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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects TRON – 3D game grid

  • TRON – 3D game grid

    Posted by William Cousert on November 3, 2008 at 6:08 pm

    I’m attempting to create an effect similar to the game grid in the Disney movie “TRON”.

    I drew a rectangle on a shape layer and applied the Cell Pattern effect to it. I was able to get the look I wanted, but when I turned it into a 3D layer and rotated it to become the “floor”, the pattern still appeared to be vertical (2D).

    Here’s what I want, minus the light cycles and text.

    https://beta.armagetronad.net/design/tron5.png

    Paul Conigliaro replied 16 years, 3 months ago 4 Members · 7 Replies
  • 7 Replies
  • Paul Conigliaro

    November 3, 2008 at 6:20 pm

    A few effects tend to ignore 3-D layers. The best way (in my mind) to do this would actually be to create the grid in photoshop (large, maybe 2048×2048) and bring that layer in to AE.

    If you want to stick strictly within AE, I’d do it this way: Make a large comp (maybe 1024 or so). Make a comp-sized solid and apply the Grid effect. Then nest that comp and us it for your 3-D floor (possibly multiple copies).

  • Martin Fisher

    November 3, 2008 at 7:41 pm

    Just precompose the layer with the cell pattern effect (the fx should be inside the new comp).
    Then make the new layer (the composition) 3d and it should work.

  • Roland R. kahlenberg

    November 4, 2008 at 2:33 am

    [Paul Conigliaro] “A few effects tend to ignore 3-D layers”

    This isn’t true at all.

    What is happening is that Shape Layers are vectors and are continuously rasterized. When a layer is continuously rasterized (or has collapsed transformations) its rendering order changes from the default –

    Mask <> Effect <> Transform to

    Transform <> Mask <> Effect

    Therefore, effects that generate new content, when applied to either a continuously rasterized layer or has collapsed transformations switched on, will have its transforms calculated first.

    As such, the 3D transforms that you apply is in effect working but it is then cancelled out by a 2D effect, such as those found under the Effect>Generate section.

    HTH
    RoRK

    broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

  • Paul Conigliaro

    November 4, 2008 at 3:48 pm

    Apologies for getting that one wrong. I knew about render orders, but didn’t realize that the Continuously Rasterize switch changes the render order.

    I also rarely use shape layers, so I really should not have have posted without looking into the problem more.

  • Roland R. kahlenberg

    November 4, 2008 at 4:18 pm

    No worries dude. I’ve lost count of the number of timse that I’ve given even erroneous replies. Besides, I don’t think there is a way to switch of Continuously Rasterize for Shape Layers. So, precomping would be the way to go.

    HTH
    RoRK

    broadcastGEMs.com – the leader in customizable royalty-free animated backdrops

  • William Cousert

    November 5, 2008 at 7:49 pm

    I tried importing a Photoshop file. It works, but I’d rather have true 3D support in After Effects.

    Any chance we’ll see it with the next release?

  • Paul Conigliaro

    November 5, 2008 at 8:07 pm

    If you mean 3D modeling, I don’t believe you will see that in After Effects beyond what’s in CS4 for 3D Photoshop layers.

    I’m curious, what are you lacking in AE that prevents you from accomplishing your tron grid? You can rotate and position layers in 3D space. Aside from the light cycles which would have to be 3-D models, that entire scene is re-creatable in AE.

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