For this project you have to use an image created in any vector or raster program like Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop. Try creating a complex colorful image, this way results will be more impressive. The image should contain several sharply-defined objects that together make up an image (for better quality set the distance from one object to another to 4 or 5 pixels, otherwise results will not be seen).

Steps:

1. Creating a Project
2. Applying the Panopticum Area Transformer effect

	Creating a project

Open Adobe After Effects. To create a new project, choose File/New Project, to save it - File/Save as... Now create a new composition: Composition/New Composition. You will see the Composition Settings window. Choose Medium, 320x240 from the Preset list.

Now create a new layer. Click Layer/New/Solid, you will see the Solid Footage Settings window.
Click the Make Comp Size - then all properties of the new layer will correspond to your composition parameters. You can set the color for your layer in this window as well. To do so, use the eyedropper tool or choose the color from the Color palette. Check your settings and click OK.
Now import the image you want to use. Choose File/Import/File... If your image (download image_1.psd) was created in Adobe Photoshop, the window with Choose Layer and Footage Dimensions parameters will pop up after you import the image. Select the Layer 1 parameter from the Choose Layer group. Click OK. Now your image is displayed in the project window list. Click the file name to preview the image and view file info in the upper part of the project window. Hold the mouse on the file name and drag it into the Timeline Window. The image will appear in the Preview window. You can change the composition background if you wish. To do so, choose Composition/Background Color... Select the color and click OK. If you image does not fit into the Preview window visible area, do the following: select the layer in the Timeline Window containing your image and click S to enable the Scale parameter. Now set such Scale value that your image fits perfectly into the Preview window .

If the size of your image is smaller than the composition size, we recommend you to create one more composition as described above. The only difference is that in the Composition Name field you'll be offered to choose Comp 2. Do so and click OK. You will see Comp 2 in the Timeline Window. Now select Comp 1 in the project window and drag it into the Timeline Window. This way Comp 2 will contain Comp 1. The Panopticum Area Transformer effect will be applied to Comp 1.

	Applying the Panopticum Area Transformer effect

Now we'll show you how to get amazing results by using several keys. Select the Comp 1 layer in the Timeline window. Then choose the Panopticum Area Transformer effect from Effects/Panopticum Effects/Area Transformer and apply it to the layer. You will see the Effect Control window. Then, select the group of parameters Transition in the Effect Control window. Now let's set key frames for the Completion parameter:
37.0 for the time value of 0.00
0.0 for the time value of 3.00

Preview animation. The Transition Mode parameter is set to Dispersion by default. Try selecting Fly Out and Stretch and preview the results obtained. Finally, choose Dispersion again. The larger the Synchronization value, the closer image parts adjoin each other. The smaller the value, the more dynamic the composition will be. Choose successively the following values for the Inertness parameter: None, Low, Normal and High. Preview your composition each time and finally choose Swing. To rotate the elements, do the following:
- set 2 revolutions for Far Rotation (see the picture), then exit the Transition parameters. Preview animation. Now let's complicate our task a little bit. Open the group of parameters Transformation in the Effect Control window. You will need to add four more key frames. Switch to the time value of 2:21 in the Timeline window. In the Effect Control window set the Halo Transparency value to 100%. Slide the current time marker to 3:01 and change the Halo Transparency value to 45%. Then add one more key frame of the Halo Distance parameter: 0.0. You can also change the Halo Color using either the eyedropper tool or selecting the color from the Color Palette. To use the Color Palette click the button located to the left of the parameter name. Finally, slide the current time marker to 4:21 and change the Halo Distance value to 7.0.
Preview animation and save the project.

In this tutorial we used just a small part of Transition and Transformation parameters of Panopticum Area Transformer. Try experimenting and add a few more key frames for Areas and Jitter. The results will be even more impressive and fascinating. Good luck!