3D Animation

3D wireframe animations with Cinema 4D & After Effects

In this Cinema 4D & After Effects CC 2017 Tutorial, learn how to create 3D wireframe animations, beginning with Cinema 4D R18 and adding effects in After Effects. By using this technique you can create the 3d wireframe look seen in film and on TV, and create your own 3D object animations with Cinema 4D and After Effects. This technique also utilizes new techniques for After Effects CC 2017 as well as working with Cinema 4D R18 Studio. This After Effects CC 2017 tutorial is also a great stepping stone to get into 3D animation and motion graphics for After Effects users.

Get Cinema 4D products used in this tutorial:

360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00
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360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00
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Want learn more about 3D animation in After Effects? Check out these other tutorials

Use Element 3D V2 in After Effects to create a 3D Logo

Create a 3D extruded logo in After Effects with Cinema 4D Lite

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Create a Bendy Text Animation in After Effects with Element 3D

Element 3D V2 for After Effects added deformers such as bend, taper, and twist, which can be added to any 3D models or extrusions. Check out this new tutorial to learn how to create a bendy text animation using this new feature, as well as other Element 3D tips and tricks.

Get the Element 3D products used in this tutorial:

360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00
Add To Cart
360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00
Add To Cart

Want learn more about 3D animation in After Effects? Check out these other tutorials

Use Element 3D V2 in After Effects to create a 3D Logo

Create a 3D extruded logo in After Effects with Cinema 4D Lite

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Create a 3D Logo in After Effects CC 2017 with the new Cinema 4D Renderer

With the release of Creative Cloud 2017, After Effects introduces yet another option to create 3D extrusions and 3D logos. As a quick alternative to jumping into Cinema 4D Lite and creating a full 3D logo and 3D scene, you can now create extrusions from shape layers right in After Effects CC 2017 using the new Cinema 4D Render engine. This new features lets you extrude shape layers and text, add materials, and create environment layers, without needing to leave After Effects. 

Check out more new features for Creative Cloud 2017

3D Titles in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

Live Text Templates in After Effects CC 2017 for Premiere Pro

To easily create 3D reflections in After Effects, check out these 360° Environment Map Products!

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00
Add To Cart
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00
Add To Cart

Want another way to work in 3D in After Effects? Check out these other tutorials

Create a 3D extruded logo in After Effects with Cinema 4D Lite

Use Element 3D V2 in After Effects to create a 3D Logo

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Create 3D Titles in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

After Effects CC 2017 introduces the new Cinema 4D renderer natively in After Effects, allowing you to create 3D extruded text and shape layers, without needing to leave After Effects. This new feature replaces the legacy ray-traced renderer, utilizing Cinema 4D to render 3D elements under the hood. This new system allows you to extrude vector & text assets, create basic 3D materials, and create environment layers to add to 3D reflections.


Check out more new features for Creative Cloud 2017

Create a 3D Logo in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

Live Text Templates in After Effects CC 2017 for Premiere Pro
 

To easily create 3D reflections in After Effects, check out these 360° Environment Map Products!

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00
Add To Cart
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00
Add To Cart

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Cinema 4D R18 - Top 5 MoGraph Updates & New Features

One of the biggest updates to Cinema 4D R18 is all of the new MoGraph updates. These include the new Voronoi Fracture object, as well as the hexagon cloner setting, the push-apart effector and other effectors, new cloner features such as Scaling and Weight-Painting, and more! The new MoGraph updates are going to greatly improvement working with animation for R18, so be sure to check out the video to learn all about the Top 5 MoGraph updates, and check out the additional video on the new Voronoi Fracture Object. And check out the renders below to get an idea of what you can do with the new Mograph Tools for Cinema 4D R18!

The Hexagon Cloner setting combined with the Variation Shader

The Voronoi Fracture feature applied to extruded 3D text

The Hexagon Cloner setting combined with the Variation Shader

The Voronoi Fracture feature combined with Inverted Ambient Occlusion

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Get an overview of each R18 MoGraph update individually in the videos below

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - Voronoi Fracture, New MoGraph Feature

With the new Voronoi Fracture, you can fracture and break apart 3D objects, all in Cinema 4D R18, without the need for any external plug-ins. With the Voronoi Fracture, you can break objects into thousands of pieces, then use R18 MoGraph Effectors to displace, disperse, and animate the pieces. You can even apply the Voronoi Fracture to hierarchies of 3D objects, such as 3D extruded text with multiple materials. Check out the video above to learn all about this new feature, and take a look at the renders below to see the Voronoi Fracture used in combination with other updates to R18!

