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Creating Advanced Animation in Photoshop: Timeline Panel Overview. Create Animation Using Timeline

02/22/16 5.8K

Photoshop is still far from being able to create animation in it high quality. But it still has enough features to do so, which is especially important if you don't want to waste time learning a new application.

In this article I will talk about several advanced technologies, which will help you create complex animations in Photoshop. We'll look at timeline panels and the various properties that can be animated. I'll also talk about the importance of adjustment layers, filters, and smart objects for animation.

Timeline panel overview

By opening the timeline panel ( Window > Timeline), you can choose from two types of timeline: video and frame animation. The latter is intended for frame-by-frame animation. This panel works by converting layers in the Layers panel into individual frames. I won't go into detail on this timeline; I'd like to focus on the video timeline instead:

Photoshop has two timelines. ( Larger version)

Timeline for video

The Video Timeline allows you to create keyframes animation, in which you can define key points along the timeline, and Photoshop will interpret the frames in between into a solid animation. Let's create simple animation to see how it works:

The Timeline panel shows layer (1) with properties for layer (2). The timeline shows the current time indicator (3) and existing keyframes (4). ( Larger version)

The timeline image above shows layers from the Layers panel. Each of them contains a drop-down panel that allows you to view the layer properties available for animation. To animate a layer property, click on the stopwatch icon, which allows you to create a keyframe for the animation. Note that the frame is automatically placed on the current time indicator:

The stopwatch icon is selected for the Position property. The frame is automatically added to the timeline. ( Larger version)

Drag the current time indicator to another point on the timeline and move the layer. Another frame will be automatically added to the timeline:

Moving a layer automatically adds a frame at the current point in the timeline indicator. ( Larger version)

When the animation plays, it shows an object on the canvas moving from one position to another:

Photoshop automatically creates animation between frames.

Layer Types

Before we make animation in Photoshop, we will look at all types of layers and their properties that can be used for this.
A standard (pixel) layer is a layer that contains pixel information. This is the main layer type in Photoshop.

Properties for this layer:

  • Position;
  • Opacity;
  • Style.

A standard layer on the timeline with layer properties.

By adding a layer mask or vector mask to any layer, we enter additional properties related to this mask:

  • Layer mask position;
  • Enable layer mask.

A layer with a layer mask on the timeline.

Layer with a vector mask on the timeline.

A shape layer contains a shape created using the Shape tool or the Pen tool. Because shapes and line segments are created using vector mask information, the properties of that mask are added to the other properties of the layer:

  • Position;
  • Transparency;
  • Style;
  • Vector mask position;
  • Enable vector mask.

A shape layer in the timeline with layer properties.

The text layer contains editable text. If the text has been rasterized, it will be a standard layer with pixel information. This must be taken into account even before making a gif with animation in Photoshop.

Text layer properties include:

  • Perspective;
  • Transparency;
  • Style;
  • Text wrapping.

Text layer on the timeline with layer properties.

A smart object can contain any of the above layer types or a combination of them. It provides a container for any layer that keeps the original layer unchanged, using instead new set properties. These properties include:

  • Perspective;
  • Opacity;
  • Style.

Text layer on the timeline with available properties.

Because the smart object saves original quality layer, it can be scaled without loss of quality. But it cannot be stretched beyond the dimensions of the original layer contained in it. This would lead to a loss of quality.

I would also like to mention two more types of layers - video layer and 3D layer. Both of these layers are significantly different from all the others listed previously. A video layer is a group of layers that contains own set properties. 3D, in addition to containing a unique set of properties, operates in an environment completely different from other layers, which makes it even more complex. In the pictures below you can see how both layers appear in the timeline:

A group of video layers on the timeline with layer properties.

A 3D layer on the timeline with layer properties.

I advise you, before making a GIF image in Photoshop, to become familiar with these two types of layers yourself. Further in this article I will focus only on standard types layers, no video and 3D.

Layer properties

Let's look at the basic layer properties available for animation.

The “Position” property allows you to move an object along the X and Y axes. The object’s position is controlled using the “Move” tool:

The Position property of the object sets keyframes to move the ball back and forth along the x-axis.

