What is the easiest way to make curved grid like this in 3D.

[Krum5F9D]

At first I thought there was a way to curve a flat 3D layer only using AE but I couldn't find a way.
Now I think I'll do it just by using Maya. Do you know any other way?

[Mylenium]

For a static view it could easily be re-created using shape layer paths and masiks with strokes, but of course if you need to swish around in 3D this would be a lot of extra work, so yes, doing it in Maya is perhaps a good idea unless you want to spend money on extra plug-ins or putting up with the mess that is the Cinema 4D renderer and import.

Mylenium

[Byron Cortez]

Doing it in Maya is the best way. After Effects is not very good at making these types of graphics.

[Rick Gerard]

In 2007 I wrote an article on using displacement maps that were animated using point lights as a light source with positive and negative intensity values to get mirrored displacement from positive and negative red and green values created by the lights. The result looks like this:

I have uploaded an updated project file for you to play with. This is what the Displacement Map comp looks like:

If you have a budget for a plugin, I suggest Freeform Pro from AE Scripts. You can even add Projection Mapping to a Freeform layer to distort any type of image. Here's an overview of the plugin:

I use both techniques. One is easier than the other for some designs. The other is more efficient for different scenarios. It all depends on the project. If I knew what you were trying to accomplish, I could give you some more efficient suggestions.