Voronoi Fracture applied to extruded 3D text with different Cap & Bevel Materials

Voronoi Fracture animated using R18 MoGraph Effectors with a smooth falloff

Voronoi Fracture with a Thinfilm Shader Material, rendered with Inverted AO

Fractured pieces randomized with a random effector and the new push-apart effector

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Convert After Effects Text to 3D Text with the Cinema 4D Exporter in After Effects 2015.3

With every update to After Effects CC the past few years, there have continued to be improvements to the connection with Cinema 4D Lite, the free version of Cinema 4D that comes packed with After Effects. In the latest update to After Effects 2015.3, downloadable as of June 2016, a new feature was added to allow you to easily export text created in After Effects to real 3D Cinema 4D text, all through the Cinema 4D exporter. Check out the video above to learn about this awesome new feature!

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite? Check out some of these tutorials:

• Create 3D Titles In After Effects CC Using Cinema 4D Lite

• Use Cinema 4D Lite MoGraph Effectors To Animate 3D Titles

• How To Create A 3D Extruded Logo In Cinema 4D Or Cinema 4D Lite

• Intro to Cinema 4D Lite Materials

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D Dynamics Simulation Tips & Tricks

Setting up Dynamics Simulations in Cinema 4D is one of the most fun things you can do with 3D animation. By creating Dynamics Simulations, you can use gravity, force, and physics to have objects move and interact in realistic ways without having to add any keyframes. Getting Dynamics set up is simple enough if you only have one or two objects, but things can get a little more complex if you have cloners, hierarchies of objects, or complex geometry. In this Cinema 4D tutorial, I go over lots of tips and tricks for working with dynamics, including tips on both rigid body and soft body settings.

Want the project files used in this tutorial? You can get them in the store for only $1!

Want to learn more about Dynamics in Cinema 4D? Check out another tutorial on combining dynamics with mograph cloners to create an exploding brick wall.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Recreate the X-Men Apocalpyse 3D titles in After Effects with Element 3D

There have been a lot of nice 3D titles in movie trailers lately, so for this week's tutorial I decided to tackle recreating the 3D titles seen in X-Men Apocalypse using After Effects and the 3D plug-in Element 3D. While the focus of this one is the 3D text, there are a lot of small details that go a long way that I'll get into in this one, including customizing the bevel, using custom mask layers for the "X-Men" text instead of just basic text, creating letter-by-letter text using the multi-object setting, and many more Element 3D tips and tricks!

Want to get the project file for this tutorial and other movie title tutorials? You can purchase it in the online store for just a couple dollars!

Don't have the patience to watch the full tutorial? Check out this time-lapse video of the title animation being created in After Effects:

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Want to see more movie title tutorials? Check out the next one on how to recreate the 3D titles for Star Trek Beyond in After Effects

Recreate the 3D Movie Title seen in Star Trek Beyond with Adobe After Effects

Any time I see new movie trailers, I always have my eye on the title animation at the end, and the 3D animated title for Star Trek Beyond did not disappoint. My brother Brett alerted me to this cool trailer, and I wanted to jump into After Effects and Element 3D to take a crack at recreating it. In this tutorial I outline a lot of the steps involved in recreating every element of this logo animation with After Effects CC.

Want to get the project file for this tutorial? You can purchase it in the online store for just a couple dollars!

Don't have the patience to watch the full tutorial? Check out this time-lapse video of the title animation being created in After Effects:

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Want to see more movie title tutorials? Check out the next one on how to recreate the Avengers: Age of Ultron title using After Effects!

Use Cinema 4D Lite MoGraph Effectors to Animate 3D Titles in After Effects

One of the  best parts of working into Cinema 4D and Cinema 4D Lite is working with Mograph and Effectors. With C4D Lite, packaged FREE with After Effects CC, you get access to the Fracture object, and two Effectors: Plain, and Random. A lot of people overlook these objects because you have to register Cinema 4D Lite to get them to turn on. You know that window that pops up every time you start Cinema 4D Lite? Stop closing it and activate! This will give you access to the Mograph Effectors, which open up a HUGE amount of animation possibilities.

By Using MoGraph Fracture object, you can break apart text (or any extruded object) into separate objects using "explode objects + connect." This might look like it doesn't do anything at first, but once you start adding Effectors to the Fracture objects, you'll see the magic! This lets you animate position, scale, and rotation of each letter separately, and use strength or falloff to animate the letters in.

In Part 1 of this tutorial, I went over how to get the 3D text set up in Cinema 4D Lite and get the materials going. Check out Part 1 here.

Want to learn how to do this using MoText in the full Studio version of Cinema 4D? Check that out in this post here!

