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3d animation and AE 7
A video game artist describes creating a 3D character by using Maya to create the model and Photoshop CS2 to create the color, bump, and specular maps to wrap the model. The combination supposedly dynamically responds to shadow and light in a gaming environment. Is this also true for the Ae7 enviroment. Can I animate such a 3D object and have the maps produce reflections and shadows.
TONY T
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8 Replies
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No. They are completely different beasts and for the time being AE does not know how to do those custom OpenGL/ DirectX pixel shaders.
Mylenium
[Pour Myl
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If I were to purchase Maya 7 to make 3D models, would AE7 handle any textures for skin and such if I let it do the lighting and shadowing.
TONY T
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No, absolutely not. If AE could handle 3D models, you wouldn’t need a 3D program. Simple as that. You need to understand the conceptual differences and read up on them. And no, even 3D programs do not boast fully interactive shading. You still have to render. If you were hoping to somehow get quicker turnarounds by getting something similar to what AE does with it’s simplistic lighting scheme, you were wrong.
Mylenium
[Pour Myl
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My original hope was to build a 3D model that I could use in AE7, with or without maps. However it looks like my models will have to be done in AE7 if a model with (sides) can not be used.
TONY T
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A model with thickness – I should say.
TONY T
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The only way to get thickness in AE is to use Zaxwwerks Invigorator or to extrude by messing with the Shatter effect. You can get simple spheres and such with Boris plugins, Conoa or CC effects, but basically, AE does not do 3D objects.
AE’s layers are 2D flat planes. Its 3D capability is basically limited to placing those flat planes in a 3D space. Any 3D plugin (Zax) only serves to make a 3D “movie” that plays on a flat plane in AE.
If you want to get fancy, Zaxwerks Invigorator is the only way to go. But it is limited.
If you want to be pro about it, you need to learn the differences between 3D apps and AE. Generally, AE is used for arranging flat planes in 3D space, creating 2D motion graphics, or compositing 2D rendered files from 3D programs. That’s a generalization, but it still holds in my opinion.
Also in my opinion, time spend trying to figure out how to make AE act like a 3D app is better spent learning how to use a real 3D app. 🙂
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Thanks. I am finding that there is plenty functionality available in AE7 with 2D models (as long as I watch my camera angles). So for now I will not rush into 3D but keep the scope on AE7.
TONY T
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Not photorealistic but still pretty cool for previz 3D in AE
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