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3D in AE CS3 beta
I had to order Adobe Premiere Elements today and while I was getting that out of the way, I decided to upgrade Photoshop to CS3.
After playing with PhotoShop for a little while, I ran across an interesting new feature… It allows you to import 3D models and move them around in 3D space. DARN COOL! if you ask me.
Since I haven’t downloaded the AE CS3 beta, can anyone tell me if you can now import 3D models in AE CS3 and do the same (rotate and move in 3D space). If so, that will make a number of things MUCH easier to do in AE.
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5 Replies
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I do believe you can import 3d models into after effects 7.0 and camera paths, it should accept maya, 3d’s max, and cinema 4d although i may be wrong. Also if you have invigorator pro at zaxwerks.com you can import 3d models into that plug-in.
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[MikeyforVFX] “I do believe you can import 3d models into after effects 7.0 and camera paths”
Unless I missed something, I don’t think support for full 3D models has been implemented in AE CS3. I know that you can import vanishing point information from Photoshop into AE CS3 and it will give you a composition with 3D planes arranged to match the Photoshop info, but these are still simple 3D planes. You can also import image sequences with 3D channel information (depth, material id, etc.) as you could in AE7.
I believe Zaxwerks Invigorator is still the only option for working with 3D models directly inside of AE. I’d like to be wrong though, can anyone confirm this for sure?
Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA -
MikeyforVFX “although i may be wrong”
yes zaxwerks will accept 3d models but it will tweak them to its limitations.
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The Vanishing Point data that you export from Photoshop is in the .vpe format. The “stuff” you export is a series of PNG files, where AE uses that .vpe info to put the scene together.
You’ll find especially remarkable support for 3D compositing and texture editing in Photoshop Extended, one of many reasons to upgrade to that one instead of “regular” PS. My favorite 3D feature is edting textures on 3D models, in formats including including 3DS, OBJ, U3D..etc., etc. I assume that the primary workflow is simply saving the edited objects in their existing formats, or exporting flattened images and animations. (Animation is my overall favorite feature in PS Extended.)
That said, it doesn’t look to me like there’s support for actual 3D animation in Photoshop…
So close…..
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Photoshop CS3 Extended can import animated 3D models, so there is some form of support for 3D animation in it (you’ll see the playback control buttons when you enter 3D transform mode). What you can’t do is animate 3D properties directly in PS.
The main 3D enhancement in After Effects CS3 is (besides the amazing VPE workflow) the addition of 3D text animation. It’s really, really powerful. You can now spray characters, words and lines all over 3D space, use 3D paths as routes, etc. Really beyond the scope of a single post here. And it has been a top feature request since…. 2D text animator groups debuted in AE6!
Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires – Argentina
ar(AT)adolforozenfeld.com
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