lightning fast animation in element 3d

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Lightning Fast Animation in
Element 3D
Master the intricacies of Element 3D, the fast-rendering
Adobe After Effects plugin
Ty Audronis
BIRMINGHAM - MUMBAI
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Lightning Fast Animation in Element 3D
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Credits
Author
Ty Audronis
Reviewers
Adam Geoffrey Anderson
Jeff Lange
Acquisition Editors
Vinay Argekar
Subho Gupta
Content Development Editor
Vaibhav Pawar
Technical Editors
Edwin Moses
Faisal Siddiqui
Copy Editors
Shambhavi Pai
Stuti Srivastava
Project Coordinator
Sageer Parkar
Proofreader
Ameesha Green
Indexers
Mariammal Chettiyar
Monica Ajmera Mehta
Rekha Nair
Tejal Soni
Graphics
Yuvraj Mannari
Production Coordinator

Komal Ramchandani
Cover Work
Komal Ramchandani
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About the Author
Ty Audronis has a rather unique background in the media world. He's often
asked how he got into the eld. Well, it's a bit of a story, but he'll be as brief as
possible, narrating it in his own words.
I had the great benet of having a father in the semiconductor industry and an
overachieving (to say the least) family. So, my family was the rst of all my friends
to have a computer in 1980 (well, maybe 1981, I'm not sure). When other kids were
fooling around, I was out hooking up neighbors' computers and showing them
how to use them. I was only seven (or eight).
In the mid 80s, my father hired me to do some quality assurance (QA), and illustrations
for his software. This was my rst paid graphics gig (laughable by today's standards).
I used "Dr. Halo" on a monochrome computer, but still, that was a huge advantage
over other kids.
At the same time, I was learning music and programming, and doing anything
where I could mix art and technology. Remember that Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode where that kid got hold of a cool laser thing that meant he could sculpt
anything he liked? That was me, tech and art all the way.
After some difculties in the music world after high school, I joined the Navy. I forgot
all about art for the time but stayed with technology. I was stationed in Japan and
served aboard the USS Independence (CV-62) from 1992-1994 in a helicopter squadron.
No, I wasn't a pilot or anything glamorous (just a lowly E-3). I got hurt in a typhoon off
the coast of Guam and was retired.
The Navy began to pay for my college fees, and I decided to be a lawyer. I won many
debates, and got a national bronze medal for informative speaking. However, my
mentor for the debates told me not to be a lawyer. She said that I debate effectively
but I couldn't stand people lying. She said I'd have a heart attack before 35, so I went

into marketing.
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Why is all of this relevant? Because inadvertently, I found art again. I gured, "I may
as well learn about animation and production, because I'll need to tell them what I
want in their language." So, I took a computer animation class. This is really where
my career took shape.
The class was taught by a man that was to become my mentor, Rick Vertolli. He and
his assistant (Randy Wall) shaped my animation skills, and resparked my desire to
create. After that class in Wavefront (yes, way back then, our workstations were
Silicon Graphics "Indy" machines), I found myself interning for Rick over the summer
and rewriting the text book to be used in Lightwave and later, Maya. This was the
rst taste I had of writing how-tos. Over the years, I became Rick's assistant, lectured
several times, and was the full-time lab assistant. I changed my major to a special
major in Computer Generated Special Effects. I also won my rst award in animation
during this time (a "Rosebud").
After working with Rick, Randy, and Chris Ficken as an intern and lab assistant for
four years, I was recruited by frog Design as a design technologist. My knowledge
of programming and graphics was unique and was in high demand during the
.coms. Those were the days. We had our desks in a circle with a model train and slot
car track with every video game system on the market, coffee time at 4 PM, soccer
in South Park (in San Francisco) at 5 PM, and unreal tournaments across the intranet
(against other frog ofces world-wide) at 5:30 PM nearly every day. Yes, we worked
hard but we played hard too.
Sorry, I digress. At frog, I got to work with some of the world's best companies,
had access to design, animation, web development, and just about every toy a geek
artist could desire. But then, .com turned into .bomb and layoffs came. I still remember
lunches on Bryant St. in San Francisco and going up and down the street to auctions
in Web MD and Pets.com (to name a few). Cars were clogging San Jose International
airport (techs on H-1 visas just abandoning their Mercedes and BMWs and ying back
home to England, France, India, and so on). An auction car would be a steal back then;