The Opacity property allows you to create layer opacity frames. It is available in the layers panel:

The object's Opacity property is used to create a dissolve effect.

The Style property allows you to create layer style keyframes. You can access them by double-clicking on the layer in the layers palette.

In this article I will talk about what animation is in Photoshop. We'll see how animation works in Photoshop using the example of creating a New Year's banner.

I will work in Adobe Photoshop CS6. My interface is Russian, since I am writing from work.

I have the English version at home, and I advise you to study with the English version, here's why:

  • You can easily navigate the program in any language (after English in Russian you can easily find tools, because this is your native language, and after Russian you may have problems with adaptation).
  • Majority good lessons are written in English.
  • Program localizations often differ from each other, and the quality of interface translation sometimes leaves much to be desired. Incorrect translation of tools can confuse a person beginning to learn the program.

Let's start creating animation in Photoshop CS6

Let's launch Photoshop.

We create new document File -New (Ctrl+N).

In the window that opens, set the banner dimensions: 600 x 120, let's call it “New Year banner” -> “Ok”.

Creating a background

I select in advance the materials that I will use in my work (backgrounds, fonts, etc.).

Open the prepared texture: Ctrl+O. You can download the texture I use.

Open the layers palette “Layers” – F7.

Select the window with the texture, drag the layer from the layers palette onto the layer with the banner.

If the texture turns out to be too small or very large compared to the banner, adjust its size using the “Ctrl+T” transformation.

Small square markers will appear in the corners of the image. Hold Shift to maintain the aspect ratio as you resize, and drag the corner handle diagonally to reduce or increase the size of the image until the background fills the entire surface of the banner.

After we have adjusted the texture to the size of the banner, we move on to its color correction.

Go to the menu “Image” - “Adjustsments” - “Hue / Saturation” (Image - Correction - Hue / Saturation).

I set the following settings to achieve a bright, saturated color:

We write the text

We create new layer(Ctrl+Shift+N) or click on the new layer icon in the layers palette.

Select the Horizontal Type Tool (T).

Select a brush with any star, paint with white color #ffffff. To select a color, click on the small square at the bottom of the left panel.

On a new layer, draw stars in random places. To make the stars brighter, click several times in one place. Here's what I got:

Make a duplicate of the layer (Ctrl+J). Click on the eye icon in the layers palette to hide the visibility of the previous layer.

Select the top layer with a copy of the stars. From the left panel, select the Lasso Tool(L).

Select each star in turn, press “V” (Move Tool) and move it to any other place, so in different frames we will have stars on different places, which will create a flickering effect.

After you move all the stars to another place, create a duplicate of the layer you worked on (Ctrl+J), hide the previous layer in the layers palette by clicking on the eye, and again repeat the operation of moving the stars to new places, you can also finish drawing several new stars.

Thus, we will have 3 layers with stars, in each of which the stars will be in different positions.

Everything is ready.

Let's move on to creating animation in Photoshop

Open the timeline. Go to the “Window” menu - “Timeline” (Window - Timeline).

In the timeline panel that appears, we find the button in the middle “Create Video Timeline” (Create a timeline for video).

After this, the scale will change appearance. Now click on the icon with three squares in the lower left corner of the window to create a frame-by-frame animation.

The frame-by-frame animation panel has opened. Now there is only one frame in which all visible layers are shown (the contents of the selected frame are shown in the main window on the monitor).

Go to the layers palette - F7. We now need to turn off the top two star layers (click on the eye), leaving only one visible. This will be the first frame.

Go to the layers palette. Turn off the first layer with stars, turn on the second. Thus, in the second frame we will show stars in other places.

Click on the new frame icon again. Turn off the second layer with stars, turn on the third.

Pay attention to the time under each frame, this is the duration of the frame. 5 seconds, which are the default, is too much for us - the animation will slow down, click on the arrow and set the duration of each frame to 0.1 seconds.

In order for the frames to change smoothly, we need to create intermediate frames between the key frames. To do this, being on the first frame, click on the icon with several circles at the bottom of the temporary panel.