Looking for more Cinema 4D Lite tutorials?
 

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Create 3D Titles in After Effects CC using Cinema 4D Lite

Looking to create 3D text in After Effects? Put that text tool away kids, and crack open Cinema 4D Lite! Starting with the first version After Effects CC in 2013, Cinema 4D Lite is packaged FREE with AE. One of the biggest uses of Cinema 4D is how easily you can create professional 3D animation titles, with real 3D properties like shadows and reflections. 

In this tutorial, I get into how to get started with Cinema 4D Lite by creating 3D text titles. I also get into how the connection between C4D Lite and After Effects works, by utilizing the Cineware bridge. I also talk about setting up basic 3D materials, and how you can add all types of AE effects to Cinema 4D projects, like adjustment layers, background solids, and anything your After Effects heart desires!

In part 2 of this tutorial, we'll talk about adding MoGraph Effectors to the 3D text, in order to create letter-by-letter text animation. Check out Part 2 here.

Want to learn how to do this using MoText in the full Studio version of Cinema 4D? Check that out in this post here!

Looking for more Cinema 4D Lite tutorials?
 

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Create Letter-by-Letter Text Animations in Cinema 4D using MoGraph, MoText, and Effectors

In Cinema 4D, you can use MoGraph and Effectors to do all sorts of cool animation. The MoGraph and Cloner system is one of the biggest unique features of working in Cinema 4D. In this 3D Animation tutorial, I go over how to use MoGraph Effectors on MoText objects, in order to create letter-by-letter Text animations. I've gotten a couple questions lately on how I put together the intro sequence for my Tutorials, and this tutorial gets into just that!

This tutorial covers the process of applying MoGraph Effectors to MoText, as well as setting up the Effector Properties, animating strength, and adjusting and animating the falloff. Digging into the falloff settings for each Effector is really where you can push what you can do with MoGraph Effectors and create modular, re-useable animation systems.

To learn about setting up the custom materials on the Text Caps, check out this tutorial.

Be sure to also learn about the second part of this process of linking Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations in After Effects using Cineware.

To set up the letter-by-letter animation, first go to MoGraph > Effector, and choose an effector. If you do this with the MoText selected in Cinema 4D, it will automatically be applied to the letters of the text.

Look at alllll those fancy effectors.

Look at alllll those fancy effectors.

If you added the Effector to the scene without the MoText object selected, you can grab the Effector and drag it into "Letters."

On the Effector under "Parameters," you can adjust position, scale, and rotation. This will adjust the properties of each letter individually. If you want to adjust the scale uniformly, be sure to check "uniform scale."

I don't even want to know what happens if you don't check "uniform scale." I wouldn't chance it.

I don't even want to know what happens if you don't check "uniform scale." I wouldn't chance it.

After adjusting Parameters, if you go to the Effector Tab, you can animate the strength on and off. You can also go beyond 100%, or below 0% to create overshoot and follow through.

Ohhhh, so that's why we're doing all this.

Ohhhh, so that's why we're doing all this.

Adjusting the strength is great and all, but animating the falloff in the Falloff Tab is when things really get interesting. If you go to the Falloff Tab and change it from Infinite to Sphere, you can then move, scale, and just the shape of the falloff to create the animation. Now you don't even need to bother with the strength!

You can animate with a Torus, but now we're just getting crazy.

You can animate with a Torus, but now we're just getting crazy.

Check it out from different views. Taking a look from the top, you can see how moving and scaling the falloff affects groups of letters. Because the falloff is gradual, the letters will smoothly animate as you move and scale the falloff. 

Now we're definitely in the Matrix. 

Now we're definitely in the Matrix. 

Here's where the magic happens. If you invert the falloff by checking the invert button, now you can animate the sphere from out of frame onto the letters, and they will sequentially animate. 

There's always one tiny checkbox that makes all the difference!

There's always one tiny checkbox that makes all the difference!

If you change scale to a value of -1, the letters will also scale into existence. 

Check out this awesome screenshot where you can't see anything.

Check out this awesome screenshot where you can't see anything.

To create the animation, you can set a keyframe on the Position Coordinates with the spherical falloff over to the left, and 30 or 45 frames later set another keyframe with the falloff covering the letters.

Now we're talking, animation time!

Now we're talking, animation time!

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Create Looping Animations in Cinema 4D using the Animation Track Properties

Looking to create looping animations in Cinema 4D, and end up just copying the keyframes over and over? Well no more! If you're familiar with After Effects Expressions, you can loop animations using the loopOut expression. If you're looking to do something similar in Cinema 4D, you might want to just create a bunch of copied keyframes, or look to writing some crazy Xpresso scripts to handle the looping. But by using the animation track properties in the attributes window, you can loop animations a set number of times using the Oscillate setting in the Track Properties, under attributes.

