Chapter 12: Animations and Keyframes

Animations bring your video templates to life. FX Express offers text animations, shape animations, and keyframe-based property animation for precise control.

Animation Types

FX Express supports three animation systems:

Type	Elements	Control
Text Animations	Text elements	Preset entry animations
Shape Animations	Rectangle shapes	Draw, grow, and spring effects
Keyframe Animation	All elements	Custom property animation over time

Text Animations

Text elements have preset entry animations.

Available Text Animations

Basic:

• None: No animation
• Fade In: Opacity fades from 0 to 100%

Slide Animations:

• From Left: Slides in from the left
• From Right: Slides in from the right
• From Top: Slides in from above
• From Bottom: Slides in from below

Scale Animations:

• Scale In: Grows from small to full size
• Scale with Bounce: Scales with overshoot bounce

Character Animations:

• Typewriter: Characters appear one at a time
• Word by Word: Words appear sequentially
• Letter by Letter: Letters animate individually

Creative Animations:

• Blur In: Fades in while becoming sharp
• Rotate In: Rotates while fading in
• Flip In: 3D flip effect
• Bounce In: Bouncy entrance
• Elastic In: Elastic stretch effect

Setting Text Animation

1. Select a text element
2. Open the Properties panel
3. Find the Animation section
4. Choose animation type
5. Adjust duration and delay

Animation Properties

Property	Description	Default
Type	Animation style	None
Duration	How long animation takes	0.5s
Delay	Wait before starting	0s
Easing	Acceleration curve	Ease

Shape Animations

Rectangle shapes support specialized animations.

Drawing Animations

Draw the shape outline progressively:

• Single Line: One line draws clockwise
• Single Line (CCW): Draws counter-clockwise
• Opposite Corners: Two lines from corners meet
• All Corners: Eight lines from all corners

Growing Animations

Reveal the shape by growing:

• Left to Right: Expands from left edge
• Right to Left: Expands from right edge
• Bottom to Top: Grows upward
• Top to Bottom: Grows downward
• From Center: Expands from center outward

Spring Animations

Playful, physics-based movements:

Animation	Effect	Best For
Back Out	Pull back, overshoot	Hero elements
Back In + Out	Pull, overshoot, settle	Entrance/exit
Elastic Out	Rubber band snap	Playful UI
Elastic InOut	Stretchy bounce	Games, toys
Bounce Out	Ball drop bounce	Loading, success
Bounce In + Out	Drop and settle	Modals
Spring Out	Natural spring	Premium feel
Overshoot Cubic	Gentle to strong	Classy
Anticipation	Pull back, fast, overshoot	Buttons, cards
Wobbly Spring	Very floppy	Cartoonish

Setting Shape Animation

1. Select a rectangle shape
2. Click “Animate…” in the toolbar
3. Choose animation category
4. Select specific animation
5. Set duration and easing

Keyframe Animation

Keyframes provide frame-by-frame control over element properties.

Animatable Properties

Property	Description	Unit
X Position	Horizontal position	%
Y Position	Vertical position	%
Width	Element width	%
Height	Element height	%
Scale X / Scale Y	Visual scale multiplier	%
Rotation (Rotate Z)	Rotation in the canvas plane	degrees
Rotate X / Rotate Y	Out-of-plane rotation, on 3D layers	degrees
Opacity	Transparency	% (0-100)
Volume	Level, on audio and volume-adjustment layers	% (0-200)
Font Size	Text size, on text elements	px
Line Height	Line spacing, on text elements	× font size
Letter Spacing	Space between glyphs, on text elements	px
Stretch X / Stretch Y	Glyph stretch, on text elements	× (1 = none)
Blur Radius	Radius of a Blur effect, one lane per effect	px
Saturation Amount	Amount of a Saturation effect, one lane per effect	% (0-200)

The five text properties animate the type in place — the element’s box does not move or scale. Each has a keyframe icon at the end of its row in the Properties panel’s STYLE section; see Chapter 4.

The two effect lanes belong to a specific effect in the layer’s stack (a layer with two blurs has two Blur Radius lanes) and come from the keyframe icon on that effect’s slider in the Effects section; see Chapter 21. No other effect parameter is keyframable.

