2016 Tutorials.

Create a Bendy Text Animation in After Effects with Element 3D

Element 3D V2 for After Effects added deformers such as bend, taper, and twist, which can be added to any 3D models or extrusions. Check out this new tutorial to learn how to create a bendy text animation using this new feature, as well as other Element 3D tips and tricks.

Get the Element 3D products used in this tutorial:

360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00

With 360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: Vegas City Pack, get 8K Environment Maps to use in your After Effects projects, all shot in the colorful and vibrant city of Las Vegas. By using Environment Maps Pro, you can easily add photo lighting and reflections to your 3D scenes.

This pack comes with 35 high resolution environment maps available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution that install directly into the Element 3D plug-in, right alongside existing E3D environments and materials.

360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Element 3D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00

Save over 25% with this massive bundle! The Ultra bundle comes with 115 high resolution environment maps. That's all the Maps included in Vegas City, Urban City, Building Interiors, PLUS an extra 10 bonus maps! 

All environment maps are available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution, and install directly into Element 3D to allow you to easily add new lighting and reflection looks to your After Effects 3D scenes. 

Want learn more about 3D animation in After Effects? Check out these other tutorials

Use Element 3D V2 in After Effects to create a 3D Logo

Create a 3D extruded logo in After Effects with Cinema 4D Lite

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Create a 3D Logo in After Effects CC 2017 with the new Cinema 4D Renderer

With the release of Creative Cloud 2017, After Effects introduces yet another option to create 3D extrusions and 3D logos. As a quick alternative to jumping into Cinema 4D Lite and creating a full 3D logo and 3D scene, you can now create extrusions from shape layers right in After Effects CC 2017 using the new Cinema 4D Render engine. This new features lets you extrude shape layers and text, add materials, and create environment layers, without needing to leave After Effects. 

Check out more new features for Creative Cloud 2017

3D Titles in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

Live Text Templates in After Effects CC 2017 for Premiere Pro

To easily create 3D reflections in After Effects, check out these 360° Environment Map Products!

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00

With 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite: Vegas City Pack, get 8K Environment Maps to use in your After Effects projects, all shot in the colorful and vibrant city of Las Vegas. By using Environment Maps Pro, you can easily add photo lighting and reflections to your 3D scenes.

This pack comes with 35 high resolution environment maps available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution, as well as starter files to easily build your projects into, or to copy and paste environment map assets into your projects.

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00

With the Ultra Bundle for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite, get 115 8K Environment Maps to use in your 3D projects, and save over 25% compared to buying the packs individually. By using Environment Maps Pro, you can easily add photo lighting and reflections to your 3D scenes.

This pack comes with 115 high resolution environment maps. That's all the Maps included in Vegas City, Urban City & Building Interiors, PLUS an extra 10 bonus maps! All environment maps are available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution, and come with starter files to easily build your projects into, or to copy and paste environment map assets into your projects. 

Want another way to work in 3D in After Effects? Check out these other tutorials

Create a 3D extruded logo in After Effects with Cinema 4D Lite

Use Element 3D V2 in After Effects to create a 3D Logo

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Create 3D Titles in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

After Effects CC 2017 introduces the new Cinema 4D renderer natively in After Effects, allowing you to create 3D extruded text and shape layers, without needing to leave After Effects. This new feature replaces the legacy ray-traced renderer, utilizing Cinema 4D to render 3D elements under the hood. This new system allows you to extrude vector & text assets, create basic 3D materials, and create environment layers to add to 3D reflections.


Check out more new features for Creative Cloud 2017

Create a 3D Logo in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

Live Text Templates in After Effects CC 2017 for Premiere Pro
 

To easily create 3D reflections in After Effects, check out these 360° Environment Map Products!

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00

With 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite: Vegas City Pack, get 8K Environment Maps to use in your After Effects projects, all shot in the colorful and vibrant city of Las Vegas. By using Environment Maps Pro, you can easily add photo lighting and reflections to your 3D scenes.

This pack comes with 35 high resolution environment maps available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution, as well as starter files to easily build your projects into, or to copy and paste environment map assets into your projects.

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00

With the Ultra Bundle for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite, get 115 8K Environment Maps to use in your 3D projects, and save over 25% compared to buying the packs individually. By using Environment Maps Pro, you can easily add photo lighting and reflections to your 3D scenes.

