Export camera data to After Effects?

[Jumbotuna]

I'm an Editor/Motion GFX Artist considering purchasing A:M. Since I do most of my finishing/compositing in After Effects (CS4), the ability to export camera data to AE is an important consideration. Does A:M have this feature?

[robcat2075]

I'm an Editor/Motion GFX Artist considering purchasing A:M. Since I do most of my finishing/compositing in After Effects (CS4), the ability to export camera data to AE is an important consideration. Does A:M have this feature?

 

I know there isn't an explicit "Export Camera Data to After Effects" feature.

 

There is a plugin by Steffen Gross to export for "Particle Illusion" and another that may work with Vue.

 

But AE is, of course, primarily for 2D compositing. I have AE 5. I know the current versions have some 3D ability.

 

Tell us more about a scenario in which that camera transfer would be useful.

[Jumbotuna]

I'm an Editor/Motion GFX Artist considering purchasing A:M. Since I do most of my finishing/compositing in After Effects (CS4), the ability to export camera data to AE is an important consideration. Does A:M have this feature?

 

I know there isn't an explicit "Export Camera Data to After Effects" feature.

 

There is a plugin by Steffen Gross to export for "Particle Illusion" and another that may work with Vue.

 

But AE is, of course, primarily for 2D compositing. I have AE 5. I know the current versions have some 3D ability.

 

Tell us more about a scenario in which that camera transfer would be useful.

 

I'd say AE is more 2.5D than 3D. However, you can move a camera in 3D space.

 

As far as a scenario, let's say I created a 3D logo animation in a 3D program and said logo flies along a path. I export the animation as a MOV file and bring it into After Effects (Other 3D programs, such as Cinema 4D allow you to export an animation directly into After Effects as a new composition). Lets say I then want to apply a certain filter (for the sake of argument we'll use a glow effect) to the logo. If I just apply the glow effect as is (with no camera data from the 3d program), I'll always end up with the glow effect directly perpendicular to the camera lens, no matter what angle the logo is in relation to the camera. If I could match my After Effects camera to the camera from the 3D program, the glow would always be at the correct perspective/angle/FOV, etc., etc.

 

I know that other 3D programs can export this data in one form or another. Is there a workaround for A:M?

[John Bigboote]

This is a feature that has been on my 'wish list' for some time now. I've seen some amazing things done with an exported 3D camera into AE... it opens-up worlds of graphic possibilities. To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing... I'd suppose it could be done by assigning a bone to the camera and then exporting a BVH file for the bone...but that includes no lens data.

[robcat2075]

What format does AE import as camera motion?

 

If the only answer is "After Effects Proprietary Undocumented Format" that will make it tougher.

 

Steffen's PI plugin exports both camera position and focal length, so such things are possible.

 

If you need a turn-key solution TODAY, A:M probably isn't' what you need, but for $79 you can start experimenting and see what works. It's a low-cost experiment.

 

If I could match my After Effects camera to the camera from the 3D program, the glow would always be at the correct perspective/angle/FOV, etc., etc.

 

So if you got far enough around it the glow would just be a flat plane seen on edge? like saturn's rings?

[Jumbotuna]

What format does AE import as camera motion?

 

If the only answer is "After Effects Proprietary Undocumented Format" that will make it tougher.

 

Steffen's PI plugin exports both camera position and focal length, so such things are possible.

 

If you need a turn-key solution TODAY, A:M probably isn't' what you need, but for $79 you can start experimenting and see what works. It's a low-cost experiment.

 

If I could match my After Effects camera to the camera from the 3D program, the glow would always be at the correct perspective/angle/FOV, etc., etc.

 

So if you got far enough around it the glow would just be a flat plane seen on edge? like saturn's rings?

 

Here's da poop directly from the AE CS4 manual Robcat:

 

Importing and using 3D files from other applications

 

After Effects can import 3D-image files saved in Softimage PIC, RLA, RPF, OpenEXR, and Electric Image EI format. These 3D-image files contain red, green, blue, and alpha (RGBA) channels, as well as auxiliary channels with optional information, such as z depth, object IDs, texture coordinates, and more.

