Bouncing Ball Obstacle Course

Animate a bouncing ball obstacle course with timing, squash, and stretch.

Bouncing Ball Obstacle Course in After Effects 25.6

30 Second Summary

A bouncing ball can travel between the right points and still feel weightless. The difference lives in the few frames around each rise, fall, and impact.

In this project, you will use native shape layers in Adobe After Effects 25.6 to animate a ball through a compact obstacle course. You will refine a mechanical first pass into a six-second movie that communicates weight at every contact.

What You'll Build

Your finished movie sends a colorful ball through a floor bounce, a wall rebound, a raised platform, and a final target before it settles.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A complete 2D obstacle course where a ball visibly contacts the floor, wall, platform, and target.
A visible before-and-after comparison showing how Easy Ease and the Speed Graph turn uniform movement into believable acceleration.
A shareable QuickTime movie where squash and stretch work with a responsive shadow to make each impact readable.
Secret Mission: Add a smaller chase ball that follows the complete obstacle course eight frames behind the original.

Are there any prerequisites?

You need a Windows computer with Adobe After Effects 25.6 already installed. Basic mouse and keyboard navigation is enough because no previous animation experience is required.

Before We Start

This first checkpoint defines a six-second obstacle course where a ball touches a floor, wall, platform, and target. Its timing, spacing, squash and stretch, and impacts communicate believable weight.

Set Up a Lightweight Animation Project

The obstacle course needs a timeline that plays smoothly enough for you to judge each bounce. A compact composition keeps preview work focused on motion.

You'll create a six-second 720p workspace in Adobe After Effects 25.6. Quarter-resolution previews will reduce the workload while you animate.

In this step, get ready to:

Create the six-second obstacle-course composition.
Prepare a lightweight preview workspace.
Save a tested local project.

Create the six-second composition

A composition defines the frame size for your animation. It also defines how many frames play every second.

Press the Windows key to open the Windows search bar.
Type After Effects into the search bar.
Select the matching application from the search results.

After Effects opens with a blank project. You are ready to define the animation workspace.

Select Composition from the top menu.
Select New Composition.
Name the composition Bouncing Ball Course.
Set Width to 1280.
Set Height to 720.
Set Frame Rate to 30.
Set Duration to 0:00:06:00.
Confirm the settings to create the composition.

That's your animation canvas ready. You should see Bouncing Ball Course above an empty six-second timeline.

Prepare the preview workspace

Preview resolution controls how much detail After Effects calculates while you work. A reduced setting makes repeated playback easier on this computer.

Select the Resolution/Down Sample Factor menu in the Composition panel.
Select Quarter.
Select Window from the top menu.
Select Preview if the Preview panel is not visible.

You should see Quarter in the Composition panel. The Preview panel should also be available in the workspace.

Why Preview at Quarter Resolution?

Quarter resolution lowers the preview workload while you judge motion. Your composition still keeps its 1280 x 720 dimensions.

Verify the saved project

An .aep file preserves your composition settings between sessions. Saving before animation gives the obstacle course a reliable home.

Select File from the top menu.
Select Save As.
Use the folder-creation control in the Save As dialog to create a new local folder.
Open the new local folder in the dialog.
Enter bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep in the File name field.
Select Save.

Your project now has a local file. You should see bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep in the After Effects title bar.

Before you preview the empty composition, how far do you expect the current-time indicator to travel?

Press Spacebar to start the preview.
Watch the current-time indicator travel through the six-second empty timeline.
Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.

You'll see the current-time indicator move across the empty timeline until you stop it. This proves that the active six-second composition previews correctly.

Preview Not Moving?

Confirm that Bouncing Ball Course is active in the Timeline panel. Click inside the Composition panel before pressing Spacebar again.

If the Preview panel is missing, return to the Window menu. Select Preview.

Help me diagnose why my empty After Effects composition does not preview when I press Spacebar.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Your saved six-second composition is ready for animation. The Quarter-resolution workspace gives you a lighter preview loop for shaping each bounce.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the final state

Confirm Adobe After Effects 25.6 is open.
Confirm the local project is named bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep.
Confirm the active composition is named Bouncing Ball Course.
Confirm the composition dimensions are 1280 x 720 pixels.
Confirm the frame rate is 30 frames per second.
Confirm the duration is 0:00:06:00.
Confirm the Composition panel uses the Quarter preview setting.
Confirm the Preview panel is available with no animation layers in the composition.

