Navigating Adobe After Effects

Whether you’re brand new to Adobe After Effects or just looking for a refresher, this guide will walk you through the basics of navigating the interface and understanding the main tools. We’ll start by breaking down the key panels, like the Project Panel, Timeline, and Composition, so you can get comfortable with how everything fits together. By the end of the video, you’ll feel more at home in After Effects and ready to start creating. Let’s get started!

After Effects can feel like a lot when you first open it: panels everywhere, menus stacked deep, and timelines full of layers. But you’ll easily move through it once you know where things are and how they work together. This chapter walks you through the essentials so you can get comfortable and focus on creating.

The Main Panels

Project Panel: This is where your files live. When you import images, video, audio, or other assets, they show up here. You can create folders to stay organized and see basic info about each file (format, resolution, etc.).

Composition Panel: Think of this as your preview screen. It shows what your audience will see. This is where you’ll watch your changes happen as you make adjustments, such as adding layers, animating text, etc.

Timeline Panel: This is where the action happens. You stack layers, move them around in time, and animate them. The Timeline connects everything.

Tools Panel: At the top, you’ll find tools for selecting, moving, masking, adding text, shapes, and more. Hovering over each icon will show you what it does (and the shortcut).

Effects & Presets Panel: You can search and drag effects onto your layers, like blurs, glows, or color correction.

Creating Your First Composition

A composition (or “comp”) is like a container for your animation. Here’s how to make one:

  1. Go to Composition > New Composition or hit Ctrl+N (Cmd+N on Mac).
  2. Set the width and height (1920×1080 is a good default).
  3. Choose a frame rate (usually 24 or 30 fps).
  4. Pick a background color (you can always change this later).
  5. Set the duration (start with 10 seconds if unsure). The duration reads in Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames.
  6. Click OK.

You now have a blank comp ready to build on.

Moving Panels and Workspaces

You don’t have to keep the interface the way it starts. If something feels off, you can rearrange it.

  • Drag panels by their tab to move them.

  • Dock them to snap into new areas.

  • Close panels by right-clicking their tab and choosing “Close Panel.”

  • If you ever get lost, go to Window > Workspace > Reset to Saved Layout.

Want to save your layout?

  1. Arrange the panels as you like.
  2. Go to Window > Workspace > Save as New Workspace.
  3. Name it something like “James – Editing” or “Animation Layout.”

This is handy if you switch between tasks (editing vs. animating vs. effects work). You can explore this more in the Customizing Workspaces in After Effects page.

Importing Assets

You’ll use many different media in After Effects: video clips, images, audio, graphics, and more. To bring them in:

  • Go to File > Import > File or drag files into the Project panel.

  • You can also import whole folders.

  • After Effects supports a wide range of formats—.mp4, .png, .psd, .ai, .wav, etc.

Organize your files into folders early. A little structure now will save time later.

Naming and Saving

It’s easy to let file names get out of hand, especially as your project grows. Here are a few simple habits:

  • Give your comps clear names: MainTitle_Comp, LowerThirds_Comp, etc.

  • Rename layers in the timeline by selecting them and hitting Enter.

  • Save your project often (Ctrl+S / Cmd+S) and use version numbers if needed (Project_v01.aep, v02.aep…).

Setting Preferences (Optional, but Helpful)

You can adjust how After Effects behaves by going to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or After Effects > Preferences (Mac).

A few things you might want to tweak:

  • Auto-Save (set it to every 10 minutes)

  • Appearance (for lighter or darker UI)

  • Memory & Performance (use more RAM if you have it available)

Wrap-Up

Getting comfortable in After Effects takes a bit of clicking around. But once you know what’s what, you’ll stop hunting for tools and start creating. Take time to explore the interface. Customize it if it helps. And remember: you can’t break anything by moving panels or changing settings. In the worst case, you reset and start fresh.

In the next lesson, we’ll explore how we manage layers inside a composition.