This pack comes with 115 high resolution environment maps. That's all the Maps included in Vegas City, Urban City & Building Interiors, PLUS an extra 10 bonus maps! All environment maps are available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution, and come with starter files to easily build your projects into, or to copy and paste environment map assets into your projects. 

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Live Text Templates with After Effects & Premiere Pro CC 2017

With the update to Creative Cloud 2017 comes a really cool new feature for After Effects and Premiere Pro: Live Text Templates. With live text templates, you can create text animations in After Effects, and then import the project as a template in Premiere Pro, where you can easily replace text fields. This allows you to create re-useable templates for an entire editing project, without needing to re-render each text animation separately. Check out the video above to learn how this new feature for After Effects CC 2017 works!

In the After Effects Project window, right-click a composition and selection "Export Composition as Text Template."

In the After Effects Project window, right-click a composition and selection "Export Composition as Text Template."

In the Source Monitor within Premiere Pro, select "Master" under the Effects Controls tab, and you can replace editable text fields.

In the Source Monitor within Premiere Pro, select "Master" under the Effects Controls tab, and you can replace editable text fields.

Check out more new features for Creative Cloud 2017

3D Titles in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

Create a 3D Logo in After Effects CC 2017 with the Cinema 4D Renderer

Speed up your Motion Graphics work with these After Effects 3D Products!

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: Vegas City Pack
$25.00

With 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite: Vegas City Pack, get 8K Environment Maps to use in your After Effects projects, all shot in the colorful and vibrant city of Las Vegas. By using Environment Maps Pro, you can easily add photo lighting and reflections to your 3D scenes.

This pack comes with 35 high resolution environment maps available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution, as well as starter files to easily build your projects into, or to copy and paste environment map assets into your projects.

360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D: ULTRA Bundle
$55.00

With the Ultra Bundle for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite, get 115 8K Environment Maps to use in your 3D projects, and save over 25% compared to buying the packs individually. By using Environment Maps Pro, you can easily add photo lighting and reflections to your 3D scenes.

This pack comes with 115 high resolution environment maps. That's all the Maps included in Vegas City, Urban City & Building Interiors, PLUS an extra 10 bonus maps! All environment maps are available in 8K, 4K, and 2K resolution, and come with starter files to easily build your projects into, or to copy and paste environment map assets into your projects. 

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Looking for the next Tutorial to watch?

Check out the Top 5 Features of Element 3D V2 for After Effects!

Learn about the new 3D Character Creator app, Adobe Fuse!

Learn about the Top 5 new features of Cinema 4D R17!

Learn the Top 5 After Effects Expressions!

Learn how to Recreate the Agengers: Age of Ultron 3D Title Animation!

See how to Combine Element 3D with the new Saber Plug-in!

Learn about the Top 5 Hidden Features of Illustrator CC!

See how to bring Animated 3D Characters into Element 3D!

To check out new features added to Cinema 4D R16!

Check out the Top 5 Tips for Better Camera Animation in After Effects!

Cinema 4D R18 - Top 5 New Features

One of the most exciting times of the year for working in the 3D graphics industry is the release of new software and getting to play around with all of the new features. With the update to Cinema 4D R18, there are a ton of fun new features to dive into, including a massive amount of MoGraph updates, the new Voronoi Fracture, the Thinfilm Shader, Inverted Ambient Occlusion, Parallax Bump Mapping, and more! Check out the video above to get a quick rundown of some of the top new features, and be sure to get a deeper look at each new feature in the additional R18 articles below.

Voronoi Fracture applied to Extruded 3D Text,combined with R18 MoGraph Effectors

The new Thinfilm Shader applied to a cloner inside a MetaBall Object

Voronoi Fracture applied to 3D Cogwheels, rendered with Inverted Ambient Occlusion

The new Honeycomb Array Cloner applied to 3D objects textured with a Variation Shader

The Voronoi Fracture applied to 3D skulls, with a ThinFilm Shader added to a Reflectance material

The new Push-Apart Effector applied to 3D text in a Voronoi Fracture, rendered using Substance Materials

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - Top 5 MoGraph Updates & New Features

One of the biggest updates to Cinema 4D R18 is all of the new MoGraph updates. These include the new Voronoi Fracture object, as well as the hexagon cloner setting, the push-apart effector and other effectors, new cloner features such as Scaling and Weight-Painting, and more! The new MoGraph updates are going to greatly improvement working with animation for R18, so be sure to check out the video to learn all about the Top 5 MoGraph updates, and check out the additional video on the new Voronoi Fracture Object. And check out the renders below to get an idea of what you can do with the new Mograph Tools for Cinema 4D R18!