Your lightweight timeline is saved and responding to playback. Next, you'll build a deliberately mechanical first bounce.

Build a Mechanical First Bounce

The empty Bouncing Ball Course composition is ready for its first moving subject in Adobe After Effects 25.6.

This first pass deliberately keeps every Position keyframe linear. A clean baseline lets you judge the motion from playback before you shape its timing.

In this step, get ready to:

Build the ball and floor with shape layers.
Animate four linear Position keyframes.
Preview the bounce and diagnose its timing.

Build the ball and floor

Native shape layers keep both objects editable inside the composition. A roughly 100 x 100 ball has a radius near 50 pixels.

A ball center near Y = 600 places its lower edge near a floor whose top edge sits at Y = 650.

Click an empty area of the Timeline panel to deselect every layer.
Select the Ellipse Tool from the top toolbar.
Draw a roughly 100 x 100 circular shape in the Composition panel.
Select the new shape layer in the Timeline panel.
Press Enter to rename the selected layer.
Enter Ball as the layer name.
Leave the Ball layer's Scale at [100,100].
Click an empty area of the Timeline panel to deselect Ball.

Why deselect the ball?

Drawing while Ball remains selected can add the next path to the same shape layer. Deselecting it lets After Effects create a separate floor layer.

Select the Rectangle Tool from the top toolbar.
Draw a wide rectangle across the bottom of the Composition panel with its top edge near Y = 650.
Select the new rectangle layer in the Timeline panel.
Press Enter to rename the selected layer.
Enter Floor as the layer name.

You should see a circular Ball above a wide Floor. The Timeline panel should show two separate shape layers.

Did both shapes land on one layer?

This happens when the first shape layer stays selected while you draw the second shape.

Undo the rectangle drawing.
Click an empty area of the Timeline panel.
Draw the floor again with the Rectangle Tool.

Ask for help if the shapes still share one layer: Help me separate my ball and floor into two After Effects shape layers.

Animate a linear Position path

Position keyframes store the ball's location at specific moments. After Effects calculates the frames between those recorded locations.

Select Ball in the Timeline panel.
Expand the Ball layer controls until Position is visible.
Move the current-time indicator to 0:00.
Select the stopwatch beside Position.
Set Position near [160,150].
Move the current-time indicator to 0:20.
Set Position near [280,600].

At 0:20, you should see the lower edge of Ball meet the top of Floor.

How do the keyframes record motion?

The stopwatch starts animation for the Position property.
Each later Position change records another keyframe at the current time.
The timeline timestamp uses seconds before the colon and frames after it.

Move the current-time indicator to 1:10.
Set Position near [480,280].
Move the current-time indicator to 2:00.
Set Position near [680,600].
Keep all four Position keyframes linear by leaving easing unchanged.
Scrub the current-time indicator from 0:00 to 2:00.

You should see Ball move through a start point, a floor contact, an airborne point, and a second floor contact.

Missing a Position keyframe?

A missing keyframe usually means the current-time indicator stayed on the previous timestamp. It can also mean the Position stopwatch is inactive.

Check the timestamp before entering each coordinate pair. Help me diagnose missing Position keyframes in my After Effects ball animation.

Preview and diagnose the motion

Playback reveals how the ball uses the time between its keyframes. This is the moment to judge whether the movement communicates weight.

Press Ctrl + S to save bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep.

Before you preview, do you expect the ball to gather speed as it approaches each floor contact?

Press Spacebar to preview the composition.
Press Spacebar again after the second floor contact to stop the preview.

The ball travels from its start to both floor contacts. Its speed changes feel uniform.

Gravity does not build visible acceleration. Each contact changes direction without a sharp sense of impact or rebound.

You now have a working bounce whose timing problem is clear enough to fix.

Why keep this mechanical version?

Linear timing provides a controlled baseline. You can now compare later changes against a version with evenly distributed motion.

The path already reaches the correct surfaces. The missing ingredient is believable timing.

✔️ My mechanical bounce is ready

Your ball completes two floor contacts with linear timing. The visible stiffness gives you a clear baseline for the next refinement.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the final state

Confirm Bouncing Ball Course remains 1280 x 720 at 30 fps with a 0:00:06:00 duration.
Confirm the preview resolution remains Quarter.
Confirm Ball is a roughly 100 x 100 circular shape layer.
Confirm the resting Scale for Ball is [100,100].
Confirm Position has linear keyframes at 0:00 near [160,150], 0:20 near [280,600], 1:10 near [480,280], and 2:00 near [680,600].
Confirm Floor is a rectangle shape layer with its top edge near Y = 650.
Confirm bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep contains the saved Ball layer.
Confirm bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep contains the saved Floor layer.