 

After Effects can also import baked camera data, including focal length, film size, and transformation data, from Maya project files as a single composition or two compositions.

 

Note: Some 3D applications, such as Cinema 4D, can export an After Effects composition directly.

Though you can import composited files with 3D information into After Effects, you cannot modify or create 3D models directly with After Effects.

 

After Effects treats each composited 3D file from another application as a single 2D layer. That layer, as a whole, can be given 3D attributes and treated like any After Effects 3D layer, but the objects contained within that 3D file cannot be manipulated individually in 3D space. To access the 3D depth information and other auxiliary channel information in 3D image files, use the 3D Channel effects. (See 3D Channel effects.)

 

3D Channel effect plug-ins from fnord software are included with After Effects to provide access to multiple layers and channels of OpenEXR files. (See Using channels in OpenEXR files.)

 

With RLA and RPF files, all of the auxiliary channels are included in a single file. Softimage PIC files have a corresponding ZPIC file that contains the z-depth channel information. Although you can’t import a ZPIC file, you can access the additional channel information as long as the ZPIC file is stored in the same folder as the imported PIC file.

 

Similarly, Electric Image (EI) files can have associated EIZ files with z-depth channel data. As with ZPIC files, you cannot import EIZ files into After Effects; instead, you simply store them in the same folder as the EI files. For information about creating EIZ files, see your Electric Image documentation.

 

A common technique when working in a 3D modeling application is to insert null objects, such as null lights or null locator nodes in the locations where you want to composite in an image in After Effects. Then, after you have imported the 3D file into After Effects, you can use these null objects as a reference for the placements of other visual elements.

 

As far as your question of being on edge like Saturn's rings, the answer is yes, but that's because glow effects in AE are all 2D effects. Sometimes that's the challenge in AE - making a 2D effect look 3D. However, there are some AE plug-in effects that truly are 3d (like Trapcode Particular), and some that even have their own 3D camera system (like Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator).

 

Fortunately the ability to export camera data is a feature that I don't absolutely have to have in a 3D program, but it would definitely make my life easier.

[robcat2075]

After Effects can import 3D-image files saved in Softimage PIC, RLA, RPF, OpenEXR, and Electric Image EI format. These 3D-image files contain red, green, blue, and alpha (RGBA) channels, as well as auxiliary channels with optional information, such as z depth, object IDs, texture coordinates, and more.

AM does OpenEXR with z depth, but storing a 3d object in OpenEXR....?

After Effects can also import baked camera data, including focal length, film size, and transformation data, from Maya project files as a single composition or two compositions.

Both A:M and Maya files are text files. a clever person might devise a translator.

 

 

3D Channel effect plug-ins from fnord software are included with After Effects to provide access to multiple layers and channels of OpenEXR files. (See Using channels in OpenEXR files.)

Again, A:M does do OpenEXR with numerous channels. Possibly what you need already.

 

 

As far as your question of being on edge like Saturn's rings, the answer is yes, but that's because glow effects in AE are all 2D effects. Sometimes that's the challenge in AE - making a 2D effect look 3D.

This sounds like a situation where you would WANT the glow to always be perpendicular to the camera, as real glow always appears anyway.

[Jumbotuna]

This sounds like a situation where you would WANT the glow to always be perpendicular to the camera, as real glow always appears anyway.

 

No, not always so - If I had the example logo (with glow applied) rotated severely on the y axis so that one end trailed off in the z axis, the glow would be of even intensity/depth along around the entire logo. Realistically, the glow should be of lesser intensity/depth (due to perspective) around the far end of the logo that trails off into the z axis. But ya know what? Only obsessed people like us would probably ever notice that it wasn't 100% realistic anyhow!

 

So in the end, this whole discussion is probably moot anyhow as I've decided to go ahead plunk my $ and buy A:M even without this feature.

[detbear]

I have discovered with sadness that the PI tracker does not work in 15f....OR at least not on my machine.... Worked great prior.

[detbear]

It seems to only display the camera data as an object to track rather than all the other objects in the choreography.