Video Copilot's Element 3D V2 Plugin features a redesigned interface and an updated
GPU accelerated processing back end to improve render times and allows many
operations to be viewed in near real-time. OBJ and C4D files can be imported along with
their textures and manipulated inside Adobe After Effects. Within the plugin, complex
3D objects can be broken down into their core components and are able to be adjusted
or animated individually.
To make the workflow as efficient as possible, Video Copilot has simulated reflections
and shadows that don't require ray-tracing. Without ray-tracing, rendering detailed 3D
models is less processor intensive, and near real-time renders can be achieved
without an expensive GPU.
Element 3D v2 is designed for use in Adobe After Effects CS5 or newer on either PC or
Mac and is compatible with 3D models created in OBJ and C4D file formats.
Physical Shader System
Easily create more realistic materials based on real-world object properties. Modeled
materials can be dragged and dropped onto objects to model realistic surfaces. A new
"glossiness" adjustment allows for a consistent change in the model's reflectivity between
its specular highlights and the reflected background environment.
Dynamic Reflection Maps
Element 3D can cleverly create reflections in 3D objects without processor-intensive ray-tracing.
It does this by creating a spherical map from the center of the object outward, and anything
captured in that map is reflected on the surface of that object. This feature enables near
real-time rendering of reflections.
Ambient Occlusion Light Influence
Creates realistic lighting gradients in shadows by reducing ambient occlusion in relation to
the luminance values of an area.
Ray-Traced Shadows and Ambient Occlusion
For more accuracy and realism, you can use ray-traced shadows and ambient occlusion instead
of the standard real-time settings. The ray-tracing is GPU accelerated through OpenCL in
order to speed up render times.
Auxiliary Animation
Animate specific components of your 3D models by assigning those parts to one of ten
available animation channels. You can use this to create simple moving rigs within After
Effects. You can assign multiple parts to a single channel to have the parts move in unison.
Sub-Surface Scattering
Allows light to penetrate the surface of your object to have it exit at different, irregular points.
This creates a look that's ideal for rendering translucent materials such as skin, leaves, and marble.
Automatically Import MTL Files
If an OBJ file that you want to load into Element 3D has an MTL (material) file associated with it,
you can choose to import that file to retain relevant textures throughout your workflow.