Howdy motion friends!
Version 25.2.0x109 of After Effects Beta introduces new 3D Helper Tools!
These are three new commands that reduce common 3D workflows to single clicks.
Have you ever wanted to control a light as if it was a camera, just like in 3D apps? What about easily applying 2D effects to 3D models? And how about that Environment light, wouldn’t it be awesome to see a 360º representation of it in your comp? Now you can do each of these things in one click!
Getting Started
Select the relevant layer type and run the following commands from the menu:
Layer > Create > Create 3D Layer Instance creates a Solid at the top of your composition with CC Composite referencing the selected 3D layer. Your referenced 3D layer is turned off, but if you want to retain your layer’s shadow, just turn it back on! You can also right-click on your 3D layer to access this command.
A 3D donut cat with Colorama applied...a Glownut Cat, if you will
Layer > Light > Control Light with Camera creates a camera linked to a light, allowing users to “look through” a light and position it using the camera tools. Adjusting a Spot light’s Cone Angle affects the linked camera’s Zoom. Disabling the Camera layer in the Timeline returns to the primary scene view. Pro Tip: Switch to a 2-up view in the Composition panel to control a light while observing its effects!
A 2-up view showing the Active Camera on the left while interacting with a Spot Light's camera on the right
Layer > Light > Create 3D Environment Layer visualizes the Environment light by creating a solid at the bottom of the composition with CC Environment linked to the selected light’s Source map, and a 5px Fast Box Blur to soften the background.
3D donut cat lit by an Environment Light with a 360º visible Source map
Known Issues and Feature Limitations
Create 3D Layer Instance: This command only works on 3D models, Shapes, and Text layers that have the 3D switch enabled.
Control Light with Camera: This command only works with Spot and Parallel lights. Deleting the linked camera will generate expression errors. If you don’t want the Camera layer to be visible, you can turn it off and place it at the bottom of your Timeline. You can easily access it again from the Camera Selection menu in the Composition panel.
Create 3D Environment Layer only works on Environment lights with custom Sources from your Timeline. You cannot use this command to view the Environment light’s default Source.
Please give this new functionality a try and let us know how it’s working for you.
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