The mechanical shortfall is now visible. Next, you'll reshape the Position timing for slower apexes plus faster impacts.

Shape Realistic Timing

Your Ball now completes its first bounce path. The last preview exposed the mechanical timing that keeps the motion from showing gravity.

Easy Ease gives the Position keyframes a smoother starting point. The Speed Graph lets you shape slow apexes before faster floor impacts.

In this step, get ready to:

Apply Easy Ease to the Ball's Position keyframes.
Open the Speed Graph for the Position property.
Shape slower apexes and faster floor impacts.

Apply Easy Ease to the Position keyframes

Easy Ease adds gradual speed changes around selected keyframes. In Adobe After Effects it preserves each keyframe's time and Position value.

Select the Ball layer in the Timeline panel.
Expand the Position property.
Select all four Position keyframes.
Right-click one selected keyframe.
Select Keyframe Assistant.
Select Easy Ease.
Preview the eased motion by pressing Spacebar.
Stop the preview by pressing Spacebar again.

You should see smoother speed changes around each keyframe. The bounce still needs more contrast between its airborne apexes and floor contacts.

What did Easy Ease change?

Easy Ease removes the abrupt temporal transitions around the selected keyframes. Your four Position values remain in the same places at the same times.

Does the bounce still look completely linear?

Confirm that all four Position keyframes were selected before you applied Easy Ease.

Help me check why Easy Ease is not changing my Ball animation in After Effects.

Open the Speed Graph

The Speed Graph shows how quickly the Ball moves at each moment. Direction handles control how strongly each keyframe influences the surrounding speed.

Select the Graph Editor button in the Timeline panel.
Select the Graph Type And Options button.
Select Edit Speed Graph.
Select the Position keyframes so their direction handles appear.

You should see the Ball's speed curves with direction handles attached to the selected keyframes. The graph gives you direct control over each acceleration change.

How Do the Handles Work?

Dragging a direction handle vertically changes acceleration or deceleration.
Dragging a handle away from a keyframe increases that keyframe's influence.
Dragging a handle toward a keyframe decreases that keyframe's influence.

Cannot See Direction Handles?

Confirm that Edit Speed Graph is active. Select the Position keyframes again so their handles become available.

Help me find the Position direction handles in the After Effects Speed Graph.

Shape the bounce timing

Believable bounce timing keeps speed low near an airborne apex. Speed rises sharply as the Ball approaches a surface.

Direction handles can feel fiddly at first. Small drags give you more control than large changes.

Drag the direction handle at 0:00 away from the keyframe to broaden the slow start.
Drag the direction handles around 0:20 to create a steeper speed change into the first floor contact.
Preview the opening bounce by pressing Spacebar.
Stop the preview by pressing Spacebar again.

The opening should now leave its high point more slowly. The first floor contact should arrive with a sharper change in speed.

Drag the direction handles at 1:10 away from the keyframe to broaden the slow airborne apex.
Drag the direction handles around 2:00 to create a steeper speed change into the second floor contact.
Compare each change with a short preview by pressing Spacebar.

The middle apex should now hold longer. The second contact should arrive with a steeper change in speed.

Repeat the relevant handle adjustment until each floor contact feels faster than each apex.

Before the final preview, where do you expect the Ball to move slowest?

Preview the revised motion by pressing Spacebar.

You will see Ball slow near 0:00 and 1:10. It accelerates into floor contacts near 0:20 and 2:00.

Still Moving at One Speed?

Return to Edit Speed Graph.
Confirm that the Position keyframes remain selected.
Increase the handle influence with small outward drags.

Help me shape stronger speed contrast between the Ball's apexes and floor contacts.

You have turned the same four Position keyframes into a bounce with readable gravity. The obstacle course now has believable timing to build on.

Save bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep with the revised Ball timing.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Your Ball now slows near its airborne apexes before accelerating into both floor contacts. The saved project keeps the original path with shaped timing.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the final state

Confirm that Bouncing Ball Course remains 1280 x 720 at 30 frames per second with a duration of 0:00:06:00.
Confirm that the composition remains at Quarter preview resolution with the Preview panel available.
Confirm that Ball retains Position keyframes near [160,150] at 0:00, [280,600] at 0:20, [480,280] at 1:10, plus [680,600] at 2:00.
Confirm that the Position keyframes use Easy Ease with custom Speed Graph handles for slow apexes plus fast floor impacts.
Confirm that the resting Scale remains [100,100].
Confirm that Floor remains below Ball with its top edge near Y = 650.
Confirm that bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep contains the saved eased motion.

