3d integration with After Effects

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MauricioPC
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Re: 3d integration with After Effects

Post by MauricioPC » 18 Nov 2013, 16:49

Not that Digital Tutors has any insight at what Autodesk plans, but it's the second tutorial that comes out about Softimage and Games.

http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/1 ... and-Mudbox

Not steering the thread away from the subject. But it would be nice if was a tutorial for Broadcast as we all know the games market is going to Maya and Maya LT.

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SamHowell
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Re: 3d integration with After Effects

Post by SamHowell » 18 Nov 2013, 18:39

Love it or loathe it, it does not matter. After Effects has a very large user base that increasingly augments their 2D vector animations with 3D elements. After effects as a compositor is a secondary concern. Every Motion Graphics artist I work with has retrained themselves to use Cinema 4D because the interoperability tools are so good with After Effects. This is a niche that could just as easily have been Softimage, although as usual it is probably too late.

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pdesopo
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Re: 3d integration with After Effects

Post by pdesopo » 19 Nov 2013, 00:51

I've used CC at work, even if for a short time so far with no chance to check what new actual features is bringing to the table. Despite the short amount of time, I wanted to give C4D lite a try.
Needed a simple sphere with some reflections. From within AE it creates a new layer and opens C4D, then the user can save the project (user actually needs to save it on the drive as any other C4D project), and then it opens back in AE. Moving in the project at that point wasn't as smooth as before.
I don't know if I missed something, I guess I probably did. If not, and this is all about, I don't see anything new here a part of skipping the import step in AE and opening C4D. Besides, CC crashes a lot (really, a lot). There has been an update just a few days ago, after that it went worst and by the way all my preferences were gone, I guess because I didn't *clouded* them.
Adobe created a lot of fuss, I don't see any reason why I should personally upgrade from CS6. C4D lite is a joke, but that comes from my brief experience, so I might be totally wrong here.
Said that, any 3d package that can export to AE is good enough. I personally find 3ds Max integration pretty solid, despite 3ds Max users complain about the State Sets (that I personally find quite good).

I can still use C4D when it's needed, but I'm glad I moved away from it a few time ago. I don't want to bring any flame here, it's just my personal opinion, simply what started to bug me is that Maxon kept adding *new features* that weren't new at all. I started to notice how they were lagging behind Blender and trying to catch up adding a few of those features that I was already playing with in Blender a year before. Still, the AR is the same old render engine. Sure, it's good for some mograph stuff, but after several years I haven't seen any serious improvement (AR3 and Physical Render are not any better).

Why C4D is so popular? A part from the AE integration, also is widely used in studios by designers who, in a rush, need a *cool* motion graphic render: they all use GSG studio setup. C4D is easy enough to pick up fast, so they can drop a cube into a Cloner and ta-daa! Is this good? I think is actually really bad. This is not giving chance to anyone to approach 3D, is actually all the opposite. These people will be happy enough with their 3D knowledge as is, as long as it will work.
Like I said, just my personal opinion.

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MauricioPC
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Re: 3d integration with After Effects

Post by MauricioPC » 19 Nov 2013, 10:49

pdesopo wrote:I've used CC at work, even if for a short time so far with no chance to check what new actual features is bringing to the table. Despite the short amount of time, I wanted to give C4D lite a try.
Needed a simple sphere with some reflections. From within AE it creates a new layer and opens C4D, then the user can save the project (user actually needs to save it on the drive as any other C4D project), and then it opens back in AE. Moving in the project at that point wasn't as smooth as before.
I don't know if I missed something, I guess I probably did. If not, and this is all about, I don't see anything new here a part of skipping the import step in AE and opening C4D. Besides, CC crashes a lot (really, a lot). There has been an update just a few days ago, after that it went worst and by the way all my preferences were gone, I guess because I didn't *clouded* them.
Adobe created a lot of fuss, I don't see any reason why I should personally upgrade from CS6. C4D lite is a joke, but that comes from my brief experience, so I might be totally wrong here.
Said that, any 3d package that can export to AE is good enough. I personally find 3ds Max integration pretty solid, despite 3ds Max users complain about the State Sets (that I personally find quite good).

I can still use C4D when it's needed, but I'm glad I moved away from it a few time ago. I don't want to bring any flame here, it's just my personal opinion, simply what started to bug me is that Maxon kept adding *new features* that weren't new at all. I started to notice how they were lagging behind Blender and trying to catch up adding a few of those features that I was already playing with in Blender a year before. Still, the AR is the same old render engine. Sure, it's good for some mograph stuff, but after several years I haven't seen any serious improvement (AR3 and Physical Render are not any better).

Why C4D is so popular? A part from the AE integration, also is widely used in studios by designers who, in a rush, need a *cool* motion graphic render: they all use GSG studio setup. C4D is easy enough to pick up fast, so they can drop a cube into a Cloner and ta-daa! Is this good? I think is actually really bad. This is not giving chance to anyone to approach 3D, is actually all the opposite. These people will be happy enough with their 3D knowledge as is, as long as it will work.
Like I said, just my personal opinion.

You are not that far from the truth. Of course, as any software, there are people who excel at it, like Beeple-Crap. His works is almost art, using only Cinema 4D. But I guess he would be good in any other software as well.

I have a friend who work in one of the biggest advertisement agencies here in Brazil, as a Art Director, and he said to me that almost all machines there uses Cinema 4D with GSG products. I think it's obvious, since GSG products are really good. On the other hand, Nick Campbell is a great guy, but when you see his tutorials, you realized that he knows how to work in C4D, but he doesn't have a foundation of 3D knowledge, that in 'harder' software, are required to produce great work.

One thing that C4D stands out, in my opinion, is in stability. Man, I was unable to crash that in all these months I have played with it. Can't say the same for Autodesk products. That stability is a great selling point. From what people say, Modo also crashes a lot.

I for one would still be in Adobe CS5 is it weren't for some improvements (things added like Mocha) and video presets in Premiere. Hell, I still prefer Photoshop CS3!!! Way faster and stable than the latter options.

-- EDIT --

One more thing ... For motion graphics, sometimes is wiser to use Element3D. You can create some amazing motion graphics with it and Andrew is getting ready to launch version 2.0. And it's much cheaper.

nuverian
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Re: 3d integration with After Effects

Post by nuverian » 21 Nov 2013, 20:25

As I've already posted, for me the collaboration of Cinema4D and After Effects is how the industry should be. Or in other words "Work together, not against"
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