Fake 3D in After Effects
It's easy to add extra depth to your motion graphics work using Illustrator's Collapse Transformation function to create simple 3D objects. Regular JJ Johnstone gives you all the know-how you'll need...
Thinking in a 3D space isn't new to designers, but designing in it can be tricky. Approaching each dimension as though it is a flat image can help, and Illustrator is the perfect tool for that.
Being able to draw an image using perfectly geometric objects, along with the ability to rescale and align, is a crucial part of designing in 3D. After Effects' 3D tools are often never used to their full capacity. Big camera moves and clever lighting techniques can only go so far when you're working with flat objects.
Here you'll be shown how to create 3D objects in After Effects using Illustrator files. Applying the Collapse Transformation function with pre-comped objects, you'll fold a flat Illustrator image into a three-dimensional truck before using After Effects' powerful cameras to bring it to life. No more flat, paper-thin objects - now you can take your first steps into 3D without having to buy any new software.
Moving into 3D is a big hurdle for most motion graphics designers and the gap feels huge when faced with learning how to use new software and techniques. Use your honed Illustrator skills to create simple 3D objects that will bridge the gap between 2D and 3D. This isn't a substitute for 3D, but a means of getting closer to using it.
The objects will be simple, but you're only limited by the time you want to spend building them. Feel free to build anything you like here, but bear in mind that the truck in this tutorial was specifically designed to make the process easier.
Click here to download the support files (1.8MB)
Click here to download the tutorial for free
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Ecommerce Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Editor, Digital Art and 3D Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson and Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The 3D World and ImagineFX magazine teams also pitch in, ensuring that content from 3D World and ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.
Related articles
- 5 tips for getting started in indie game development - GameMaker's winning dev shares his advice
- How to prevent objects from overlapping in KeyShot
- Designing the creative, cultural mix of New World: Aeternum's environments has meant its "developers have to be magicians"
- The challenges of being an indie dev, "About a third of the way through the game's development, I hated the damn thing"