This technique can be utilized in both the full Studio version of Cinema 4D, as well as the After Effects version, Cinema 4D Lite.

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite to get off the ground in 3D?
 

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

To get started with this technique of creating looping animations in Cinema 4D, all you need to do is create 2 keyframes. Here we have the top and bottom points of a sphere animating vertically, in order to create the bouncing look.

Look at that smooooth curve.

Look at that smooooth curve.

With the full Cinema 4D timeline open (accessible via Window > Timeline), when you click on the track, it'll open up the Track Properties under attributes. This is where you can adjust what happens before and after the two keyframes.

Houston, we have looping!

Houston, we have looping!

By changing the "After" dropdown to "Oscillate," the animation will repeat. This way all you have to adjust is that one animation curve, and it will change the entire animation. If you want it to loop infinitely, you can change the number of repetitions. Now that's a nice loop!

When will it end?!?!?! Oh, after 99 times.

When will it end?!?!?! Oh, after 99 times.

If you want to go further with this technique, you can add additional keyframes and loop keyframe animations beyond two. After adding in an additional keyframe in the center, as an example, it will loop the full set. Getting a bit deeper into f-Curve animations in the Cinema 4D timeline, you can hold SHIFT to adjust online one side of the tangent, ALT/OPTION to adjust only the VALUE, and COMMAND to adjust only what is happening over TIME.

BoooooOOOOooo. Urns.

BoooooOOOOooo. Urns.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Import a Maya 3D Object into Element 3D V2 as an OBJ Model

If you are working with Element 3D V2 in After Effects for your 3D workflow, you might want to bring in a 3D object built in Maya. To do this, you first need to export the Maya scene as an OBJ model. Simple enough, right? That'll only bring the Maya object into Element 3D as one big object with the same texture. Great if you just want to slap one material on an object and move a 3D After Effects camera around it, but not great if you want assign different materials to different parts of the 3D object, or want to animate individual parts separately.

If you want to have different materials on different parts of the object, you'll have to do some additional set-up work in Maya to assign different materials to different parts of the object. This way, Element 3D will read the different materials as markers for different parts of the object. You can then assign new materials to each part of the 3D model in Element 3D. By doing this, with a new feature of Element 3D V2, you can also create animation on each individual piece by using Auxiliary or AUX Channels. To learn how to import 3D objects from Maya into Element 3D V2, check out the video above.

New to Element 3D? 

Start with How to create a 3D Logo with Shadows & Reflections!

Learn about the Top new Features of Element 3D V2!

Learn about how to use Cinema 4D Animations in Element 3D V2 in this video! 

And my shortcut tips and tricks for Element 3D V2 in this video!

Want to Motion Track a 3D Object using Element 3D? Learn how in this video!

For a step-by-step breakdown of the process of bringing a Maya 3D Object into Element 3D V2, you first need to turn on OBJ export in the Maya plug-ins manager, which is in Windows > Settings/Preferences > Plug-ins Manager. You then want to scroll down and check on "OBJexport.Bundle"

Check 'em both on and hit REFRESH!

Check 'em both on and hit REFRESH!

The next step is to export the Maya 3D Object as an OBJ, by going to File > Export all, and making sure you select "OBJexport" from the "Files of Type" drop-down.

Don't forget to change it to OBJ!

Don't forget to change it to OBJ!

Next, back in After Effects, within the scene settings for Element 3D V2, you'll want to hit the Import button and locate the OBJ Model.

That is one slick chair.

That is one slick chair.

This will bring in the 3D object as one big object and material. If you want to be able to assign different Element 3D V2 Materials to different parts of the object, you'll have to jump back over to Maya and do a bit of additional work. To allow Element 3D to read different parts of the 3D OBJ model as different materials, all you need to do is assign a new material to each piece of the object, by right clicking and selecting "Assign New Material."

Right-click like a champ.

Right-click like a champ.

It doesn't matter what color the material is, just that each part is a different material. I usually throw on a bunch of bright colors in Maya for reference, and end  with a crazy rainbow colored 3D Model in Maya that looks something like this:

Wow, that is colorful!

Wow, that is colorful!

This way, when you bring the 3D Object back into Element 3D V2 as an OBJ Model, each piece will be separate. This will allow you to assign new materials to each piece.

Colorful and shiny, and now usable in Element 3D!

Colorful and shiny, and now usable in Element 3D!

This process can also be used to animate each piece separately, by creating a duplicate of just one piece, and assigning it to an Auxiliary or AUX Channel. This setting is new to Element 3D V2, so be sure to update!

