Element 3D Essential Training (2013)

Walks you through the Element 3D third-party compositing plugin for After Effects.

1. Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files

2. Creating Your First Project

• Creating 3D lightbulbs
• Turning on the light
• Adding the final touches

3. Overview of Element 3D

• Overview of the Element 3D workflow
• Previewing 3D objects
• Applying materials
• Using lighting presets
• Using the environment

4. Working with 3D Objects

• Assigning groups
• Adjusting basic transforms
• Isolating model components
• Working with multi-object objects
• Using Scatter and Displace
• Changing an object's anchor point

5. Creating 3D Objects

• Creating 3D text
• Creating 3D shapes
• Using Photoshop to create 3D objects
• Working with bevel presets
• Tweaking bevel settings
• Adding multiple bevels
• Importing 3D objects
• Using expansion packs

6. Working with Materials

• Creating custom materials
• Using custom textures
• Working with reflections
• Adding illumination
• Customizing the environment
• Faking opacity reduction
• Faking complex materials
• Obscuring objects with materials
• Creating bumps with normal maps

7. Particle Replicators

• Replicating 3D objects
• Using replicator shapes
• Using a custom replicator shape
• Animating Position Noise

8. Integrating with After Effects

• Adding lighting
• Using an After Effects camera
• Aligning with nulls
• Working with expressions
• Using the Elementary script

9. Using the Animation Engine

• Using the animation engine
• Understanding animation types
• Making groups similar
• Fracturing objects
• Animating object materials
• Fading objects in and out
• Animating text

10. Adding Polish

• Adding fog
• Using ambient occlusion (AO)
• Using AO with invisible objects
• Enabling motion blur
• Enhancing with supersampling
• Working with World Transform
• Creating a shallow depth of field

11. Final Project: Building a Space Scene

• Surveying the project
• Looking at the models
• Replicating the objects
• Adding animation
• Creating the materials
• Examining the lighting
• Telling a story with the camera
• Adding the final polish

12. Conclusion

• Final tips and tricks
• Goodbye