3D in after effects?

mang

mang

Member
I'm still very new to after effects & thought you could help me with a few conceptual ideas about the programs functionality.

1. 3D artwork: I had this idea that I could pull in 3D artwork from 3D applications like maya, and animate them just like a 3D layer, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe I'm missing something, if so, please enlighten me... There also seem to be a number of plugins to get 3D work into AE... which should I be looking at?

2. Particles: Unlike motion, it seems that AE doesn't have a built in particle emmitter? Again, maybe I've missed it... but I'm wondering what plugins I should be looking at to do this. I'm assuming this is how the swimming lines/trails of light are created in AE.

3. Other Plugins?: Should I be looking at any other plugins?

Many thanks.

- mang
 
1. AE is not true 3D like Maya, Cinema4D, etc... In AE it's been commonly referred to as 2.5D because you can move 2D planes in 3D space. The images themselves don't have any depth.

2. Trapcode Particular is a popular plug-in for particles. Trapcode plugs are very popular (almost too much so). Here is a list of third party plugs from Adobe's site. There are some plugs like Particular, Zaxwerks and some others that fake 3D in AE, FYI.

3. Look to number 2.
 
Hey there - thanks for the heads up... those particular effects look familiar (as you've noted ;) )

When you say "fake" 3d, how do you mean? What is the extent of the 3d capabilities? Let's say I have a 3d sequence in Maya for example, can I have that sequence play in AE & move the camera around it? If not that, can just have 3d elements appear in EA & move them around (like a 3D layer?)
 
Basically, no you can't. If you move around footage, element, whatever in AE, it has no depth. You can't import objects (.obj) into AE like you could in Maya. Think of it like pieces of paper (your footage) suspended in 3d space. When you rotate around the paper all you see is the front and back, not the sides.
 
oneinfiniteloop said:
Basically, no you can't. If you move around footage, element, whatever in AE, it has no depth. You can't import objects (.obj) into AE like you could in Maya. Think of it like pieces of paper (your footage) suspended in 3d space. When you rotate around the paper all you see is the front and back, not the sides.
Click to expand...

Right, got that...

but how does the "fake 3d" of the plugin mentioned above differ from the flat layers offered in AE work?

I've seen what particular can do... you can apply a camera to the particles... that's very cool.

Sorry for the noob questions... just trying to understand.
thanks.
 
just 2.5D, and you will never build any real 3D objects in AE, just layers, without depth
 
well, sort of... you can build basic primitives using layers/solids... ie build a room (floor, walls, ceiling, etc). But nothing with complex geometry.
 
btw, I just want to say thanks for putting up with the noob questions. I really appreciate the help. Even though I've only been here a few weeks, I see this becoming a new hangout for me :)

thanks again.
 
kai said:
well, sort of... you can build basic primitives using layers/solids... ie build a room (floor, walls, ceiling, etc). But nothing with complex geometry.
Click to expand...

that is right, but I do all things like this in real 3D because it is lot simpler, and you have more freedom with the lighting, and shading.
 
surf, so you create all 3d elements in the 3D app & then render the scene to a quicktime & import it into aftereffects?
 
Correct. But if you're using something like Cinema4D, you can even export an after effects comp right out of C4D that includes your camera, all the lights, and your rendered 3d elements all ready to composite to in AE.
 
ye. and maya can also export camera data.
I usually export a tiff sequence or targa with alpha channel so I can render 3D motion blur
 
gotcha... I've been using maya for a little 3D work (have a site license courtesy of work), but haven't yet tried to integrate the two... I'll give it a shot - thanks.
 
I've been using cinema 4d for the exact same reason. It will render out alpha's for use in after effects too.
 
hey mang,
i've found a really good tutorial web site and some which helps you how to do 3d animation. but yes id does mean that on some tutorials on this page you'll need to get Trapcode particular any way i recomend this site to all af users because this site is amazing.

here is the site: http://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e.html
 
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