That is so many channels!

That is so many channels!

Then, after you've assigned different pieces to different AUX channels, you can animate position, scale, and rotation separately on the Element 3D effect, under Group > Aux Channels. This new system of groups with Aux channels massively grows the type of specific animation you can do in Element 3D V2.

So many animation possibilities!

So many animation possibilities!

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to Combine New SABER Plug-in with Element 3D V2 Text Animations

When the new After Effects plug-in "Saber" was released by Video Copilot, I was excited to immediately dive in and see what this thing could do. One of the features Andrew Kramer showed in his kickoff video was the possibility of aligning Saber with Element 3D. He didn't get into the set-up though, so I wanted to take a crack at how to set this up and share it with everyone! 

In this video I'll go over how to link up Element 3D V2 and Saber to one single text layer, and how to set everything up so it will all align together, even when you start moving a camera around. This technique is also fully non-destructive to both elements, so the great part is that you could change the text to something completely new when you're done, and both the Element 3D and Saber layers will immediately update. Neat, right?!

New to Element 3D? 

Start with How to create a 3D Logo with Shadows & Reflections!

Learn about the Top new Features of Element 3D V2!

Learn about how to use Cinema 4D Animations in Element 3D V2 in this video! 

And my shortcut tips and tricks for Element 3D V2 in this video!

Want to Motion Track a 3D Object using Element 3D? Learn how in this video!

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to Link Optical Flares to Element 3D Animations in After Effects

One of the major benefits to working with Element 3D in After Effects is that it works directly in the 3D Space of After Effects. This means that when you add an After Effects camera, BOOM, you can orbit around your 3D object. This also helps to be able to link up Element 3D scenes with additional plug-ins, like another Video Copilot plug-in, Optical Flares. In this video, learn how to link up Element 3D V2 with Optical Flares, and have everything move and animate together.

New to Element 3D? 

Start with How to create a 3D Logo with Shadows & Reflections!

Learn about the Top new Features of Element 3D V2!

Learn about how to use Cinema 4D Animations in Element 3D V2 in this video! 

And my shortcut tips and tricks for Element 3D V2 in this video!

Want to Motion Track a 3D Object using Element 3D? Learn how in this video!

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to link Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations in After Effects

One of the the best things about the newer integration between Cinema 4D and After Effects CC is the Cineware integration, which allows you to bring Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite files into After Effects directly, without needing to render them out. Additionally, you can use Cineware to extract elements out of Cinema 4D and bring them into After Effects, and have everything perfectly line up. 

In this video, we'll talk about taking an animated logo from Cinema 4D into After Effects, and use Cineware to link up Video Copilot's Optical Flares plug-in, and have everything work in alignment. We'll also talk about using Cineware to rip out a depth pass, in order to occlude certain parts of a scene.

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite to get off the ground in 3D?

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Finally, learn some Fancy post-production effects like linking Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Working with Animation, the Timeline, and Keyframes in Cinema 4D

Creating animation using Keyframes and the Timeline is one of the core skills when working in Cinema 4D, or any animation program for that matter. If you are coming from After Effects CC, the Cinema 4D system of animation can have some slight differences. Once you understand these differences on how the timeline and keyframes work, you'll be an animation pro in no time.

In this video, learn how to create Position, Scale, and Rotation keyframes in Cinema 4D Lite. Once we have that down, we'll talk about the full timeline, and how to manipulate timing uses eases and animation curves. We'll also talk about concepts like creating overshoot, and other animation principles. 

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite to get off the ground in 3D?

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Finally, learn some Fancy post-production effects like linking Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to import 3D Characters and OBJ Sequences from Cinema 4D into Element 3D V2

So you can build out custom 3D characters in Adobe Fuse, then send them to Cinema 4D, but what if you want to bring animated characters into Element 3D? This can be done by exporting an OBJ sequence out of Cinema 4D, or your preferred 3D app, and bringing it into Element 3D. While you can now import Cinema 4D animations directly into Element 3D V2, this will only bring in Position, Scale, and Rotation animations, and not keyframes on rigged skeletons. Check out the video above to learn some fun tips on bringing 3D character animations into Element 3D V2.

Want to learn more about Element 3D?
 

Learn about the Top new Features of Element 3D V2!

New to Element 3D? Start with how to create a 3D Logo with Shadows & Reflections!

Learn about how to use Cinema 4D Animations in Element 3D V2 in this video! 

And my shortcut tips and tricks for Element 3D V2 in this video!

Want to Motion Track a 3D Object using Element 3D? Learn how in this video!

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

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