In the window that appears, indicate how many intermediate frames we want to create. I'll set it to 2. For all frames except the last one, set it to "Next frame".

Between the first and second keyframes you now have 2 intermediate ones.

Now we stand on the 2nd key frame (now it is the 4th in a row), again click on the icon with circles and create 2 more intermediate frames. Now we just need to close the last and first frames to get a smooth animation.

Select the last frame in the timeline. Click on the circles. In the window that appears, in the “Intermediate frames” line, select “First frame”, add the same 2 frames.

Now, under the frames at the bottom left, we indicate the number of repetitions of the animation “Constantly”.

Select the first frame, press the triangle to the right “Play” to see what happened.

Selecting the file format for save GIF, click “Save...”, select the directory where we will save, click “Save” again.

So, in this lesson we looked at how to make animation in Photoshop CS6.

I hope you learned something new and useful from this tutorial.

While animation in Photoshop isn't a new concept, it has come a long way in the last few years, with the Timeline panel getting a slight overhaul, video layers being introduced, and the ability to create keyframe animations. All of these additions have actually improved Photoshop.

Although Photoshop is still far from producing high-quality animations like After Effect, it still has the ability to create complex animations. This is useful, especially if you don't want to spend time learning a new program.

In this article, I will share with you several useful techniques that will help you create complex animations. We'll look at the Timeline panel and the different properties you can use to animate. In addition, we'll explore the role adjustment layers, smart objects, and filters play in animation, and how to combine all three to create amazing effects. Since in this tutorial we will use modern methods, then users will be required to own Photoshop program at an average level.

Timeline panel overview

This panel opens through the Window tab. Once opened, you have the option to choose between two modes: Create Video Timeline or real-time mode and Create Frame Animation or frame mode. The second mode is for frame-by-frame animation, which can be very limiting. It works by converting layers in the Layers panel into individual frames. I won't go into detail about this mode. I want to focus on the first mode, “Create a Video Timeline.”

Timeline for video

The Video Timeline is designed to create an animation key frame, it represents the animation creation process in which you define key points animation in the timeline, then Photoshop interprets the frames in between to create the animation. As an example, let's create a very simple animation so you can see how it works.

The timeline below shows normal layer(1) with its own properties (2). Under the number (3) the current time indicator is shown, (4) existing key frames.

Notice in the screenshot below, the video timeline displays the layers in the Layers panel. Each of them has its own drop-down panel, which displays the properties of the layer (these properties can be animated). You can animate properties by clicking on the stopwatch icon. Note that the current time indicator is automatically placed on the keyframe.

Move the current time indicator to another point on the timeline and move the contents of the layer. Another key frame will be added automatically.

Play the resulting animation and you will see the object move on the canvas from one position to another.

Layer types

Now that we have an idea of ​​how the animation process works in Photoshop, let's take a closer look at the types of layers that can be animated. Since various types Layers have different properties, so you should pay attention to which layers you use.

Standard or Pixel– a layer containing information about pixels. This is the main and most common layer in Photoshop. It includes the following properties:

  • position;
  • opacity;
  • style.

If you want to add a vector mask or a regular mask to a layer, then these actions will add additional properties specific to the selected mask. These additional properties include:

  • vector mask layer or position;
  • layer or vector mask.

Shape layer contains a line or shape created by one of the Shapes tools or a pen. Because lines and shapes are created along with the vector mask information, these properties will additionally be added to the existing properties. Shape layer properties include:

  • position;
  • opacity;
  • style;
  • vector mask position;
  • vector mask.

Text layer contains editable text. If the text is rasterized, it will no longer be text, but a standard layer containing pixel information. These properties include:

  • transformation;
  • opacity;
  • style;
  • text deformation.

Smart object may contain one or several of the above types of layers. A smart object is a kind of wrapper for any layer, that is, using a new set of properties, the original layer remains unchanged. These properties include:

  • transformation;
  • opacity;
  • style.