times were scary. My rst child was born; I was terried.
So, I returned to entertainment. I went to a local TV station in Chico, CA and worked
on producing ads for a few months. I moved on to an ad agency for a few years
(worst job ever). Then, I met up with another mentor of mine, Robert (Bob) Condos.
Bob gave me my rst real production gig. I came on a show called "So, You Want
to Be a Star" as the producer, with Bob as the EP. Everything up to this point in
my career was a concept. I used every bit of my art, tech, and personal knowledge,
and we pulled off the impossible. It was a 14-week show on a shoestring budget.
In the end, I was the producer, director, and editor. We had a lot of help from some
great people but I learned a lot during that show. It's still my favorite experience in
entertainment; not the most prestigious, not the most recognizable, but the best.
This is when my second child was born.
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At the same time, I was in a partnership that started an Internet radio station that
catered to MMO gamers in Matrix Online. Machine radio was fun, amazing, and
a great experience. I learned a lot about online community building, appealing to
markets, and what appeals to people in general. I couldn't devote enough time to
machine radio (due to the TV show I was producing), so I let one of the partners
take over—a decision I'll regret until the day I depart this sweet earth. The station
then died.
After a few nondescript tech jobs, I was recruited to California Academy of Sciences
in San Francisco to help with the web redesign during their rebuild in 2007. Near
the end of the web relaunch, the Planetarium Director heard that I had some TV
experience. So, I had lunch with him and gave him a few nuggets of advice on setting
up the Science Visualization studio (basically, a full production and effects department
for the purpose of making visual representations of scientic principles, among which
are planetarium shows). We built the (at that time) world's largest all-digital dome,
a 3D theater, and a full animation and editing department. It was amazing. We won
many international awards and played with some of the entertainment industry's
hottest technology.

The next four years were spent as the senior/supervising editor of Science
Visualization there. It depends on who you ask and what year it was as to whether
I was senior or supervising. It was the same job and I'm not too hung up on titles
so… meh. I got to work with some great people, make some good friends, and work
on some mind-blowing projects (from going to NASA rocket launches to talks with
Neil Tyson to programming interactive exhibits to making friends with Pierre the
Penguin). This was truly a great time in my career. However, nothing lasts forever
and eventually, my position was removed from the department and I was laid off.
I spent some time teaching, spent some time contracting (again, with frog, some
movies, and so on), and eventually landed at a TV production company. A year
of "murder-porn" (as South Park calls shows like I [Almost] Got Away With It) for
Investigation Discovery, some travel channel, and History shows. I hate what
cable television has become, but it's a living and it pays fairly well.
Now, I've moved away from civilization, and my wife and I live in a small town off
Interstate-5 in Northern California. It's private, quiet, and I still get to have my fun.
Currently, I am strictly a contractor. I work on anything from court cases (graphic
simulations, recreations, audio/video cleanup, and so on) to feature movies. I also
write for Videomaker magazine occasionally. Yes, I still do a lot of graphics. However,
what I'm enjoying the most right now is shooting with drones. It's a mix of my media
and Navy careers, and it's truly fun.
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So, that's my career. Well, at least the brief summary of it. How did I get into this
business? Luck. A series of coincidences and opportunities (that turned out just right)
have led to my success. Don't get me wrong; I've worked very hard. However,
I've truly been blessed. Not just with opportunity, but with the people who have
given me these opportunities. I'd like to thank all of the people mentioned above
(Rick Vertolli, Randy Wall, Chris Ficken, Bob Condos, the entire staff at "So, You
Want to Be a Star", and the amazing folks I've worked with over the years).
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Acknowledgment

I'd like to thank my family: my loving wife Jessica (whose love and devotion make
life worth living) and my children, Aurielle and Asher (who will be the next great
chapter in the Audronis family history).
Additionally, I'd like to thank my father and mother for exposing me to art and
technology in my childhood and sparking my interest in science.
I want to thank all those men and women who serve their respective countries
world-wide in the effort to keep our world safe. From the simple E-3s running
chocks and chains on the deck of a carrier to the special forces that operate with
no glory nor press. Without you all, our world would not have the opportunities
afforded to people like me, my family, or the readers of this book.
Finally, thank you for purchasing this book. I truly hope it has been of benet to
you, and you have my gratitude for your patronage.
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About the Reviewers
Adam Geoffrey Anderson, a Telly Award winner and currently the Senior
Video Editor with one of the top automotive advertising agencies in the United
States, completed his undergraduate work in Pittsburgh and earned his MFA at
the Miami International University of Art and Design. While building a freelance
business, Adam taught college level courses in Final Cut and Avid.
Very passionate about education, he puts himself in situations that challenge his
skills and require him to keep learning as well as providing tips and helping others
hone their abilities.
Jeff Lange is a web content specialist in the eld of higher education. In his free
time, he works as a photographer, videographer, digital artist, and creator who
likes to experiment with new technologies such as Element 3D.
In 2009, Jeff gained international attention for designing an iPhone app, Battery
Go!, which reached the top 100 paid apps list.
At a young age, Jeff has become a successful web marketing and analytics
professional in the eld of higher education.
I would like to thank my ancée, Lindsay, for always being

