The next thing I want to do is import an Illustrator file. Here in my project pane I will select the Illustrator folder so I can import the Comp directly to this folder. So from the file pull down I will import file, and navigate to where I have my source projects. In Chapter 01 I can find my Illustrator files in the Illustrator folder. I will choose inky_clouds, instead of just a composition, I will import them as Cropped Layers, opening it not only gives me a folder of the illustrator layers, but also gives me a composition, I will simply move the composition down to the PreComps folder in my project pane. Next I will open up that folder to reveal it and double click. Here I can see all of the different layers from the Illustrator folder. I could go into each one of these layers. typing P on the key board. reveal the parameter for position, clicking on stopwatch enables key frames for this layer. Now I can move my play head to any where on the timeline. and move this layer to create an animation between two key frames.
After Effects also allows me to add an expression to the parameter. We will go over a few of these later on in the series. By selecting the layer and typing P on the key board to open up the position parameter, I will select the position, then from the Animation pull down window, I will Add the Expression. This allows me to type in a small JavaScript phrase into this dialogue box. I will type wiggle, and use a parenthesis, and type in a value for the amount of times I want the layer to wiggle, three, and the amount I wanted to wiggle, ten pixels, and use a close parenthesis to finish the expression, that's it.
wiggle(3.10)
I will use Enter on the number pad, and now each layer that this is applied to will have a little wiggle. I will click zero on the number pad to start ramp preview. I will type zero again, to stop ramp preview.
If you are using a laptop you may need to use function M, if you do not have a number pad on your keyboard.
