3D AE Questions

[Mylenium]

[LGABoarder] “1) Is it possible to create a cube in AE? Whenever I put two or more images together in an attempt to match the sides and create a corner, I don’t get a perfect match. I’m using lights, shadows, perfect positions, and Best quality. Is it just not possible to match them like this?”

Layers ion AE do not have geometric edge antialiasing, the use simple filtering across the entire layer. Therefore you cannot have perfectly sharp edges, they will always be soft and introduce transparencies.

[LGABoarder] “2) Is it possible to add depth to an image? I’d like to have an image in 3d space that isn’t entirely flat when sideways.”

That’s a contradiction in terms. Either you mean flat images or 3D geometry. The effect you want to achieve is the latter and can be achieved with 3DLayer from Digital Anarchy (download the demo on their site)

[LGABoarder] “3) Is it possible to import 3d files from another application? I specifically am using Blender3d to render, if anyone is familiar with it… I’d like to be able to build a house in true 3d and add camera animation in AE along with some other elements.”

Generally not. You need Invigorator to render 3D objects in AE. As to how well that works, I don’t know. Never used it. You can get camera motions into AE along with lights and locaters thru other ways, but usually that’s where the goodness ends.

[LGABoarder] “4) Is there any way to create a 360 background? I would like to be able to have, say, a starry background no matter which way my camera is positioned. It is possible to do so?”

There’s a pricey plugin called Fulldome (https://fulldomeplugin.multimeios.pt) that will give you any combination of panoramic effects. Other methods you could use include using plugins such as CC Sphere and CC Cylinder.

Mylenium

[Pour Myl

[Sebastien Allain]

CC environment in the latest cycore pack (AE7) can help you with a camera on

sebastien

[Don Sciore]

You don’t say which version you are using but…

1. Have you tried Digital Anarchy’s Box Creator lite under the window drop-down that shipped with AE6.5? Great tool to create cubes and boxes quickly wothout calculating the positions of the layers and they’ll match up perfectly.

2. Depth to an image can be faked. Multiple layers set a few pixels apart in z-depth can work if you don’t take your camera directly on the edge of the layers. You can also construct depth using positioning and parenting all layers to a null object.
Also, make sure you composition settings are set to Advanced-3D in the Advanced tab of your comp-settings menu.

3. You can certainly import a 3D render with alpha channel and attempt to match up camera.Even import camera data depending on the 3d program used. Unfortunately I don’t know anything about blender3d.

4. A 2d layer as a background (like an animated starfield movie) placed behind your 3d layers will always fill your comp.

Good luck.
Don