EDUCBA Logo

EDUCBA

MENUMENU
  • Explore
    • EDUCBA Pro
    • PRO Bundles
    • Featured Skills
    • New & Trending
    • Fresh Entries
    • Finance
    • Data Science
    • Programming and Dev
    • Excel
    • Marketing
    • HR
    • PDP
    • VFX and Design
    • Project Management
    • Exam Prep
    • All Courses
  • Blog
  • Enterprise
  • Free Courses
  • Log in
  • Sign Up
Home Design Design Tutorials After Effects Tutorial Trapcode in After Effects
 

Trapcode in After Effects

Preeti Prajapati
Article byPreeti Prajapati
Madhuri Thakur
Reviewed byMadhuri Thakur

Trapcode in After Effects

Introduction to Trapcode in After Effects

After Effect is video editing software, we can make a number of animation and edit videos according to our requirement; in this software, we have different features that help edit work. Trapcode is also one of them; you can understand it as an effect through which you can apply particle motion on a particular path and can make a professional animation for your project work. Here in this article, we will understand the Trapcode of After Effects software and also learn how to handle parameters of Trapcode for particular animation.

 

 

How to Use Trapcode in After Effect?

We will understand Trapcode in a very simple manner but before starting it, let us go through the important sections of the working screen of this software so that we can better understand this software throughout this article.

Watch our Demo Courses and Videos

Valuation, Hadoop, Excel, Mobile Apps, Web Development & many more.

Step 1: At the top of the working screen, we have a Menu bar and Toolbar for making our work easy in this software; below these ribbons, there are three sections that are Project Panel at the left end to the working screen, at the middle, there is Composition window which shows our current composition, at the right end we have parameters sections for making any composition in this software, at the bottom of the working screen we have Layer section for making changes in layers of composition and at the right end there is Timeline section for handling the parameters of any particular animation of any composition.

working screen

Step 2: Now go to the Composition menu of the Menu bar for a new composition at the top of the working screen.

Composition menu

Step 3: Another option through which you can take a new composition is by right-clicking anywhere on the Project panel section and Choosing the ‘New Composition’ option from the drop-down list.

New Composition

Step 4: You can click on this icon of the Project panel, which is named ‘Create a new Composition’ for a new composition.

Project panel

Step 5: A new Composition setting box will be open. Make your desired settings here according to you and press the Ok button of this dialog box.

Composition setting box

Step 6: Now go to the Layer section of this software, which is at the bottom of the working screen and right-click anywhere in this section. A drop-down list will be open, go to the ‘New’ option and choose the ‘Solid’ option from the new drop-down list.

Layer section

Step 7: A Solid Setting dialog box will be open. Name this solid layer as ‘Particular’ and press the Ok button of this dialog box for applying the settings.

dialog box

Step 8: Now go to the Effect menu of the Menu bar. A drop-down list will be open, go to the RG Trapcode option of this list and click on the ‘Particular’ option of the new drop-down list.

Effect menu

Step 9: Trapcode Particular parameters lists will be open in the Effect Control panel, which is next to the Project panel of this software, at the left side of the Composition window.

Control panel

Step 10: We have a different type of parameter in this section which we can understand after practicing on it. Here I will discuss some of them. There is an Emitter option which is the most important parameter of Trapcode particular feature of After Effects software.

type of parameter

Step 11: Let us have a look at it. Click on the small arrow icon of the Emitter option, a list of its parameters of Emitter will be opened.

Trapcode in After Effects - 11

Step 12: You can see the scattering of particles by playing it from the keyframe.

Trapcode in After Effects - 12

Step 13: The first option is Emitter Behavior. There are two main options that are ‘Continuous’; it will emit particle continuously like this.

Trapcode in After Effects - 13

Step 14: And second is Explode it will emit particle like this.

Trapcode in After Effects - 14

Step 15: You can adjust the number of particles which will emit per second. When you increase the value of this option number of a particle will increase, and if you decrease, the number of particles will be decreased.

Trapcode in After Effects - 15

Step 16: The type of scattering of particles will depend on this option which is Emitter Type. You can choose anyone from this list. I will explain to you one of them as an example of Trapcode Particular.

Trapcode in After Effects - 16

Step 17: So let us understand Trapcode with an example. Make right-click on the Layer section. A drop list will be open, go to the ‘New’ option and choose the ‘Lights’ option from the new drop-down list.

Trapcode in After Effects - 17

Step 18: A light setting dialog box will be open. Name this layer as ‘Emitter’ for using light Emitter and press the Ok button of this dialog box.

Trapcode in After Effects - 18

Step 19: Light ranger will be generated on the composition screen. You can adjust the size by choosing the size percentage from this list.

Trapcode in After Effects - 19

Step 20: Now, choose the ‘Light’ option in Emitter Type from the parameters of the Trapcode Particular option.

Trapcode in After Effects - 20

Step 21: Now, place the play head some frame forward in the timeline section so that we can see the particles.

Trapcode in After Effects - 21

Step 22: Now click on the Emitter layer in the layer section of this software and press the P button from the keyboard for the position property of Emitter. We will animate the position of the emitter.

Trapcode in After Effects - 22

Step 23: Now, place the play head of the key frame at the starting point and then place the light ranger at this option by moving it with the help of its moving arrow of  X and Y directions. Now add a key in position property of this emitter at this point.

Trapcode in After Effects - 23

Step 24: Now, place the key frame head a few frames forward in the key frame timeline section and then place light ranger at this option.

Trapcode in After Effects - 24

Step 25: Now play the animation by pressing the keyboard’s space bar, or you can play it from the Preview tab of the parameter section of this software. Your animation will look like this.

Trapcode in After Effects - 25

In this way, you can use the Trapcode in After Effect for getting particle scattering effect in your project work.

Conclusion

Now, after this article, you can understand ‘what Trapcode it is in After Effects software’ and can also handle its different type of parameters for getting a different type of result. You can understand all the type of Emitter of Trapcode in this software after practicing on this feature of After Effects software.

Recommended Articles

This is a guide to Trapcode in After Effects. Here we discuss the Introduction and how to create Trapcode in a step by step manner. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –

  1. 2D After Effects Animation
  2. Adobe After Effects Plugins
  3. Adobe After Effects Plugins
  4. Rotoscoping in After Effects
  5. Guide to After Effects Timeline

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Follow us!
  • EDUCBA FacebookEDUCBA TwitterEDUCBA LinkedINEDUCBA Instagram
  • EDUCBA YoutubeEDUCBA CourseraEDUCBA Udemy
APPS
EDUCBA Android AppEDUCBA iOS App
Blog
  • Blog
  • Free Tutorials
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Log in
Courses
  • Enterprise Solutions
  • Free Courses
  • Explore Programs
  • All Courses
  • All in One Bundles
  • Sign up
Email
  • [email protected]

ISO 10004:2018 & ISO 9001:2015 Certified

© 2025 - EDUCBA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE CERTIFICATION NAMES ARE THE TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

EDUCBA

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you
Loading . . .
Quiz
Question:

Answer:

Quiz Result
Total QuestionsCorrect AnswersWrong AnswersPercentage

Explore 1000+ varieties of Mock tests View more

EDUCBA

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you
EDUCBA
Free Design Course

3D animation, modelling, simulation, game development & others

By continuing above step, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you
EDUCBA

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you

EDUCBA Login

Forgot Password?

🚀 Limited Time Offer! - 🎁 ENROLL NOW