Creating Schematic Diagrams

Motion can do it, but it only a bit less complex.

 

Motion is not really an answer to AE (that'd have been Shake), but you get a lot of stuff done easier.
Motion's learning curve is less steep than AE.
Check around on the web. There are plenty of tutorials. A good starting point is the Holy Cow. If you want to spend money, the Rippletraining series is terrific. If you want to spend a lot of money, check Lynda.

The problem with such complex apps is that you have to use them on a daily base, otherwise, you forget more than you learn.

 

Well, you could do it the way they build those original things.

In biology class, they had these plates with small plastic stuff you could see through (e.g. vanes, nerves, water, electricity etc). Behind it was a turning disk with stripes, and behind that a light.

All you would have to do is create the disk in photoshop, create the image in photoshop, cut out the parts. place disk behind the image and rotate it in AE.

Now the only problem is to make sure everything goes the right direction. I guess you could divide it into parts.

oh, I just checked one video, apparently there are more animations. Well, you could keyframe them...