How to maintain video aspect ratio when resizing

[trusso]

I am making a 30 second dvd intro of a dance recital video. I created 12 short clips that will be cuts between them.  I do not want them to be full screen. I want to apply an effect that makes the clip have frayed edges and it is resized very small. I want to make them bigger so they arennearlynhalf screen.  When I click and drag it, nothing keeps the aspect ratio. I held down the shift key, which usually works in all other programs but it had no effect. I tried other keys like alt but it was a no go. How do I resize without warping the video?

[Todd_Kopriva]

Instructions for scaling layers are in After Effects Help, here.

[trusso]

Thanks. Nothing  on that link helped me though. Specifically, I am applying an effect (Animation Presets\Image-Creative\ Inset Video - framed). I then get a postage stamp sized video. I want to adjust the size. Since I have multiple clips, I want to size them all the same. If I clcik ont he clip in the timeline, I see the 8 handles that surround it. If I click and drag, it is not maintaining the aspect ratio. Holding the shift key prevents me from doing anything. The ctrl key has no effect and it distorts. I looked at all of the layers within the effect and I do not see anything other than cropping that I can adjust. Is this something that cannot be manipulated?

[Szalam]

Instead of wrestling with a preset that you don't understand, simply mask your footage and scale it down to the size you want and use Roughen Edges to get the edge to have the frayed look you want.

[Mylenium]

Sounds more like you have an issue with your system or at least your keyboard settings. Perhaps you have some system utility running that interferes with keyboard shortcuts. While the preset resets the inital scale (for whatever ill-conceived reason), scaling back to 100% should be no problem. Anyway, we know nothing about your system or what version of AE you are using even...

Mylenium

[trusso]

I have nothing on this computer aside from Adobe and a few other audio apps. This is a dual Xeon 6GB system. I work in IT and am MS certified. I do not think it is the system. I am using AE CS6. =A0Keyboard is set to its defaults. I do not touch the keyboard mappings. The effect brings the clip down to 10% or so. How should it be resized? SHift - click and drag works in all of my apps like Photoshop, so it isnt the kb or the system. Is that the way it is supposed to be done in AE? If you have AE, are you able to try this to see what I mean?

[Mylenium]

This should be no issue at all. Like Szalam I actually checked it (since I never use that stuff, I always have to look it up) and had no problems.

Mylenium

[Szalam]

trusso wrote:

I see the 8 handles that surround it. If I click and drag, it is not maintaining the aspect ratio. Holding the shift key prevents me from doing anything.

Well, then something is screwy on your machine. I tried applying that exact preset to some footage and grabbing one of the corner handles and using shift allows me to constrain the proportions.

What exact version of AE are you running? 11.0.0? 11.0.1?

Wait, 6GB of RAM? Why so little?

[trusso]

6GB ram because I only use AE for DVD intros so I dont need much horsepower there. I use Newtek Speed Edit for my editing and 6GB is flying fast enough. WIn 7 64 Bit. 

Version 11.0.0. Was there something in 11.0.1 that addressed this issue? I am not keen on ever upgrading mid project.

Yeah, something is wrong but it isnt with my system because, as I said, shift drag works in all other programs except AE. It is a lean build. No Antivirus, etc. Just some CS6, Sound Forge and Speed Edit. Does AE have a keyboard mappijng section? Actually, I really do not even want to drag these clips to resize them because I have a bout 15 of them and they must all be the same. I would prefer to type in a value so I can use it for all of them. Is there a place to do that? If so, I cannot find it. I do not see anything that allows me to change the size in the FX panel settings.

[Todd_Kopriva]

> Version 11.0.0. Was there something in 11.0.1 that addressed this issue? I am not keen on ever upgrading mid project.

There are an enormous number of bug fixes in the 11.0.1 and 11.0.2 updates. Though I understand the hesitation to change versions mid-project, I do recommend installing these updates.

Details of all of the most recent updates for Adobe video applications are available here:

http://blogs.adobe.com/premierepro/2011/06/updates-for-adobe-premiere-pro-after-effects-and-adobe-me...

[Szalam · Accepted solution]

trusso wrote:

I would prefer to type in a value so I can use it for all of them. Is there a place to do that? If so, I cannot find it. I do not see anything that allows me to change the size in the FX panel settings.

Why not just use the regular scale attribute? If you don't know how to access that, select your layer and press "s" on your keyboard.

Although, if you don't know how to access that, you really, really need to get a good foundation in the basics. It would help avoid such frustration in the future.

I am quite curious why you can't drag the handles though, because it works just fine here. Then again, I am running 11.0.2.12, so it could be because you don't have the bug fixes.

[trusso]

Right after I replied to you earlier, i figured out that I could change the size using the scale settings. I didn't check there originally because I wasn't looking at the clip properties. I was only looking at the effect itself. This will hold me over until I finish this menu and then will update as you suggested. I wasn't aware of the bug fixes. I rarely use AE. The problem is that it is hard to remember things when you do not do them for months and months from the previous time. Thanks for chiming in.

[Szalam]

Glad you got it working.

[Smoking_Rabbit]

Trusso:

   Since this thread still shows "Not Answered" even though it is some years old, I recently was experiencing the same problem.

Resizing using the direct manipulation handles were not maintaining the image's original ratio while holding the [SHIFT] key while dragging.

The solution could very well be that you were (as I was) holding down the [SHIFT] button FIRST.. and THEN clicking on the direct manipulation handles and attempting to drag/resize.   -If this was the case you are correct in your report that AE will not maintain/lock its resize aspect ratio.

In order to get it to work, you have to first click on the direct manipulation handles and begin your resize/drag... and THEN press the [SHIFT] key.  Once you hold down [SHIFT] your image will snap into proper ratio and hold it while you change the size/ratio

I hope this helps the next person who comes along.

Have a creative day!