Shape layers

Use new shape drawing tools to create and animate vector graphics. Strokes and fills—including editable gradients—can be added to shapes, and these properties can be animated. After Effects also includes shape layer operations based on Adobe® Illustrator® vector effects. See About shapes and shape layers.

To see a video tutorial introducing shape layers, go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0224. To see a video tutorial on animating shape layers, go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0225.

Puppet tools

Use Puppet tools to easily distort any image with natural, life-like motion. See Animating with Puppet tools.

Photoshop layer styles and video layers

Layer styles and video layers are preserved when you import a Photoshop file. You can also add and animate layer styles within After Effects and use advanced blending options. See Layer styles and Working with Photoshop and After Effects.

To see a video tutorial on importing Photoshop files, go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0252.

Flash integration

You can export FLV files with cue points that you create as markers within After Effects. Now, when you import a SWF file, the alpha channel is preserved, and graphics are continuously rasterized, so they stay sharp as you scale them up. See Working with Flash and After Effects and Rendering and exporting to Flash formats.

To see a video tutorial on exporting to FLV files, go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0262. To see a video tutorial on exporting markers as cue points, go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0255.

Per-character 3D properties for text animation

Move or rotate individual characters or words in 3D space. See Work with per-character 3D text properties.

To see a video tutorial on animating text, go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0226.

Brainstorm

Use Brainstorm to experiment with properties and see the results side by side. Choose the variants that you like and use as is or as input to further experimentation. See Use Brainstorm to experiment and explore settings.

Improved, simpler color management

You can now control the color for each footage item and each output item, all with a robust and simple interface, so colors look right on any output device. See Color management.

Clip Notes

Add queries to reviewers as markers and then export your composition as a PDF file. Reviewers can use Adobe Acrobat® or Adobe Reader® to make comments and then return the comments to you by e-mail or FTP. Comments are imported as markers, which you can see in the Timeline panel. See Reviewing movies with Clip Notes comments.

Performance improvements

You can use multiple CPUs or multiple processors on one CPU to render multiple frames simultaneously. You can also use hardware acceleration of previews to move processing to the GPU, freeing up your CPU and providing greater performance. See Memory, storage, and performance.

Export and preview video for mobile devices

New export presets in the Export Settings dialog box make it easier to export movies suitable for playback on mobile devices, such as mobile phones and the Apple® iPod®. You can view some output types using Adobe Device Central, which emulates many mobile devices. See Preview a movie on a virtual mobile device using After Effects.