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Bouncing ball

Adobe After Effects
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by JuliannaKunstler.com

STEPS

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

New composition.

Your standard settings.

Duration: 5 seconds.

Sky

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

New Solid Layer.

Color: blue or.... anything else....

Name the layer: sky.

ground

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Lock "sky layer.

New Shape layer for ground.

Draw a rectangle. Choose any color.

Lock the "ground" layer.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Our setting is ready.

ball

Select Ellipse tool.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Open Fill options for the circle.

Choose Radial Gradient.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

With both layers locked, start drawing a circle (hold SHIFT).

A new Shape Layer will be automatically created in your timeline.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Open settings for:

Contents

Ellipse 1

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

In Gradient Fill options:

Click on Edit Gradient

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Click to select the first Color Stop.

This is going to be your highlight - it appears in the center of the radial gradient.

Select a light color.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Add a color stop to the gradient.

This should be the darkest color of the three.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Adjust the color stops and Color Midpoints if needed.

Click OK.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Now you can use Gradient Controllers to adjust the gradient Start and End points.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Reposition the points as shown to make it look as a sphere.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

These changes will be reflected in yout timeline.

Please note, that your values will be different from the ones in this photo.

IMPORTANT!!!

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Move the Anchor Point to the bottom of the ball.

Use Anchor point Tool.

Hold Ctrl/Command

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Animation

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Move the ball off the screen.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Place Time Indicator to 1/2 second frame mark (00:12f)

Place a keyframe for Position to start the moving path.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Move to 1 sec. mark.

Move the ball down.

That completes the first leg of the bouncing path.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Move time indicator to 01:12 mark (1 1/2 sec.)

Move the ball up.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Create a corner point for the path.

Adjust the curve.

The 2nd leg should be lower than the first one.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Continue with the bouncing path as shown every half a second.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Until you reach a 4 sec. mark.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Double-check the moving pattern in the timeline.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Now we need to adjust time as it takes less time for the ball to bounce as it dies out.

You can manually move the keyframes positioning them closer and closer together. The last keyframe can be moved left just a few frames before the 04:00 mark.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

We can remove the last second of the timeline now.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

In the Menu bar:

Composition > Composition Settings

Change the duration to 4 seconds,

Ground impact

If we want to create a realistic illusion of a bouncing ball - we need to add some modifications to the ball shape during the ground impact.

Look at the image to see how the shape should change.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Starts with a simple round shape ball. As it gets closer to the ground - it speeds up and gravity pulls the bottom part down, making an oval shape that is tilted in the direction of the fall. The ball starts leveling up and squishing into a horizontal ovalю Then it bounces back in a reverse manner.

Here is a step-by-step guide:

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation
Before the beginning of the animation and the 1st keyframes for Scale and Rotation the ball is just round.

In the timeline:

Scale: 100%,100%;

Rotation: 0

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Between the 1 and 2 keyframes the ball stretches and tilts.

In the timeline:

Scale: 75, 125

Rotation: -22

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

At 3rd keyframe - ground impact - matches with the Position keyframe.

In the timeline:

Scale:125, 75

Rotation: 0

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Starting the second leg.

In the timeline for the 4th keyframe:

Scale: 75%, 125%

Rotation: +24

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

In the timeline for the 5th keyframe (back to circle):

Scale: 100%, 100%

Rotation: 0

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

The ball continues its path to the other side of the curve.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Repeat the same animation pattern for the rest of the legs.
Feel free to make adjustments to rotation if it works better for you.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

You will end up with keyframe groups.

The keyframes get closer as the ball bounces faster.

To speed up or slow down the animation (or a part of it) - select the keyframes.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Alt/Option drag one of the end key-frames. It will condence or expand the keyframes uniformly.

Adobe AfterEffects bouncing ball animation

Preview the animation.

Save.

Render a video.

Done!

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