The scene camera has its own lanes — position, look-at, and zoom — on the camera row rather than on any element. Each camera field has the same keyframe icon. See Chapter 23.

Understanding Keyframes

A keyframe defines a property value at a specific time:

Time 0s: X Position = 10%
Time 2s: X Position = 80%

The element animates between keyframe values.

Adding Keyframes

Method 1: Timeline

1. Expand element in timeline (click ▶)
2. Position playhead at desired time
3. Click ◇+ (add keyframe) icon
4. Set the property value

Method 2: Properties Panel

1. Position playhead at desired time
2. Change a property value
3. Keyframe auto-creates at current time

Editing Keyframes

Move Keyframes:

• Drag diamond icons horizontally in timeline

Change Values:

• Select keyframe
• Modify value in Properties panel

Delete Keyframes:

• Select keyframe diamond
• Press Delete

Easing Functions

Control acceleration between keyframes:

Easing	Effect
Linear	Constant speed
Ease	Slow start and end
Ease In	Starts slow, ends fast
Ease Out	Starts fast, ends slow
Ease In Out	Slow at both ends

Keyframe Examples

Slide In Animation:

Time 0.0s: X = -20%, Opacity = 0%
Time 0.5s: X = 10%, Opacity = 100%
Easing: Ease Out

Zoom Effect:

Time 0s: Width = 30%, Height = 30%
Time 3s: Width = 35%, Height = 35%
Easing: Linear

Pulse Animation:

Time 0.0s: Opacity = 100%
Time 0.5s: Opacity = 50%
Time 1.0s: Opacity = 100%
Easing: Ease In Out

Rotation:

Time 0s: Rotation = 0°
Time 2s: Rotation = 360°
Easing: Linear (for constant spin)

Motion Blur

A fast-moving element can be smeared along its path, as a camera would show it. Turn on Motion blur (render only) at the bottom of the element’s Transform section. The smear covers half of what the element moves in one frame and sits just ahead of it, like After Effects’ default 180° shutter. Only movement blurs: a still element stays sharp.

Motion blur is render only: the editor canvas always shows the element sharp. Check it in the rendered preview or the published video. Elements imported from After Effects with motion blur on keep their own shutter angle and phase.

Combining Animations

Text Animation + Keyframes

Text can have both:

1. Entry animation (preset)
2. Keyframe animation (custom)

Entry animation plays first, then keyframes continue.

Multiple Properties

Animate several properties simultaneously:

• Position X and Y for curved paths
• Size and opacity for dramatic effects
• Rotation with position for complex motion

Staggered Animations

Create sequences by:

1. Setting different In Times
2. Using animation delays
3. Coordinating keyframe timing

Animation Best Practices

Duration Guidelines

Animation Type	Recommended Duration
Quick feedback	0.1 - 0.3s
Standard entry	0.3 - 0.5s
Emphasis	0.5 - 1.0s
Dramatic reveal	1.0 - 2.0s

Timing Principles

• Anticipation: Slight delay builds expectation
• Follow-through: Don’t stop abruptly
• Overlap: Stagger related elements
• Consistency: Similar elements, similar animation

Performance

• Limit simultaneous animations
• Keep durations reasonable
• Test on target devices
• Simpler is often better

Common Mistakes

• Too many animations competing
• Animations too slow (feels sluggish)
• Animations too fast (hard to see)
• Inconsistent easing choices
• Animation for its own sake

Animation Workflow

Planning

1. Identify what needs emphasis
2. Decide entry sequence
3. Plan timing relative to content
4. Sketch keyframe positions

Implementation

1. Set element In Times first
2. Add entry animations
3. Create keyframes for custom motion
4. Adjust easing for feel

Refinement

1. Preview full scene
2. Adjust timing as needed
3. Check transitions between scenes
4. Verify on different speeds

Troubleshooting

Animation Not Playing

• Check element In Time
• Verify animation isn’t “None”
• Ensure duration > 0
• Preview from scene start

Animation Looks Jerky

• Try different easing
• Increase duration slightly
• Reduce concurrent animations
• Check keyframe spacing

Keyframes Not Showing

• Expand element in timeline
• Element must have keyframes set
• Check if viewing correct property

Timing Seems Off

• Verify In Time settings
• Check animation delay
• Compare to scene duration
• Account for transition overlap

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