supportive of me. I would also like to thank my family for giving
me access to a computer at a very young age and supporting me
throughout my life. Finally, I would like to thank Andrew Kramer,
Ryan Connolly, Nick Campbell, Andrew Price, and Jonathan
Williamson for helping me become a better artist.
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Table of Contents
Preface 1
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Element 3D Animation 5
Welcome to the world of 3D animation using Element 3D 5
Assumptions about the reader 5
What is 3D? 6
What is Element 3D really? 6
Summary 7
Chapter 2: Welcome to Element 3D 9
The machine specications 9
The PC congurations 9
Software 10
Introduction to the interface 10
Tour of the interface 11
The Model Browser window 12
The Edit window 12
The Material and Bevel Browser window 12
The Preview window 12
The Scene window 13
Toolbar (top) 13
Modeling versus animating 14
Setting up your rst project in Element 3D 14
Staying organized 14
Directory structure 14
Summary 15
Chapter 3: Your First Objects 17
Primitive modeling 17
Booleans (cutting and molding tools) 19
Differences between Boolean operations 20
The shaker top 21

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Table of Contents
[ ii ]
Object arrays (duplicating objects in a pattern) 23
Finalizing your salt shaker 25
Point modeling (the table and wine bottle) 25
The wine bottle 26
Do it again (the table) 28
Box modeling (the lamp) 28
Subdivs, metanurbs, and curved shapes 29
The Polygon proxy mode 29
Extruding and editing 30
Freezing subdivs to polygons 32
Incorporating multiple methods (the completed lamp) 33
Summary 34
Chapter 4: Painting Your Geometry (Textures) 35
Digital paint 35
Exporting your objects to Element 3D 35
Lamp shades 36
What are UVs? 36
Assign your materials 38
Exporting your objects 38
The wine bottle 39
Shading in Element 3D 41
Import the lamp 42
Fixing and texturing the lampshades 43
Transparency map workaround 46
Specularity 48
Reections and refractions 49
Illumination and ambient occlusion 51

Bump maps and using AEX layers for
texture maps 53
Preset shaders 55
Summary 56
Chapter 5: Preparing Your Scene 57
Element scenes in After Effects 57
Saving your objects 58
Preparing our scene 59
Setting up the lamp 60
Replicating the bulbs 61
Lighting the lamp 62
Adding the table and wine bottle 64
Finishing the initial setup 65
Faking shadows 65
Light falloff 66
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Table of Contents
[ iii ]
The shakers 67
Mask it off 68
Final touches 69
Adding a camera and controls 69
Controlling objects with null objects 70
Summary 70
Chapter 6: Animating Your Geometry 71
Let's simulate an earthquake! 71
Animating with nulls 71
Keyframing the lamp 72
Realism in animation 73
Summary 75

Chapter 7: Particle Replicator 77
Dancing iPhones 77
Replicating the iPhone 78
Animating to the beat 79
Creating a video screen 79
Moving them around 80
Advanced animating ("morphing") 81
Repeat the process 82
Rinse and repeat 84
Making the background cooler 84
Having the background react to audio 85
Summary 87
Chapter 8: Optimizing Performance 89
What affects render times? 89
Your system needs to run… fast! 89
Polygon counts/points 90
Appropriate image map size 92
Samples and how they affect render times 93
Particle array count 93
Summary 94
Chapter 9: Some Other Techniques 95
Flying text/logos 95
3D text extrusions 96
Flying logos 100
The possibilities of live footage, world position mattes, and
compositing 101
World position mattes 108
Summary 110
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Table of Contents