The Hexagon Cloner setting combined with the Variation Shader

The Voronoi Fracture feature applied to extruded 3D text

The Hexagon Cloner setting combined with the Variation Shader

The Voronoi Fracture feature combined with Inverted Ambient Occlusion

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Get an overview of each R18 MoGraph update individually in the videos below

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - Voronoi Fracture, New MoGraph Feature

With the new Voronoi Fracture, you can fracture and break apart 3D objects, all in Cinema 4D R18, without the need for any external plug-ins. With the Voronoi Fracture, you can break objects into thousands of pieces, then use R18 MoGraph Effectors to displace, disperse, and animate the pieces. You can even apply the Voronoi Fracture to hierarchies of 3D objects, such as 3D extruded text with multiple materials. Check out the video above to learn all about this new feature, and take a look at the renders below to see the Voronoi Fracture used in combination with other updates to R18!

Voronoi Fracture applied to extruded 3D text with different Cap & Bevel Materials

Voronoi Fracture animated using R18 MoGraph Effectors with a smooth falloff

Voronoi Fracture with a Thinfilm Shader Material, rendered with Inverted AO

Fractured pieces randomized with a random effector and the new push-apart effector

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - Working with the New Thinfilm Shader

The new Thinfilm shader is a new really colorful addition to materials in Cinema 4D R18. This new shader setting allows you to simulate a thin film on top of a material, which can result in a rainbow oil look, or soap bubbles when created with a transparent material.

The ThinFilm shader can be added with just a few steps, so check out the video above to learn the process to set it up, and be sure to take a look at the screenshots below for some examples on how the new ThinFilm shader can create amazing artwork in Cinema 4D R18.

Completely transparent thinFilm shaders applied to MetaBall Objects

ThinFilm Shader applied on top of a reflective material, combined with Voronoi Fracture

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - Shadow Catcher, a new Material for 3D Compositing

When doing full 3D compositing with Cinema 4D, one of the trickiest things to achieve is casting shadows from 3D objects onto a background plate, in order to create the illusion that 3D objects are sitting on the surface and casting correct shadows. In the past, I've created other videos on how to achieve this, including using a Multi-Pass workflow with a separate pass for shadows, as well as Using the Composite Background in the Compositing Tag to achieve this result. The new Shadow Catcher in Cinema 4D R18 introduces another workflow to achieve this result.

The shadow catcher in C4D R18 is a new shader option in the materials manager. Once created, you can apply it to a ground plane, so when you render a 3D scene, shadows will be rendered on an alpha channel. You can also use the R18 Shadow Catcher to catch reflections. By using this method, 3D renders and footage can be composited together in Photoshop or After Effects, with shadows present in the Cinema 4D render.

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the Substance Materials Workflow

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - Inverted Ambient Occlusion

With the new Inverted Ambient Occlusion setting in Cinema 4D R18, you can take a simple concept and get wildly different results. In the render settings, when you turn on Ambient Occlusion to get more realistic shadows, there is now a checkbox for "Invert Direction," which will push AO shadows inside of objects, instead of creating contact shadows outside of objects. This can be useful for mimicking sub-surface scattering without blowing up render time, and also to create some pretty unique results when you tweak the color and render settings.

Pink inverse AO combined with the new MoGraph Voronoi Fracture

Purple inverse AO combined with the new MoGraph Voronoi Fracture

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature

Using bump maps in Cinema 4D Materials can be a great way create the illusion of bumps and roughness on a surface, without actually changing the geometry and therefore increasing the object's complexity. To achieve a fully believable render, you could use a displacement material and distort the geometry, however this can greatly increase render times. 

With the new Parallax Bump Map feature of Cinema 4D R18, you can create the illusion of height and depth depth in bump maps, without greatly increasing render time, as the original geometry is not actually distorted. Parallax bump maps are a great way to use materials to achieve create the illusion of displaced height and depth, without increasing render time.

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing
• Working with the new Substance Materials Workflow

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R18 - Working with the New Substance workflow for Materials

If you are a user of Substance Materials by Allegorithmic, or want to take advantage of a library of really great 3D materials, there is now a direct pipeline to get Substance Materials into Cinema 4D R18. By using substance materials, you can create new materials or download existing materials from Substance Share, and easily integrate them into your Cinema 4D R18 projects. All you have to do go to the menu Pipeline > Substance Engine > Load Substance and locate a Substance .sbsar file. That's it, and then you'll have Substance Materials available directly in Cinema 4D R18 using the new Workflow. 