Useful information about smart objects: Since a smart object retains the quality of the original layer or multiple layers it contains, scaling will not affect its quality. But, nevertheless, the increase should not exceed the size of the original layer that contains the smart object. This will lead to loss of quality.

I would like to note two more types - video layer (Video layer) and 3D layer (3D layer), which differ from the other layers discussed above. A video layer is a group of layers that contain their own set of properties. And the 3D layer - in addition to the content unique set properties, is exposed in a completely separate environment, different from other layers. We will not look at these layers in detail. In the screenshot below you can see how they look on the timeline.

My advice to you: study these two types. In the rest of the tutorial, we'll look at various properties of traditional layer types, with the exception of 3D and video.

Layer properties

Now that we have an idea about different types layers, let's move on to considering their properties that can be animated. It is important to know how each property works to understand its limitations and purpose. Let's start looking at the general properties of animation.

Position allows an object to move along the X and Y axes. The object's position is changed using the Move Tool (V).

Using the Position property, the ball moves along the X axis back and forth.

Opacity is intended to change the opacity of the layer. It is located in the Layers panel.

To create the fading animation, the keyframes were set to 100% and 0% opacity.

Property Style is intended for applying styles to a layer. Styles can be accessed by double-clicking on the desired layer.

The pulsating animation of the object was created using the Emboss, Drop Shadow and Color Overlay styles.

Layer mask or Vector mask position allows you to crop the X and Y positions of each mask. This all works better if the mask is not associated with a layer.

The mask, masking one layer, reveals the background one.

Enabling or disabling a layer or vector mask (Turn on or off a layer or vector mask). To enable or disable the mask, go to the menu Layer > Layer Mask and select either Enable or Disable, respectively. For a vector mask, go to the Layer > Vector Mask menu or press Shift + click on the mask thumbnail to turn it on or off.

The mask turns on and off in a short period of time, due to this an animation effect is created.

Property Text Warp typical for text layers and intended for text deformation. To access additional text effects, go to Type > Warp Text.

In this animation, a Flag warp was applied to the text.

Transform– a property that allows you to perform various transformations to an animated object (for example, scaling or rotation). To the list various transformations You can go through the Edit > Transform menu or press Ctrl + T to enter free transformation mode.

Using rotation and scaling, we created a rotating star that shrinks and grows.

Another way to create animation in Photoshop is using a timeline. Open it in a new document, make a new layer on which there will be animation. Let it be a moving arrow. Select the tool, check that the tool settings have a mode Outlines, and find the arrow in the list of shapes. Make an outline of the arrow on the image, and if necessary, move the arrow in right place tool Outline selection .

Then open the palette Outlines, click on the created outline right key mouse and select Create Selection. Click ok and fill the selected area with some gradient. Now write three more words on three separate layers— we will animate each word separately.

Now open . In the palette, enable the timeline if it is not already enabled by clicking on the icon in the lower right corner of the palette.

On the timeline you will see layers - one layer with an arrow, and three layers with words.

The parameters of each layer in the animation can be changed. Each layer has four parameters: position, opacity, style, and text wrap. The slider on the timeline shows at what point in time a particular parameter is valid.

Let's start with the arrow. Insert the slider to the far left position - at the beginning of playback, and click on the icon opposite the parameter Position. You have created a keyframe. Now place the slider opposite a relatively short time period, for example. half a second. Tool Moving move the arrow to another position.

You have already created the animation, and you can see for yourself by dragging the slider from the beginning to the half-second interval. The arrow will move. Now set the slider to the second interval and move the arrow back. The arrow should constantly move, so do this alternation until the end of the timeline.

Now let's start making moving text. Let the first word float out from outside the image. Place the slider at the beginning. and drag the word almost out of visibility - so that only a small part of it is visible in the image. Click on the icon opposite the line. This must be done in order to then pull out the word.

Then place the slider in the position that corresponds to the beginning of the text flowing out. and drag the text to former place.

Next: You take the second word, make it so that it certain point, namely before the text floated out, was not visible. To do this, you need to take the left edge of the strip opposite the word and move it to the right moment in time.

