1. After Effects Essentials for the Flash User

After Effects is a powerful animation software program that offers many tools for creative effects, dynamic animation, and excellent compositing. Although After Effects and Flash now share the same manufacturer, they evolved as very different programs. After Effects began its life with the Company of Science and Art (CoSA), and Flash was originally developed as FutureSplash Animator and renamed Flash after Macromedia purchased it in 1996.

Over time, both programs have grown significantly in their scope and capabilities. For a Flash user, the core principles of After Effects will seem similar. Elements are stacked from top to bottom in a timeline and then animated with keyframes. From there, the similarities pretty much end. Sure, the interfaces look similar, but Flash users may find themselves scratching their heads a bit due to the subtle intricacies of the two applications.