Substance Materials used in combination with the new MoGraph Voronoi Fracture Tool

Substance Materials used on different parts of 3D extruded text and caps

Substance Materials used on different parts of 3D extruded text and caps

Want to make Lighting & Reflections in Cinema 4D a snap?

Take a look at 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D & Cinema 4D Lite to quickly and easily add lighting and rendering options to your scene. You can also save over 25% on bundle packs!

To take a deeper look at new features in Cinema 4D R18, be sure to check out some of these additional articles focusing on other updates and new features for R18:

• Top 5 New Features of R18
• MoGraph updates and new Effectors for R18
• Voronoi Fracture, a New MoGraph Feature
• Inverted Ambient Occlusion
• Working with the new Thinfilm Shader
• How to use the new Parallax Bump Map Feature
• Using the new Shadow Catcher for 3D Compositing

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Photoshop 3D Image Based Lighting - Using 360 Photos to light 3D scenes in Photoshop

When working in the 3D workspace in Adobe Photoshop, one of the key workflows to get a nice looking render is the use of Image Based Lighting. With image-based-lighting, or IBL, you can use a 360 Environment Map photo to light your scene, and show up in the reflections of your 3D objects.

In this tutorial, I go over how to set up IBL in the 3D workspace, using one of the photos from 360° Environment Maps Pro. You can create Environment Map photos using your phone, or be sure to check out the bundles in the online store where you can pick up affordable packs of up to 115 Environment Maps that can be used for Image Based Lighting in Photoshop, After Effects, and Cinema 4D.

Want to get 8K Environment Maps for Photoshop?

Check out 360° Environment Maps Pro, compatible with Photoshop

How to use Cinema 4D Object Buffers to create Masks and Track Mattes for Post-Production

Using Object Buffers in Cinema 4D makes it easy to create masks and track mattes for individual objects. Haven't heard of object buffers? What you can do is use the Compositing Tag to assign an object buffer to individual 3D objects, then when you render out a multi-pass render, you'll also render out a black and white version of the frame, with the selected object in white.

What's the point of that? Well, you can use this as a selection in Photoshop or as a Track Matte in After Effects. This way, you can add adjustments to individual elements of an animation wihtout needing to rotoscope or mask out the object. This can also be a huge time saver if you need to make an adjustment after you've already rendered the project.

An example of a 3D Render, rendered out as a PNG sequence from Cinema 4D

An example of a 3D Render, rendered out as a PNG sequence from Cinema 4D

A corresponding Multi-Pass render with an Object Buffer set to the word "object"

A corresponding Multi-Pass render with an Object Buffer set to the word "object"

Want to greatly improve your 3D Renders?

Check out 360° Environment Maps Pro for Cinema 4D

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Convert After Effects Text to 3D Text with the Cinema 4D Exporter in After Effects 2015.3

With every update to After Effects CC the past few years, there have continued to be improvements to the connection with Cinema 4D Lite, the free version of Cinema 4D that comes packed with After Effects. In the latest update to After Effects 2015.3, downloadable as of June 2016, a new feature was added to allow you to easily export text created in After Effects to real 3D Cinema 4D text, all through the Cinema 4D exporter. Check out the video above to learn about this awesome new feature!

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite? Check out some of these tutorials:

• Create 3D Titles In After Effects CC Using Cinema 4D Lite

• Use Cinema 4D Lite MoGraph Effectors To Animate 3D Titles

• How To Create A 3D Extruded Logo In Cinema 4D Or Cinema 4D Lite

• Intro to Cinema 4D Lite Materials

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Create 3D effects in Adobe illustrator using the 3D Tools

By using the 3D tools in Adobe illustrator, you can create some pretty cool 3D effects without needing to jump into a full 3D app like Cinema 4D. If you want to create a vector version of an extruded logo or text, tilt an illustration in 3D, or create a cool revolving effect, you can do that all right inside of illustrator using the 3D effects found right inside of illustrator. Check out the video above to learn some quick tips and tricks on how to use the 3D effects in Adobe illustrator to create some great 3D vector artwork.

Want more info on New Features in Creative Cloud 2015? Learn more about:

• New Layer Styles in Photoshop CC 2015

• Quick Export to PNG and updates to Save for Web

• New 3D Filter to create bump maps and normal maps for 3D

• Working with Creative Cloud Libraries in Photoshop and other Adobe Apps

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

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