Your timing now communicates gravity through speed. Next, you will make each impact visible in the Ball's shape.

Add Squash, Stretch, and Shadow

Your eased bounce now accelerates into the floor. That timing gives the obstacle course convincing momentum in After Effects.

The Ball still keeps a rigid outline through every contact. The principle of squash and stretch lets its shape communicate the force of each impact.

A responsive shadow reveals the Ball's height above Floor. Together, these changes give each floor contact visible weight.

In this step, get ready to:

Animate the Ball's Scale around both floor impacts.
Keep the flattened Ball aligned with Floor.
Create a Shadow that responds to the Ball's height.

Deform the Ball at each impact

A believable impact changes shape for only a few frames. The Ball stretches before contact because it is moving quickly toward Floor.

Select the Graph Editor button to return to the Timeline view.
Select the Ball layer in the Timeline panel.
Use the Ball's property controls to reveal Scale.
Move the current-time indicator to 0:00.
Activate the Scale stopwatch to create the resting [100,100] keyframe.
Move the current-time indicator to 0:18.
Set Scale to approximately [85,115].

Before you preview, when do you expect the Ball to begin changing shape?

Press Spacebar to preview the approach to the first floor contact.

You'll see the Ball become narrower and taller as it approaches the first contact. This stretch follows the increased speed created in your Speed Graph.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.

Why stretch before contact?

Stretch makes the direction of fast movement easier to read. The narrower width also helps preserve the Ball's apparent volume as its height increases.

At 0:20, set Scale to approximately [125,70].
At 0:20, adjust the Ball's Position vertically until its lowest edge touches the top edge of Floor.

Before you preview, how do you expect the Ball's outline to change at the exact contact frame?

Press Spacebar to preview the first contact.

You'll see the Ball flatten against Floor at 0:20. Its adjusted Position keeps the compressed shape resting on the surface.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
At 0:22, set Scale to approximately [85,115].
At 1:10, return Scale to [100,100].
Press Spacebar to preview the completed first deformation.

You'll see the Ball stretch as it leaves Floor. It returns to a circle near the airborne apex.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
At 1:28, set Scale to approximately [85,115].
At 2:00, set Scale to approximately [125,70].
Press Spacebar to inspect the second impact deformation.

You'll see the Ball stretch into the second impact before flattening. The shape may need a small vertical correction at contact.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
At 2:00, adjust the Ball's Position vertically until its lowest edge touches Floor.
At 2:02, set Scale to approximately [85,115].
Press Spacebar to check the corrected contact.

You'll see the second squash stay aligned with Floor. The following stretch gives the rebound a clear direction.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
At 2:04, return Scale to [100,100] as the Ball rises.

Build a responsive shadow

A shadow gives the Ball a visual connection to Floor. Its size and darkness provide a second cue for height.

Move the current-time indicator to 0:20.
Select an empty area of the Timeline panel to deselect every layer.
Select the Ellipse Tool from the top toolbar.
Choose a dark color from the fill control in the top toolbar.
Drag a wide ellipse along Floor beneath the Ball.
Rename the new shape layer Shadow.
Drag Shadow directly below Ball in the Timeline layer stack.
Keep Shadow above Floor in the Timeline layer stack.

Your new Shadow now anchors the Ball to Floor at its first contact. The ellipse should read as a soft patch beneath the flattened shape.

Use the Shadow's property controls to reveal Scale.
Reveal Opacity for the same layer.
At 0:00, create a Scale keyframe that makes Shadow smaller than its impact size.
At 0:00, create a low Opacity keyframe that leaves the shadow faint.

At the opening airborne position, Shadow should be small and light. This makes the distance from Floor easier to read.

At 0:20, create a wider Scale keyframe for Shadow.
At 0:20, create a higher Opacity keyframe for Shadow.

Before you preview, how do you expect Shadow to change as the Ball approaches Floor?

Press Spacebar to preview the first descent.

