3D DNA in After Effects – Without Plugins

A quick tutorial showing how to use shape layers and CC Ball Action to create a classic sci-fi / electron microscope DNA strand.

Deoxyribonucleic acid was first isolated in 1869! Though it wasn’t really understood until 1953 when Watson and Crick published their articles in Nature detailing its structure. In April 2023, scientists, based on new evidence, concluded that Rosalind Franklin was a contributor and “equal player” in the discovery process of DNA.

I’m not sure how scientifically accurate my version of DNA is, but it should look familiar to audiences for illustration purposes. With all the new 3D features being added to After Effects, this also might end up being replaced with just importing a 3D model, but this is a free, quick way to create a strand of genetic material.

And I’ve managed to make the whole tutorial without a single Jeff Goldblum / Jurassic Park joke, I just didn’t stop to think about whether I should.

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