One of the quickest ways to change the duration of a sequence of keyframes is to use the keyframe stretching feature built-into After Effects.
In AE, there are a seemingly endless number of things you can learn to make your life a lot easier, and the following After Effects tip is no exception. When I first started After Effects, I would often have to change the length of a keyframe sequence. When changing the timing of keyframes, I would often drag each keyframe one by one, essentially ruining the animation in the process. However, there’s a better way.
Using a simple trick in After Effects, you can change the duration of a sequence of keyframes so that they scale at an even rate. This method preserves the distance between keyframes and allows it to scale up and down more naturally. Here’s how it’s done:
1. Select Keyframes
Select a keyframe sequence by making a box around your desired keyframes. This method works with two or more keyframes no matter what they are.
2. Hold Down the Option/Alt Key
Hold down the option key on Mac or Alt key on a PC.
3. Drag the keyframes to desired length
Simply drag the first or last keyframe to your desired length. If you have three or more keyframes selected, you will be able to see the keyframes scaled down at a consistent rate.
It’s really that easy. If you want to see more After Effects tips, check out the following posts from our friends over at PremiumBeat:
- After Effects Quick Tip: Link Focus Distance to Layer
- After Effects Quick Tip: Creating Variables
- Quick Tip: Layer Styles in After Effects