User Guide

CHAPTER 5
192
Animating Layers
To display the Time Controls palette:
Choose Window > Time Controls.
To use RAM preview:
1 Activate the Timeline window or display a Layer or Footage window, depending on
which one contains the footage you want to preview.
2 Do one of the following:
• If you are previewing footage in the Timeline, make sure that the video is turned on for
the layers you want to preview, and set the work area to the time span you want to preview.
• If you are previewing footage in a Layer or Footage window, make sure that the layers
you want to preview have not been trimmed.
3 Click the Audio button ( ) on the Time Controls palette if you want to preview audio
with video.
4 In the Time Controls window menu, choose Show RAM Preview Options or Show
Shift+RAM Preview Options.
5 Set the Preview Options as follows:
• For Frame Rate, either choose a desired frame rate from the list or type a frame rate in
the box. To enter a two-digit frame rate, choose a two-digit frame rate from the list, and
then change each digit individually. Choose Auto to have After Effects use the composition
frame rate.
• For Skip Frames, type the number of interim frames you want to remain unrendered.
For example, if you type “2,” After Effects renders the first frame and then each third frame
following.
• For Resolution, choose an option from the list. Choose Auto to use the current compo-
sition resolution.
• Select From Current Time to render the RAM preview from the current time.
• Select Full Screen to have the RAM preview play back on a black screen at the compo-
sition size.
6 Do one of the following:
• To have the RAM preview play back using the RAM Preview Options settings, click the
RAM Preview button ( ).
UG.book Page 192 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM