Virtual 3D DVD...

petelms

petelms

Well-known member
Hey guys,

I would like to do 3D DVD inside AE. What would be the best way to do it? I have tried, but don't manage to get it look like as good as it should. :embarasse I have my own DVD covers and would like to do a 'virtual' DVD just like in the picture below. And then I could rotate it also, just like they do in those cool DVD ads.

For example, here's a pic of what I'm after...it's from Star Wars game just saw it on the ad...

flzwq8.jpg


Maybe some 'hardcore' AE user could send me a project file... :happy:

Thanks.
 
I think you should do it in a 3d software (Maya). It is more easier. But if you want to do it in AE you have to use one layer for each side of the box. scale..rotate each layer to fit. you can also use special "box" other plug-ins to do this (but I think AE has an own 3d effect too). you don't have to rotate the box. make a virtual camera, render it's picture. it is the easiest way.
 
surf said:
I think you should do it in a 3d software (Maya). It is more easier. But if you want to do it in AE you have to use one layer for each side of the box. scale..rotate each layer to fit. you can also use special "box" other plug-ins to do this (but I think AE has an own 3d effect too). you don't have to rotate the box. make a virtual camera, render it's picture. it is the easiest way.
Click to expand...



surf is right. you could even nest the 3D comp into another (or precompose) so you can manipulate all layers at once. Best and simplest way would indeed be 3D.
 
Thanks, guys. This was just what I was afraid of...I can't use any 3D app... :undecided Damn, maybe I have to get into 3D world little by little...I suppose this is quite easy to do with 3D app, if you know what you are doing...
 
petelms said:
Thanks, guys. This was just what I was afraid of...I can't use any 3D app... :undecided Damn, maybe I have to get into 3D world little by little...I suppose this is quite easy to do with 3D app, if you know what you are doing...
Click to expand...


Texturing a box and rotating it is about as simple as you can get with any 3D app. It is certainly not beyond your abilites. It is as easy as creating a box to the dimensions of each image you intend to apply (front, back, sides, and top and bottom) and then creating a simple animation by keyframing the beginning rotation values, and then going down the timeline and creating another keyframe after you rotate it. If you can use the 3D layers or even basic keyframing in After Effects, you have 80% of the knowledge already.
 
Ok, I will give it a try, now after your encouragement! :thumbsup: I'm going to try 3D Studio in our school computer. I tried it sometime ago, but it was like an airplane simulator to me... :undecided

One problem is on my mind from the very beginning: How do I render the footage that I have made into the After Effects? I would like to add later the texts and logo also, just like in that pic. How can I render only the virtual DVD (if I ever get one done, hehe) from the 3D app? So that there is nothing else that the box in that footage...do I need to use some alpha channels or what is the best way to do it? :undecided Of course, I could add the text and logo layer above the 3d footage...if the whole background is black in the rendered 3D footage...

I wouldn't mind also if someone would like to explain me what that alpha channel thing means...? That has always been a mystery to me. And what is the main purpose of using it and why...and what does it mean that something has alpha channel...? :shocked:

AAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'm a GOLD MEMBER now! :grin: Damn, I have learned a lot from this site, I just love it. :beer:
 
petelms said:
Ok, I will give it a try, now after your encouragement! :thumbsup: I'm going to try 3D Studio in our school computer. I tried it sometime ago, but it was like an airplane simulator to me... :undecided

One problem is on my mind from the very beginning: How do I render the footage that I have made into the After Effects? I would like to add later the texts and logo also, just like in that pic. How can I render only the virtual DVD (if I ever get one done, hehe) from the 3D app? So that there is nothing else that the box in that footage...do I need to use some alpha channels or what is the best way to do it? :undecided Of course, I could add the text and logo layer above the 3d footage...if the whole background is black in the rendered 3D footage...

I wouldn't mind also if someone would like to explain me what that alpha channel thing means...? That has always been a mystery to me. And what is the main purpose of using it and why...and what does it mean that something has alpha channel...? :shocked:

AAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'm a GOLD MEMBER now! :grin: Damn, I have learned a lot from this site, I just love it. :beer:
Click to expand...


When you render your footage, render it out as a Targa (.tga) sequence. Make a new folder and put the rendered files in it. A Targa file has a built in Alpha channel right from the start (you could also render it as a Quicktime movie with Millions of Colors+).

Think of an Alpha channel as a cookie cutter imbedded in the file. The RGB files we work with in After Effects and Photoshop are 8 bit color per channel, 24 bit color total (mixing all three channels). When you save as a Targa and other file formats which support Alpha channels, you are adding an extra channel to that 24 bit color format creating a 32 bit image where Red has 8 bits, Green has 8 bits, Blue has 8 bits and the Alpha has 8 bits.

An Alpha channel is a grayscale only channel (technically they all are but don't worry about that now) which tells your software what opacity each pixel is, depending on its greyscale value. Black has no opacity, white is full opacity, and a 50% grey (in RGB values R-127 G-127 B-127) would be 50% opacity. It is like using a layer mask in Photoshop where you paint out what you don't want to see on a given layer by using shades of dark grey and black (instead of the eraser tool which really should never be needed). Then the software removes however much image data as the Alpha channel has told it. Your layer directly underneath the image sequence automatically shows through.