You'll see Shadow become wider and darker as the Ball nears Floor. The changing ellipse makes the descent easier to judge.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
At 1:10, create a smaller Scale keyframe that matches the opening shadow.
At 1:10, create a lower Opacity keyframe that matches the opening shadow.
Press Spacebar to preview the first rebound.

You'll see Shadow shrink and fade as the Ball rises toward the apex. The Ball should feel farther from Floor at 1:10.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
At 2:00, create a wide Scale keyframe that matches the first impact shadow.
At 2:00, create a high Opacity keyframe that matches the first impact shadow.
Press Spacebar to preview both shadow changes.

You'll see Shadow respond to both impacts. Its size and darkness now follow the Ball's changing height.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.

Refine the impact timing

Deformation works best as a quick impulse around contact. A stretched or flattened shape that lingers makes the Ball feel rubbery.

Your existing Quarter-resolution preview keeps this review lightweight. Focus on how long each shape change remains visible.

Before you preview, which contact do you expect to feel heavier?

Press Spacebar to preview both completed floor contacts.

You'll see the Ball flatten briefly at each contact. It stretches as it leaves while Shadow becomes wider and darker near Floor.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
Scrub through each floor contact one frame at a time.
Move the surrounding Scale keyframes closer to contact wherever a deformation lingers.
Add a nearby [100,100] keyframe wherever the Ball begins deforming too early.
Correct any contact-frame Position that lets the flattened Ball sink into Floor.

Before the final preview, do you expect the Ball to remain circular at each apex?

Press Spacebar to run the final Quarter-resolution preview.

At each floor contact, you'll see the Ball flatten briefly before stretching into the rebound. Shadow grows darker and wider near Floor before shrinking near each apex.

Press Spacebar again to stop the preview.
Save bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep.

Does an impact still feel wrong?

Check that the contact-frame Scale is approximately [125,70].
Check that nearby stretch keyframes use approximately [85,115].
Adjust the contact-frame Position if the flattened Ball floats above Floor or sinks through it.
Confirm that Shadow has both Scale and Opacity keyframes at the airborne points and impacts.

Help me diagnose my squash, stretch, Position alignment, or Shadow timing in After Effects.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Your Ball now deforms around both floor contacts. Shadow responds to its height throughout the bounce.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the final state

Confirm the Bouncing Ball Course composition still uses a 1280 x 720 frame at 30 frames per second.
Confirm the composition still lasts 0:00:06:00.
Confirm the preview resolution remains Quarter.
Confirm the Timeline contains Ball, Floor, and Shadow shape layers.
Confirm Ball still uses Easy Ease with custom Speed Graph shaping for Position.
Confirm Ball uses [85,115] before and after each floor contact.
Confirm Ball uses [125,70] at each floor contact.
Confirm Ball returns to [100,100] while in flight.
Confirm Shadow becomes wider and darker near impacts.
Confirm Shadow becomes smaller and lighter near airborne apexes.
Confirm bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep contains the saved changes.

Your bounce now communicates weight through timing, deformation, and height. Next, you'll carry those principles across the complete obstacle course.

Finish the Course and Export

Your first bounce in Adobe After Effects 25.6 now has shaped timing that makes each floor impact feel weighted. Next, the ball carries that motion through the complete obstacle course.

The wall, platform, and target each demand a readable contact. The finished render proves that your animation principles transfer beyond a repeated floor bounce.

In this step, get ready to:

Build the remaining course surfaces.
Extend the Ball motion through each new contact.
Enable motion blur for the final QuickTime render.

Build the remaining course

The new shape layers turn the open composition into an obstacle course. Place each surface against the planned Ball contact so the collisions remain clear.

Select the Rectangle Tool from the toolbar.
Draw a vertical shape near the right side of the Composition panel for the wall contact.
Rename the new shape layer Wall in the Timeline panel.
Draw a raised horizontal shape beneath the planned platform contact.
Rename the new shape layer Platform.
Select the Ellipse Tool from the toolbar.
Draw a target around the final landing point near the lower-left area of the composition.
Rename the new shape layer Target.

You should now see the original floor plus three new course surfaces. Their placement creates a clear route from the first bounce to the final target.

New Position keyframes carry the existing Ball path through the course. Build the route in short sections so every contact stays easy to inspect.

Select Ball in the Timeline panel.
Reveal the Position property.
Create a Position keyframe at 2:20 near [850,430].
Create a Position keyframe at 3:05 near [700,250].
Preview this extension by pressing Spacebar.