[ iv ]
Appendix: Final Thoughts 111
Using the right tool for the right job 111
Some predictions 112
Anything more to learn? 112
Additional resources 112
Final message from the author 113
Index 115
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Preface
This book is a principle-based lesson plan to learn Element 3D (an Adobe After
Effects plugin). This lesson also includes information on creating and preparing
content for Element 3D using external 3D software. Although Maya 2012 is used
in these examples, the same principles apply to any 3D modeling software that you
wish to use. This book follows tutorials designed to teach the reader the tools and
thought processes necessary to create virtually any content and push Element 3D
to the limits of its capabilities.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Introduction to the Element 3D Animation, gives you an overview of what
you can expect from this book.
Chapter 2, Welcome to Element 3D, provides an orientation and overview of how
Element 3D works.
Chapter 3, Your First Objects, covers the basics of 3D modeling for Element.
Chapter 4, Painting Your Geometry (Textures), teaches you how to export your objects
from the 3D modeling software, prepare textures, and apply surfaces to your objects.
Chapter 5, Preparing Your Scene, uses Element 3D to set up complex 3D scenes for
animation in After Effects.
Chapter 6, Animating Your Geometry, covers animating Element 3D objects using the
After Effects interface with null objects and keyframes.
Chapter 7, Particle Replicator, teaches you how to use Element 3D to create arrays of

objects that might animate together, or in sequences.
Chapter 8, Optimizing Performance, tells you what affects performance and render
times, and also covers techniques to efciently squeeze out the best quality.
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Preface
[ 2 ]
Chapter 9, Some Other Techniques, covers advanced techniques with Element 3D,
such as integration with the live footage, 3D-aware masks, and using external
animations (object sequences).
Appendix, Final Thoughts, is a brief summary of the lessons learned, some personal
tips for users, and hopeful predictions for the future versions of Element 3D.
What you need for this book
You will need Adobe After Effects CS6 or Creative Cloud, Element 3D, a photo editing
program (such as Photoshop), and a 3D modeling program. Although Maya 2012 is
used as the example for this book, any modeling software can be used. If budget is an
issue, it's recommended that you use Blender 3D (a free downloadable 3D animation/
modeling tool). Additionally, there is downloadable content that is necessary for this
book. Please see the next section on acquiring the example project(s).
Who this book is for
Anyone with any skill level will nd this book useful. However, it is assumed that
you have a working knowledge of Adobe After Effects at the least. Additionally,
a working knowledge of your 3D modeling software's interface will be helpful.
Conventions
In this book, you will nd a number of styles of text that distinguish different
kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles and an explanation
of their meaning.
Code words in text are shown as follows: "We can include other contexts through
the use of the include directive."
A block of code is set as follows:
thisComp.layer("Audio Amplitude").effect("Both

Channels")("Slider")/2
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Preface
[ 3 ]
New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the
screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "Right-click
on the new audio layer and select Keyframe Assistant and then select Convert Audio
to Keyframes."
Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.
Tips and tricks appear like this.
Reader feedback
Feedback from our readers is always welcome. Let us know what you think about
this book—what you liked or may have disliked. Reader feedback is important for
us to develop titles that you really get the most out of.
To send us general feedback, simply send an e-mail to ,
and mention the book title through the subject of your message.
If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing
or contributing to a book, see our author guide on www.packtpub.com/authors.
Customer support
Now that you are the proud owner of a Packt book, we have a number of things
to help you to get the most from your purchase.
Downloading the example project les and
colored images
You can download the example project les and colored images for this Packt book
you have purchased from your account at . If you
purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit
and register to have the les e-mailed directly to you.
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Preface
[ 4 ]

Errata
Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes
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We appreciate your help in protecting our authors, and our ability to bring you
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Questions
You can contact us at if you are having a problem with
any aspect of the book, and we will do our best to address it.
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Introduction to the Element
3D Animation
So, you want to learn how to animate in Element 3D? In this chapter, we will lay the
groundwork for this book. You'll need to know what 3D animation is as well as the
prerequisites for this book. This book is designed to help users of every skill level
gain an intimate understanding of Element 3D, and this chapter is designed to

induct you into that world.
Welcome to the world of 3D animation
using Element 3D
This book is designed to help you through the basics (which may be applied to any
project) that can get you started with Element 3D. Whether you're new to the world of
animation or are an old hand at other software, this book will get you up and running
fast. However, before we get started, let's cover some fundamentals of 3D animation.
Assumptions about the reader
As this is not a book on Adobe After Effects, but rather a plugin for that software.
It is assumed that you have at least a working knowledge of After Effects and its
interface. You do not need to be an expert in After Effects; you just have be familiar
with it.
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Introduction to the Element 3D Animation
[ 6 ]
Element 3D does not have a proper modeler within it. You must create models within
another 3D package. There are free modelers available (such as Blender). Some can
be quite expensive (Maya, Lightwave, 3D Studio Max, Cinema 4D, and so on). The
principals shown in the modeling section of this book (Chapter 3, Your First Objects,
and Chapter 4, Painting Your Geometry (Textures)) can be applied to any 3D software.
They all contain the tools used in this book; just the locations of the buttons might
change. Thus, it is assumed that you are familiar with the interface of the modeling
software that you have chosen.
What is 3D?
It should be said that we are not referring to stereoscopic imagery. You do not
need glasses or a lenticular screen to view 3D animation. In the world of animation,
3D refers to simulating depth by creating a virtual world within your workspace
(as opposed to drawing on a two-dimensional sheet of paper or cell).
What is Element 3D really?
Element 3D is far more than just another 3D plugin for After Effects. It's truly a

