Value Graph vs Speed Graph in After Effects

In Adobe After Effects, mastering the Graph Editor is essential for moving beyond linear keyframes to create natural, expressive motion design. Within the Graph Editor lie two distinct visual interfaces: the Value Graph and the Speed Graph. While both manipulate how an animation behaves over time, they approach the data differently. The Value Graph displays the actual numeric state of a property (such as degrees, pixels, or opacity percentage) relative to time, whereas the Speed Graph displays the rate of change (such as pixels per second) over time. Understanding the operational differences between these two graphs allows you to choose the right workflow for specific animation tasks, leading to better control and polished results.

What is the Value Graph?

The Value Graph maps the specific value of a property on the vertical (Y) axis against time on the horizontal (X) axis. If you are animating an object's rotation from 0 to 360 degrees, the Y-axis directly represents those degree increments.

Key characteristics of the Value Graph include:

• Direct Value Manipulation: Moving a handle upward or downward directly alters the property value at that point in time.
• Overshoot and Anticipation: It is the primary tool for creating overshoot, bounces, and elastic secondary motion. By pulling a Bezier handle above the target keyframe's value, the property will exceed its final target before settling back down.
• Dimension Separation: To work with spatial properties (like Position) in the Value Graph, you must separate dimensions into distinct X, Y, and Z parameters. Once separated, you can independently control axes—such as having a layer drop rapidly on the Y-axis while drifting smoothly across the X-axis.

What is the Speed Graph?

The Speed Graph measures the rate of change over time rather than the actual values. The vertical (Y) axis represents speed, typically measured in units per second (such as pixels per second or degrees per second), while the horizontal (X) axis represents time.

Key characteristics of the Speed Graph include:

• Rate-Based Easing: Adjusting Bezier handles in the Speed Graph determines how quickly an element accelerates or decelerates into and out of keyframes without altering the initial or final resting values.
• Unified Spatial Motion: Unlike the Value Graph, the Speed Graph does not require separating X and Y position dimensions. It calculates the aggregate velocity along the entire motion path, making it faster for creating smooth camera pans or moving objects through complex curves.
• Visualizing Resting States: In this graph, any point where the curve touches the bottom baseline (zero speed) indicates that the property is completely stationary. The higher the peak of the curve, the faster the movement at that exact moment.

Core Differences at a Glance

When to Use Each Graph

Choose the Value Graph when you need:

• Mechanical and physical behaviors: Bounces, pendulum swings, and recoil animations that require explicit peaks and valleys in the property values.
• Fine-tuned spatial control: Animations where individual axes need completely different timing curves, such as gravity-driven parabolic drops.
• Color and opacity fades: Adjusting the exact visual progression of color values or gradients over time.

Choose the Speed Graph when you need:

• Seamless pacing: Matching the velocity of incoming and outgoing elements so transitions feel continuous and natural.
• Standard easing: Implementing quick acceleration bursts that gently slide to a halt (such as UI animations and logo reveals) without risking accidental value overshoots.
• Motion along complex paths: Applying dynamic velocity shifts to pre-drawn spatial paths without breaking the trajectory of the shape.