You should see the Ball leave its second floor contact near 2:00. It should reach the wall before climbing toward the next apex.

Create a Position keyframe at 3:20 near [650,450].
Create a Position keyframe at 4:05 near [480,330].
Align the top of Platform with the Ball at the 3:20 contact.
Preview the extended route by pressing Spacebar.

You should see the Ball land on the raised platform. It should rebound toward the later apex near 4:05.

Create a Position keyframe at 4:20 near [350,600].
Create a Position keyframe at 5:00 near [350,600].
Position Target around the Ball at the 4:20 contact.
Preview the complete route by pressing Spacebar.

You should see the Ball reach the target before settling near 5:00. The remaining second leaves room for the final pose to register.

The new keyframes define the contact order. Easy Ease prepares them for the same timing control used on the first bounce.

Select the new Position keyframes from 2:20 through 5:00.
Right-click one selected keyframe.
Choose Keyframe Assistant from the menu.
Choose Easy Ease.
Select the Graph Editor button.
Choose Edit Speed Graph from the Graph Type And Options button.

Shape the changing energy

The Speed Graph should show sharp speed changes around contacts. Broader low-speed regions make the airborne apexes feel slower.

Later bounces carry less energy. Their rebounds should feel shorter than the first floor bounce.

Select the new keyframes in the Speed Graph.
Drag the direction handles around each contact to create steeper speed changes.
Drag the direction handles around each apex to broaden its slower region.
Preview the refined timing by pressing Spacebar.

You should see fast arrivals at the wall, platform, and target. Each airborne apex should hold briefly before the Ball accelerates again.

Shorter squash and stretch keeps the later contacts responsive as the Ball loses energy. Reuse the established proportions while tightening their duration.

Exit the Graph Editor with the Graph Editor button.
Reveal the Ball's Scale property.
Create a short deformation around 2:20 using approximately [85,115] before contact, [125,70] on contact, and [85,115] after contact.
Create a shorter deformation around the platform contact at 3:20.
Create the shortest deformation around the target contact at 4:20.
Return Ball Scale to [100,100] by 5:00.
Preview the completed course by pressing Spacebar.

The Ball should compress briefly at each new contact. The later deformations should disappear faster than the first floor impact.

Do the new contacts feel wrong?

Check that the Position keyframe reaches each surface at the same frame as the strongest Scale deformation. Adjust the surface placement if a visible gap remains.

If a later bounce feels floaty, steepen its contact region in the Speed Graph. Shorten its surrounding Scale deformation if the Ball looks rubbery.

Help me refine the timing and deformation of my obstacle-course contacts in After Effects.

Add final-pass motion blur

Motion blur makes the fastest sections easier to read as continuous movement. It adds processing work during previews and rendering.

The final preview may respond more slowly once both switches are active. That extra wait comes from After Effects calculating blur for the moving frames.

Return to the Timeline panel.
Locate the Motion Blur layer switch for Ball.
Enable the Ball layer's Motion Blur switch.
Enable the Enable Motion Blur composition switch at the top of the Timeline panel.
Preview the composition at Quarter resolution by pressing Spacebar.

You should see blur along the Ball during fast drops and rebounds. The Ball should remain clearer near each slower apex.

Select File from the top menu.
Select Save to update bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep.

Is the preview too sluggish?

Disable the composition-level motion blur switch while making further edits. Keep the Ball layer switch enabled.

Re-enable the composition switch before the final preview and render. Keep the preview resolution at Quarter.

Help me improve slow motion-blur previews in After Effects without changing my final render.

Render the finished movie

The Render Queue converts the active composition into a movie. GoPro CineForm provides the verified codec path for this QuickTime export.

Select Composition from the top menu.
Select Add To Render Queue.

You should see the Bouncing Ball Course composition listed in the Render Queue. Its output settings are now ready to configure.

Select the underlined output module settings template next to Output Module.
Select QuickTime from Format.
Select Format Options.
Select GoPro CineForm in QuickTime Options.
Set Quality to 3.
Confirm that the quality label shows High.
Confirm the codec settings to return to Output Module Settings.
Confirm the output module settings to return to the Render Queue.

Why these output settings work

GoPro CineForm requires a frame width divisible by 16. It also requires a frame height divisible by 8.

Your 1280 x 720 composition satisfies both constraints. Quality 3 maps to High.

Select the underlined path next to Output To.
Choose a local folder for the rendered movie.
Record the selected folder here: your chosen output folder.
Name the movie Bouncing Ball Course.mov.
Confirm the output location to return to the Render Queue.

