• Adobe After Effects

  How to project 3d (layer) Mask onto 2d surface?

  Posted by Jeff Cottle on February 2, 2016 at 9:48 pm

  Hello,
  and thanks for all your productive help.
  I have some 3d layer Masks (clouds and landscape) that need to be used as 2d versions in a 2.5d relief program.
  Is there any way:
  1) in AE to project these 3d masks onto a 2d surface?
  OR,.
  2) to import these 3d masks into a 3d program like C4D etc. to then project curve on surface?
  OR
  ..any method you suggest to project AE 3d masks to 2d.

  any help as always much appreciated,
  J

  Jeff Cottle replied 10 years, 3 months ago 3 Members · 6 Replies
• 6 Replies

• 

  Tudor “ted” jelescu

  February 3, 2016 at 9:16 am

  What do you mean by projecting the 3d masks? Wouldn’t a rendered out image/sequence with an alpha be what you need?

  Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
  Senior VFX Artist
• 

  Mike Sevigny

  February 3, 2016 at 4:49 pm

  Ted’s right.

  There’s no need to project it onto a 2D card if the render itself is a 2D card. You can just place it in 3D space among the rest of your layers in After Effects.

  Projecting some elements can help sell the shot. After Effects has the ability to do 2D & full 3D projections. Here’s a breakdown of a 3D projection in AE:
  https://vimeo.com/152088856
  password: tms2016

  And here are some tutorials on Projection Mapping:
  AE 2D: https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/3d_camera_projection/
  AE 3D: https://vimeo.com/87376234
  C4D: youtube.com/watch?v=eJhaXSd7e0c

  Good luck,
  Mike Sevigny

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• 

  Jeff Cottle

  February 3, 2016 at 5:02 pm

  Hi Ted,
  thanks for your quick reply.
  Projecting a 3d mask is like the “Curve on Surface” functions most 3d modeling software has: a 3d curve is converted to 2D by projecting it onto a 2d surface. This is not the same as simply disabling its AE 3d layer, which does not maintain path x,y vertex positions and tangents.

  But your suggestion may work and be the easiest remedy IE: make an alpha of the 3d masks, then perhaps use Auto-Trace on the 2d alpha.

  Although, it would be a good backup plan if possible to also project 3d (layer) Mask onto 2d surface, if you’ve any suggestions on doing so?
  Thx again,
  J
• 

  Jeff Cottle

  February 3, 2016 at 5:17 pm

  Thanks Mike,
  agreed, Ted is right, so if i understand correctly i’ll try: make an alpha of the 3d masks, then perhaps use Auto-Trace on the 2d alphas. Please correct this or suggest best method if i’ve misunderstood.

  And thanks for AE Projection Mapping links and suggestions, i’ll check them out right now.

  Talk soon,
  J
• 

  Mike Sevigny

  February 3, 2016 at 5:20 pm

  Once you render it out with alpha you won’t have to autotrace anything. After Effects will understand the alpha channel and your transparency from the 3D app will translate perfectly.

  Mike Sevigny
• 

  Jeff Cottle

  February 3, 2016 at 6:27 pm

  ..awesome, understood Mike,
  thanks again to both of you,
  J

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