With your embedded Alpha Channel, any compositing program will be able to make use of it. When you open a .tga with an Alpha in After Effects, it will know there is an Alpha channel there and will prompt you to choose what kind. Usually, the best choice is "Straight". Also, when you are opening a .tga in After Effects, when you click on a .tga file, you get an option to check which is "Image Sequence" in the Open dialoge window. When you check it and click on Open, it will treat your entire sequence as one file, a video file.

Lastly, if you are truly wanting a "virtual" 3D box, you should render it as a Quicktime VR file, which allows you to open a "movie" in Quicktime and you click and drag your mouse around inside the movie and whatever object is in there rotates around with your mouse. That entails parenting a camera (parent in place) to a null object in your 3D app and using the null to rotate the camera around the point at which the X, Y, and Z axis merge (where your box should be centered), creating a perfect sphere of rotation around your DVD box. It's a little complicated.

That should get you going.
 
You can do this in AE pretty easily. All you need to do is make each surface of the box a layer, and carefully orient them in the geometry that you best understand. From this point, make a 3D Adjustment Layer, and parent all of the "texture" layers to the adjustment layer. Now any translation or rotation of the 3D Adjustment layer will do the same for your box.

Add a couple of light sources and tweak the material properties to taste. Depending on how you animate it, you may want to turn motion blur on.

I've done a few quick effects this way, including a virtual clapperboard, Wolverine (TM) claws, and a couple of "3D" logos. I'd post links, but unfortunately my webspace is down.

-Spiff
 
Thanks for your answers, guys. :thumbup:

Rapier_100a, thanks for the detailed answer. This is really great, you really know your stuff with 3D. I still haven't tried it with 3D studio but will soon. Today, I got a book from library: 3Ds Max Bible. It's got 1200 pages. :grin: I really want to step into 3D world.

Spiff, I tried to do it just like you said and it's working nicely. As you said, it's pretty easy! 3D Adjustment Layer and parenting is very cool! I still have to figure out somehow what would be the best way to do the edges of the DVD (like in the pic)? I mean if I have black background and my DVD covers background color is also black (just like in the Star Wars DVD pic)...so the edges are not showing...and that would give it more 3D look... :undecided
 
Rapier_100a! I'm in a airplane simulator now! :grin: Actually, it's not that funny at all... :huh:

Ok! Guess what! I found a 3D model file of DVD covers!!! Actually I found it from the links that you post to the new Photoshop section! Thanks! :thumbsup:

Now I'm wondering how on earth I can add that cover file that I have for the DVD? How can I add it to that DVD cover model? :undecided I have made covers for my DVD with Photoshop and I got the file waiting here for to be added on that model.

Here's my first rendering pic, jiiiiihaaa: :cheesy:

foglyb.jpg


I think it looks so cool, if it had those covers also! :)
 
petelms said:
Rapier_100a! I'm in a airplane simulator now! :grin: Actually, it's not that funny at all... :huh:
I think it looks so cool, if it had those covers also! :)
Click to expand...

what do you mean by this?
 
surf said:
what do you mean by this?
Click to expand...

Airplane simulator = 3Ds Max to me at the moment. It's so complicated and there's all kind of buttons and other stuff everywhere and I have no idea how to use it. :thumbsup: So, no, I'm not really in a airplane simulator. I guess, it was just a bad joke. :beer:

"I think it looks so cool, if it had those covers also!" = If I could put those DVD covers on that 3D DVD case model it would look cool! :thumbup:
 
Hey Petelms, take a wander to CGtalk and visit their Max forum and ask some additional questions there, and look around that sub forum for some great knowledge. I use Lightwave mostly, so I can't help much with Max, but CGtalk has oodles of info. Also, Max has more info and tutorials online than any other 3D app (IMHO), as well as books and DVD's on the subject. Amazon, Barne's and Noble, and even Ebay could be a big help. So could google.

If you are serious about doing the kind of work you are wanting, there is no reason to NOT familiarize yourself with a 3D app. Multipass rendering, compositing, and many visual effects make experience with a 3D application very handy indeed. You don't need to be a 3D artist from ILM to accomplish some really great effects and work, and it's yet another great item to put on a resume. 3D Max is as fine a platform as anything else for beginners and professional/semi-pro results.

Good luck, and if you ever get your paws on Lightwave, I can help with that.


ps. Just so Mods dont pounce on me, I am not toteing another forum, just steering to a more 3D specific one.
 
Ahaa, you are using Lightwave! Ou yes, Rapier_100a. I will go to CGTalk...already registering...you are right, this is getting so detailed, it's really better to ask from a 3D forum. :thumbup:

Thanks for your help and tips anyway. I have to get some learning videos for this app and also try out Lightwave and Maya... :beer:
 
Ou yeah, I love that 3D model also! :) I think it's very very cool. Thanks for the new link, Surf. Still waiting for the answer on other forums... :undecided
 
Hey, guys, I finally got this thing working inside Max! Just thought someone would like to see how it looks like with the covers... :)

Ou yeah, my DVDs always have THX-certification... :thumbsup:

Thanks once more for the answers.

fvbwqc.jpg
 
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