Creating flowing motion with the After Effects Graph Editor allows you to fine-tune the speed and smoothness of your animations. Here’s a guide on how to use the Graph Editor to achieve dynamic movement:

Step 1: Create a New Composition

1. Open After Effects and create a new composition.

Step 2: Import Assets

2. Import the assets you want to animate into your project.

Step 3: Set Up Animation Keyframes

3. Animate the properties of your objects using keyframes. This can include Position, Scale, Rotation, or any other property you want to animate.

4. Place keyframes at the start and end points of the animation by setting keyframes or using the stopwatch icon next to the property in the timeline.

Step 4: Open the Graph Editor

5. Select the layer you want to work with.

6. Open the Graph Editor by clicking the Graph Editor button at the bottom of the timeline panel or pressing the Shift + F3 shortcut.

Step 5: Understand the Graph Editor Interface

7. In the Graph Editor, you’ll see curves representing the value changes over time for the selected property. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the property’s value.

Step 6: Adjust Keyframe Interpolation

8. Select a keyframe or multiple keyframes in the timeline.

9. In the Graph Editor, adjust the keyframe interpolation by dragging the handles or using the keyframe interpolation options. You can choose linear, easy ease in, easy ease out, or easy ease.

10. Easy Ease:

    • For smooth and gradual transitions, right-click on a keyframe and choose “Keyframe Assistant” > “Easy Ease.”

11. Speed Graph:

    • Click the graph icon at the bottom of the Graph Editor to switch to the speed graph. This allows you to control the speed of the animation more directly.

Step 7: Create Bezier Handles

12. Adjust Bezier handles to customize the motion:
    • Click on a keyframe to reveal its Bezier handles.
    • Drag the handles to change the shape of the curve and control the acceleration or deceleration.

Step 8: Fine-Tune Animation Curves

13. Fine-tune the animation curves for each keyframe to achieve the desired flow and dynamic movement. You can add or remove keyframes, adjust their positions, and manipulate the curves.

Step 9: Experiment with Spatial Interpolation

14. Switch to Spatial Interpolation for Position properties:
    • Right-click on a keyframe and choose “Spatial Interpolation” to switch between linear and bezier interpolation in 3D space.

Step 10: Preview and Adjust

15. Preview your animation by pressing the spacebar for a RAM Preview. This allows you to see how the animation flows with the adjustments you’ve made in the Graph Editor.

16. Make additional adjustments as needed, going back and forth between the timeline and the Graph Editor until you achieve the desired flowing motion.

Advanced Techniques:

17. Use the Separate Dimensions option:

    • For properties like Position, you can use the Separate Dimensions option in the Graph Editor to control the x, y, and z values independently.

18. Experiment with expressions:

    • Apply expressions to properties for more complex and dynamic animations. Right-click on a property and choose “Add Expression.”

Step 11: Render and Export

19. Once satisfied with your animation, go to Composition > Add to Render Queue to set up render settings.

20. Adjust output settings in the Render Queue and click on the “Render” button to export your animation.

By using the After Effects Graph Editor, you can create flowing and dynamic motion for your animations. Experiment with different keyframe interpolations, Bezier handles, and graph views to achieve the desired visual impact.