revolutionary change in the method of 3D animation that has traditionally been
used. For the rst time, a user can bring to bear fully animated 3D models created
in virtually any modeling software from within their compositing software (After
Effects). An entire book could be devoted to the principles of 3D animation. Sufce
to say that from the rst mainstream computer animation (Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo
opening credit sequence), it's taken over 50 years and countless man-hours to get to
the point of, Element 3D.
Element 3D was originally developed as an object array animator. Wow, sounds
impressive, doesn't it? Well, it is. Element handles 3D objects as if they were particles,
and animates them in groups. Sometimes, these are groups of one object (such as an
airplane ying across the sky); sometimes, these are hundreds of objects (such as a
group of dancing iPhones). What really makes Element unique is that it gives an After
Effects user the ability to animate stunning 3D animations within After Effects itself!
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Chapter 1
[ 7 ]
Summary
Until recently, using 3D animation with motion graphics or live footage required
compositing packages (such as After Effects, Nuke, and so on). Now, with the
introduction of Element 3D, you can create animations while doing your color
correction or working on motion graphics (all within After Effects). This can greatly
decrease cost and increase speed. It also brings with it the ability to create stunning
3D animations on the editor level. Over 50 years of CGI evolution (combined with
countless man-hours) brings us here.
In the next chapter, we'll introduce you to the Element 3D interface and prepare
our directory structure for your rst Element 3D project.
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Welcome to Element 3D
In this chapter, we're going to dive right into 3D. However, before we do that,

let's make sure that we're all on the same page. Animating in 3D isn't just a matter
of picking up a mouse and ripping out great stuff; you need to make sure that your
machine, operating system, and software are all up to snuff. Luckily, Element 3D
doesn't have nearly the requirements of the other software packages.
The machine specications
Professional production is nothing short of a race. If you can get your product out in
a way that it looks better and if you get it done faster than your competition, you're
going to stay in business. So, the faster and better machine you have, the better it is
for your animation experience. Unfortunately, not all of us have the budget of Pixar.
The machine specications listed below will get you going pretty well. Element 3D
is compatible with both Mac and PC. However, Element 3D will run on far slower
machines than those outlined in the coming section, and will run better on a much
faster machine. The following are the specications that I am using:
The PC congurations
The following are the specications of the PC that is used for this book:
• Intel i7-2600 @ 3.4 GHz
• 12.0 GB RAM
• Windows 7 (64 bit)
• Wacom Intuos 4 tablet
• 10 TB RAID-5 eSATA array
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Welcome to Element 3D
[ 10 ]
• BlackMagic Decklink HDMI
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
Complete GPU specications for Element 3D are available at https://www.
videocopilot.net/assets/public/misc/GPUs.pdf.
Software
Element 3D is a plugin for Adobe After Effects. We'll use CS6 under the Creative
Cloud license for the purposes of this book. Additionally, you will need a 3D

modeling program. There are plenty of paid ones (such as Maya, 3D Studio Max,
Lightwave, and Cinema 4D). However, if budget is a concern, you can use a free
3D program called Blender, which is used by many professionals.
We'll also be using the Jet Strike and Flight Kit for Element 3D later in this book.
These kits are among many that are available for Element 3D; they include many
models and compositing elements to help you with your 3D animations. If you
don't have these expansion packs, don't worry; the principals are important,
not the specics.
Introduction to the interface
So, let's dive in! Start up After Effects and create a new HD 1080p30 (29.97)
composition (it only needs to be a couple of seconds long). Then add a black solid
layer and apply the Element plugin to that layer (Effect | Video Copilot | Element).
Now you'll want to open your effect controls and hit the Scene Setup button. This will
open the Element 3D interface. The following screenshot shows you the location of the
Scene Setup button within the AEX interface:
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