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Combining 2D Characters (Illustrator) With 3D Backgrounds (Lightwave) in After Effects
So basically I made some 2D characters in Illustrator and modeled some 3D environments in Lightwave. I was going to try to import the .ai into lightwave and do all of the animating in there, but honestly Lightwave sucks and it’s so clunky and rigging is difficult. So, I was thinking of animating in After Effects which seems a lot easier.
What is the best way to go about this if I’m moving through the 3d spaces (a character running forward in a tunnel essentially). Should I render out clips from the camera in Lightwave then import them into After Effects and animate the 2D character on top of the moving clip rendered out from lightwave? Or is there a way to animate the .ai in After Effects and then import it into Lightwave and composite there and then render out?
How should I go about this? Thanks!
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2 Replies
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Just run through it, it’s basically a maze with hallways and rooms. Not really any of the environment passing in front of the character.
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You should probably render a depth pass out of Lightwave so that you can use it as a track matte for your characters so they can go behind things if needed.
The TV show Archer does all of their character animation in After Effects, but many of the background scenes are 3d too, so you’re not alone in this workflow.
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