Motion blur makes this render slower than your earlier previews. The Render Queue may remain busy while it calculates the blurred frames.

Start the export by selecting Render.

When processing finishes, the movie is available in the output folder you selected. Your six-second animation is now ready for its final check.

Before you open the movie, which four surfaces do you expect the Ball to contact in sequence?

Return to your chosen output folder in File Explorer.
Open Bouncing Ball Course.mov.

You should see the Ball touch the floor, wall, platform, and target in sequence. It should settle before the six-second composition ends.

You completed the full motion-design loop. Your rendered movie now demonstrates timing, spacing, deformation, secondary motion, and controlled impacts.

Movie missing or failing to render?

Check the path beside Output To if the movie is missing. Confirm that the selected folder still exists.

If the codec cannot produce the movie, confirm that the composition remains 1280 x 720.

Help me diagnose a QuickTime GoPro CineForm render problem in After Effects.

✔️ My movie is complete

Your completed QuickTime movie shows the Ball carrying believable motion across every obstacle. The saved project remains ready for further timing refinements.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the final state

Confirm that Bouncing Ball Course remains 1280 x 720 at 30 frames per second with a duration of 0:00:06:00.
Confirm that the editing preview setting remains Quarter.
Confirm that the composition contains Ball, Floor, Shadow, Wall, Platform, and Target.
Confirm that Ball Position includes the initial keyframes plus the new course points at 2:20 [850,430], 3:05 [700,250], 3:20 [650,450], 4:05 [480,330], 4:20 [350,600], and 5:00 [350,600].
Confirm that Ball Position uses Easy Ease with custom Speed Graph shaping across the complete course.
Confirm that Ball Scale uses shorter deformations around the later contacts before returning to [100,100].
Confirm that the Ball layer switch and the composition-level motion blur switch are enabled.
Confirm that bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep contains the completed composition.
Confirm that Bouncing Ball Course.mov uses GoPro CineForm at Quality 3 with the High label.
Confirm that the rendered Ball contacts the floor, wall, platform, and target before settling.

Secret mission

Add a Chase Ball

Create a smaller ball that follows the completed obstacle course eight frames behind the original. Refine its spacing so both balls remain readable throughout the six-second animation.

Clean Up Your Resources

Your animation is saved locally on your Windows computer in Adobe After Effects with no ongoing cloud costs. Choose whether to keep the files available, close the editing session for later, or delete both files.

Resources you used:

The editable bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep project containing the Bouncing Ball Course composition.
The original rendered QuickTime movie named Bouncing Ball Course.mov.

Keep everything running

No action is needed. Choose this if you want to refine Chase Ball or render an updated movie later.

Keep bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep in its local project folder.
Keep Bouncing Ball Course.mov in its current output location.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Close the editing session to free system memory while preserving your animation. Both local files remain ready for another session.

Stop any active preview by pressing Spacebar.
Save bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep in Adobe After Effects.
Close Adobe After Effects.
Leave bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep in its local project folder.
Leave Bouncing Ball Course.mov in its current output location.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Permanently deleting these files removes your editable animation plus your rendered movie. Keep a copy elsewhere first if you may want to revisit either one.

Close Adobe After Effects.
Navigate in Windows File Explorer to the new local folder where you saved bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep.
Select bouncing-ball-obstacle-course.aep.
Press Shift+Delete to permanently remove the selected project file.
Navigate in Windows File Explorer to the output location you chose for Bouncing Ball Course.mov.
Select Bouncing Ball Course.mov.
Press Shift+Delete to permanently remove the selected movie.

Nice Work!

You did it! You've built a six-second obstacle-course animation in Adobe After Effects 25.6 that transforms a rigid first pass into motion with believable weight.

What you learned:

Built a complete 2D obstacle course with native shape layers. Animated the ball through floor, wall, platform, and target contacts.
Diagnosed the mechanical feel of linear Position keyframes. Applied Easy Ease to shape transitions. Refined the Speed Graph to create slow apexes and fast impacts.
Added squash and stretch to communicate impact. Animated a height-responsive shadow to reinforce the ball's weight. Rendered a six-second QuickTime movie using GoPro CineForm.
Secret Mission: Created a smaller Chase Ball with a contrasting color. Offset its Position and Scale keyframes by eight frames. Kept its spacing readable across the full course.

Ready to quiz yourself?