Adobe After Effects CS4 - Manual (Page 191)

185 USING AFTER EFFECTS CS4
Layers and properties
Last updated 12/21/2009
Shadows cast by continuously rasterized 3D layers (including text layers) are not affected by effects applied to that
layer. If you want the shadow to show the results of the effect, then precompose the layer with the effect.
To ensure that the shadow remains where expected on a 3D layer with a track matte, precompose the 3D layer and
the track matte layer together (but don’t collapse transformations), and then apply the shadow to the precomposition.
Effects on continuously rasterized vector layers with 3D properties are rendered in 2D and then projected onto the 3D
layer. OpenGL rendering does not support this kind of projection, so results may differ when rendering using
OpenGL. This projection does not occur for compositions with collapsed transformations.
More Help topics
“ Render order and collapsing transformations ” on page 64
“ Precompose layers ” on page 61
“ Continuously rasterize a layer containing vector graphics ” on page 158
3D object layers from Photoshop
For a video tutorial about using 3D object layers from Photoshop in After Effects, go to the Adobe website:
www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4113_xp .
Adobe Photoshop Extended can import and manipulate 3D models (3D objects) in several popular formats, including
the following:
• .3ds (3ds Max)
• .dae (Digital Asset Exchange, COLLADA)
• .kmz (compressed Keyhole Markup Language format, Google Earth)
• .obj (common 3D object format)
• .u3d (Universal 3D)
Photoshop can also create 3D objects in basic, primitive shapes.
Photoshop places each 3D object on a separate layer. Within Photoshop, you can use the 3D tools to transform (move
and scale) a 3D model, change the lighting, change camera angles and positions, and change render modes—for
example, from solid to wireframe mode. You can also use Photoshop to modify, paint on, and replace textures for a
3D object.
You can bring these 3D object layers in PSD files from Photoshop into After Effects for compositing and animation.
When you import a PSD file into After Effects as a composition and that PSD file contains a 3D object layer, you can
choose to make the layer a live Photoshop 3D layer. If you don’t choose the Live Photoshop 3D option when you
import the file, you can convert the layer to a live Photoshop 3D layer in After Effects by choosing Layer > Convert To
Live Photoshop 3D. When a layer is a live Photoshop 3D layer, it contains an instance of the Live Photoshop 3D effect.
The Live Photoshop 3D effect on a layer renders the 3D object according to the active camera in the After Effects
composition. The Live Photoshop 3D effect works like other effects with a Comp Camera attribute. (See “
Effects with
a Comp Camera attribute ” on page 391.)
When a live Photoshop 3D layer is imported, After Effects creates a camera that matches the camera used in
Photoshop. The camera created in After Effects is not animated, even if the camera for the 3D object in Photoshop is
animated.