Creating 3D animations in After Effects

After Effects is more than a simple 2D animation program. Over the lifespan of the product, Adobe has done a fantastic job of establishing a 3-Dimensional animation environment in After Effects. Now, don't go getting all excited and start thinking that you can replace Modo or Maya with After Effects. The 3D animation system in After Effects allows the user to create 3D movements with 2D layers, so it is kind of like 2.5D animation. This system allows us to work with some exciting new features like cameras, lights and 3D layers.

This week we are going to explore the 3D animation system in Adobe After Effects. Creating movements in a 3-Dimensional space will help us achieve the illusion of depth in our animations. The results are stunning, so let's jump in and start exploring the 3D animation system in After Effects.

Project Due: Week 08

In this project, you will be creating a promotion advertisement for the London Metro system that will showcase the Piccadilly Station as one of the stops in the underground subway system. Using 3D shape and text layers, create an animation that highlights the Piccadilly Station. Don't worry, I've attached a sample of what the finished animation should look like to this page.

There are a couple of creative specifications that I am looking for you to meet,though. Please ensure your project includes the following required elements before you complete this assignment:

After you have saved the project file on your personal external storage device (like a thumb drive), please upload your After Effects Project File (.aep) and your rendered Quicktime Movie (.mov) to the Picadilly Circus dropbox on D2L.

Before you upload your files to D2L, please ensure your files meet the following naming conventions:

Project Due: Week 08

Working with cameras in After Effects can be tricky. Using what we know about cameras, animate a camera moving between the different video walls in After Effects. We don't want our cameras to cross through, or clip, any of the video walls, so make sure you pay really close attention to where you are placing your cameras and keyframes inside the 3D work environment. Also, we want the video clip to begin to play when the camera arrives at that particular wall. Create still images of the first frame of each video clip to use as the poster for each video wall. Before you hand in your assignment, please ensure you complete the following required elements for this project:

After you have saved the project file on your personal external storage device (like a thumb drive), please upload your After Effects Project File (.aep) and your rendered Quicktime Movie (.mov) to the 3D Camera Lab dropbox on D2L.

Before you upload your files to D2L, please ensure your files meet the following naming conventions:

Check out these awesome learning resources! I've collected a number of assets that I think will help you conquer this week's homework and laboratory assignment. Please download the following materials to your local hard disk or flash storage device (AKA thumb drive).