Perfect your animations with a quick look at setting markers in After Effects!
If you’re trying to perfect the timing and movement of your animation, then markers are a great tool to use in After Effects. In short, markers allow users to set a point of reference that can hold comments and links. If you’re familiar with using markers in any major NLE, then you will be very familiar with the ins and outs of setting markers in After Effects.
Premiere users will also be thrilled to hear that markers can transfer directly to After Effects using the Adobe Dynamic Link. So, if you’re interested in how to set markers in After Effects, simply follow these quick steps.
Step 1: Move to Location
Simply move your CTI (Current Time Indicator) to the spot in which you want the marker to be placed. If your animations are going to be timed to music, this can be a really handy way to visually show where important audio cues will be. For more information regarding this technique, check out PremiumBeat’s article on previewing audio in After Effects.
Step 2: Set Marker
Keyboard Shortcut: Control+8
To set a marker, simply navigate to Layer>Add Marker or you can simply do the keyboard shortcut Control+8. Once a marker is set, you can double click on the marker to add comments, links, and cues for your marker. Please note: You don’t have to have your marker be a single point in time! By adjusting the duration box, you can set a marker to last over a span of time.
Step 3: Move Markers as Needed
After a marker is set, you can easily move it around by simply clicking on it and dragging it around. If you want to delete your marker, you can do so by right clicking and selecting delete marker or delete all markers. If you don’t want to lock your markers, simply right click and select lock all markers.
Want to learn more After Effects quick tips? Check out a few of the following resources: