CREATE AN ANIMATED MAP ON ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS IN JUST 4 STEPS
A guide to map animation using After Effects by Interhacktives.
Are you working on a multimedia project and you want an animated map but need to know how to create it? Well, it`s not as difficult as it looks, but before you have to follow those steps.
1. Adobe After Effect
Check if you have a digital visual effects, motion graphics, and compositing application called Adobe After Effects. Once you`ve done it, open the application and create a new composition. Under the composition settings choose the custom preset, width: 1920 pixels and height 1080 pixels with a frame rate of 30 if you want the ratio 16:9 similar to YouTube. You can play with that ratio aspect depending on what platform you looking to publish it. Last, but not least, do not forget to name the composition.
2. Install Geo Layers 3
Geo layers 3 is a powerful plugin that allows you to easily create stunning geographical animations, maps, and visualizations within After Effects. It is a must-have tool in your arsenal. Follow along with us as we walk you through the installation process so you can start adding geographic context to your animations.
In this video description, you will find a link to the zip folder, which you need to download. After that, you need to copy the Geo layers folder to C, program files, common files, Adobe, CEP, and extensions.
To enable the geo layers 3 tool in After Effects it is necessary to go to the window panel and click extensions. However, there are cases when the tool will not appear on the screen. If not try to restart your device and then it should work.
3. Start creating a map
After geo layer 3 is enabled, on the left-hand side of the After Effects you will be able to see a window, where you can create a map comp. There are different types of maps you can use to show the earthquakes, Mapcom view layers or to show the population of countries. The easiest way to familiarise yourself with it is to create a map line animation. Watch the tutorial by
below for more information.4. Export the animation
It is necessary to have installed Adobe Media Encoder to export the animation as a video. After you select the composition you have to select Add to Adobe Media Encoder and under export settings you have to choose H.264 format and Match Source – High bitrate preset.
However, there are also some other apps to animate maps like Mapcreator, an online mapping tool. It turns your static maps into stunning animated maps. Popular are to help you tell a travel story are Travelboast, Mult dev or Travel Animator.
The traditional data visualisation apps like DataWrapper, Infogram or Flourish can create a map as a video. But you have to pay extra for this option.