where elements move offscreen or where there is motion blur or excessive grain.
Numerous interface and workflow tweaks
Work more efficiently with dozens of user-requested changes, including the new Auto Resolution setting that only renders visible pixels when zooming in and out of a comp view, streamlined memory and multicore processing preferences, and more.
XMP metadata for asset intelligence
Now retain asset metadata while you work in After Effects. Add new project-, comp-, and layer-level metadata to streamline project tracking, and automate asset auditing and many other tasks.
Dynamic Link between Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Soundbooth
Using Adobe Creative Suite® 4 Production Premium software, now link Adobe Premiere® Pro sequences to an After Effects composition and After Effects comps to Adobe Soundbooth® with Adobe Dynamic Link.
Old Version Information
Adobe After Effects 7.0 Professional vs. Standard
| Features | AE Pro | AE Std |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible 2D and 3D compositing environment | yes | yes |
| Unrivaled creative text animation tools, including hundreds of text Animation Presets | yes | yes |
| Powerful animation and keyframing including the new Graph Editor and professionally designed Animation and Behavior Presets | yes | yes |
| Visual effects plug-ins to enhance, stylize, and otherwise manipulate the appearance of any layer*, including new Blur effects | more than 230 | yes |
| Vector Paint support based on Adobe Photoshop® technology for cleaning up footage | yes | yes |
| Professional output options for film, video, DVD, Macromedia® Flash®, and other streaming media formats for the web | yes | yes |
| Masking tools for controlling which parts of a layer are visible | yes | yes |
| Advanced keying and matte tools for seamless compositing, including Keylight, Matte Choker, and Spill Suppressor, as well as the Smart Mask Interpolation keyframe assistant for animating complex masks | yes | |
| 32-bit HDR and 16-bit color support for high-fidelity color | yes | |
| Timewarp for high-quality slow motion | yes | |
| Motion tracking and stabilization tools, including color stabilization | yes | |
| Advanced 3D compositing support, including the ability to import camera data from Maya and 3Ds max, auxiliary channel support, and more | yes | |
| Wiggler for easily adding random movement | yes | |
| Timesaving rendering options, including network rendering and support for render automation | yes | |
| Advanced audio tools for adding color and depth to sound | yes | |
| Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) support | yes |
- Additional effects in the Professional edition include Advanced Lightning, Glow, Optics Compensation, and many more.
System Requirements
Windows
- 1.5GHz or faster processor*
- Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended) or Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (certified for 32-bit Windows XP and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista)
- 2GB of RAM
- 1.3GB of available hard-disk space for installation, plus 2GB of space for optional content; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on flash-based storage devices)
- 1,280x900 display with OpenGL 2.0–compatible graphics card
- DVD-ROM drive
- QuickTime 7.4.5 software required to use QuickTime features
- Broadband Internet connection required for online services
Mac
- Multicore Intel® processor
- Mac OS X v10.4.11–10.5.4
- 2GB of RAM
- 2.9GB of available hard-disk space for installation, plus 2GB of space for optional content; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on flash-based storage devices)
- 1,280x900 display with OpenGL 2.0–compatible graphics card
- DVD-ROM drive
- QuickTime 7.4.5 software required to use QuickTime features
- Broadband Internet connection required for online services
Resources
Updates for After Effects
Plug-ins
- Adobe After Effects Plug-ins
- Compatibility with After Effects and Premiere CS4
- Compatability with Adobe After Effects 7
Support
- Adobe CS4 FAQ
- Upgrade Eligibility
- Tutorials
- Toolfarm Expert Forum
- World Wide User Group
- AE Mail-List
- After Effects CS4 Keyboard Shortcuts
Reviews
- CNET editors' take Elsa Wenzel, Cnet.com 09/22/2008
- Microfilmmaker Magazine After Effects CS4 Tom Stern, Microfilmmaker.com March 1, 2009