Now move the slider a couple of seconds further from the beginning, and remove the third word outside the image. Move the third word outside the image too, but so that you can grab it by the edge and return it to its place. Then move the cursor even further and move the text to its original place.

Let's look at transparency. Let the second word appear slowly, as if out of nowhere. Place the slider at the beginning of the appearance of this word, go to the Layers palette, and there put layer opacity 0%. Then move the slider to where the word should appear in full, and in the Layers palette set the layer opacity to 100%. At this interval, the text now begins to appear slowly.

All that remains is to figure out the styles. You can use any styles. To save old styles, or rather, their absence, put the slider in the right place and click the icon to the left of the parameter Style. at the layer you need.

After that, put the slider in the place where you want to see new style, For example. gradient. Double click on the palette Layers opposite the layer you need, to the right of the name. To return a layer to its reverse state, find a new place for the slider, go to the Layers palette, and delete the layer style.

Video on how to make animation using the timeline in Adobe Photoshop CS5

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To animate the contents of a layer in timeline mode (as opposed to frame-by-frame mode), keyframes in the Animation panel are set when you move the current time indicator to a different time (or frame)

To animate layer content in timeline mode (as opposed to frame-by-frame mode), keyframes in the Animation panel are set by moving the current-time indicator to a different time (or frame) and then changing the position, opacity, or style of the layer's content. The sequence of frames between two existing frames is automatically added or modified, changing layer settings (position, opacity, and style) evenly between new frames to create the impression of movement.

For example, if you want a layer to fade out, set the layer's opacity in the opening frame to 100% and click the opacity stopwatch for that layer in the Animation panel. Then move the current time indicator to the time or frame you want to consider ending and set the opacity of the same layer to 0%. Frames between start and end will be automatically interpolated, and the opacity of new frames will be reduced uniformly.

In addition to interpolating animation frames, you can also manually create frame-by-frame animation by drawing on empty video layers.

If you need to create an animation in SWF format, use Adobe Flash, Adobe After Effects or Adobe Illustrator.

To create an animation in the timeline in Photoshop Extended The following general workflow is used.

1. Create a new document.

Set the background size and content. Make sure that the pixel proportions and dimensions match the purpose of the animation. Must be installed color mode RGB. Unless there is a specific reason to change, keep the resolution at 72 ppi, bit depth 8 bpc, and square pixel aspect ratio.

2. From the Animation panel menu, set document timeline options.

Specify the duration and frame rate.

3. Add a layer.

Add one of the following.

    New layer for adding content.

    New video layer for adding video content.

    A new blank video layer for cloning content or creating hand-drawn animations.

4. Add content to the layer.

5. Add a layer mask (optional).

A layer mask can be used to display only part of a layer's contents. The layer mask can be animated to display different parts layer contents at different times.

6. Move the current time indicator to the desired time or frame number where you want to set the first key frame.

7. Enable setting keyframes for the layer option.

Click the triangle next to the layer name. A base-down triangle displays a list of layer parameters. Then click the Stopwatch icon to set the first keyframe for the layer parameter you want to animate. You can set keyframes for multiple parameters at the same time.

8. Move the current time indicator and change the layer parameter.

Move the current time indicator to the time or frame where the layer property changes. Do one or more of the following:

    Change the layer's position to give the appearance of content moving.

    Change the layer's opacity to make the content fade in or out.

    Change the position of the layer mask to show different parts of the layer.

    Turn the layer mask on or off.

Some types of animation, such as changing the color of an object or completely changing the content in a frame, require additional layers with new content.

Note. When you animate shapes using the Stopwatch icon for the Vector Mask Position or Enable Vector Mask properties, the vector mask animates, but not the shape layer.

9. Add additional content layers and change their settings if necessary.

10. Move or adjust the layer duration bar to set the time the layer appears in the animation.

To play the animation, use the Animation panel controls. Then view the animation in your browser. You can also view the animation in the Save for Web & Devices dialog box.

12. Save the animation.

You can save the animation as an animated GIF using the Save for Web & Devices command, or as a sequence of images or videos using the Preview Video command. You can also save it to PSD format, which can be imported into the application Adobe After Effects.