Adobe 12040118 - After Effects Standard Tutorial page 168

light to the Position property of the null layer. Then, you can animate the Point Of Interest property by moving the null object. It is often easier to
select and see a null object than it is to select and see the point of interest.
In After Effects CS5.5 and later, there is a camera command, "Create Orbit Null." This parents the selected camera layer to a new null layer. The
new null layer is renamed, based on the camera's name appended with Orbit Null
Trish and Chris Meyer show you how to use the Create Orbit Null camera command
This page includes resources for the new camera features in After Effects CS5.5, including the automatic creation of camera rigs using the Create
Orbit Null command.
For a video tutorial that shows how to create and modify a camera and use the Camera tools, see the
Trish and Chris Meyer provide a video tutorial on the
and 3D views.
Trish and Chris Meyer provide a tutorial for using 3D layers, lights, and cameras in a PDF excerpt from their book After Effects Apprentice on the
Focal Press website.
Mark Christiansen provides tips and detailed techniques for working with cameras in the "Virtual Cinematography in After Effects" chapter of
Effects Studio Techniques on the Peachpit Press website. This chapter includes information about matching lens distortion, performing camera
moves, performing camera projection (camera mapping), using rack focus, creating boke blur, using grain, and choosing a frame rate to match
your story-telling.
Richard Harrington provides a video tutorial on the
Effects to create a camera move with 3D layers. (This tutorial is the second in a two-part series.
to isolate and create sky in Photoshop for use in After Effects.)
Rich Young provides a set of expressions on his
Sphere effect.
Andrew Devis of Creative Cow has created a 3 tutorial series on Animating a Camera:
Animating a Camera 1: Camera Difficulties
Animating a Camera 2: Simple Rig
Animating a Camera 3: Controllers & Point of View
This video from video2brain demonstrates the command to create a new camera orbit null.
Material Options properties
3D layers have Material Options properties, which determine how a 3D layer interacts with light and shadow.
Casts Shadows Specifies whether a layer casts shadows on other layers. The direction and angle of the shadows are determined by the direction
and angle of the light sources. Set Casts Shadows to Only if you want the layer to be invisible but still cast a shadow.
Use the Only setting and a nonzero Light Transmission setting to project the colors of an invisible layer onto another layer. Steve Holmes
provides a video tutorial on the
specific shapes within a 3D scene.
Light Transmission The percentage of light that shines through the layer, casting the colors of the layer on other layers as a shadow. 0%
specifies that no light passes through the layer, casting a black shadow. 100% specifies that the full values of the colors of the shadow-casting
layer are projected onto the layer accepting the shadow.
Use partial light transmission to create the appearance of light passing through a stained glass window.
Accepts Shadows Specifies whether the layer shows shadows cast on it by other layers.
In After Effects CS6, an "Only" option is available in Accepts Shadows for when you want to render only a shadow on a layer.
Accepts Lights Specifies whether the color of a layer is affected by light that reaches it. This setting does not affect shadows.
Ambient Ambient (nondirectional) reflectivity of the layer. 100% specifies the most reflectivity; 0% specifies no ambient reflectivity.
Diffuse Diffuse (omnidirectional) reflectivity of the layer. Applying diffuse reflectivity to a layer is like draping a dull, plastic sheet over it. Light that
falls on this layer reflects equally in all directions. 100% specifies the most reflectivity; 0% specifies no diffuse reflectivity.
Specular Specular (directional) reflectivity of the layer. Specular light reflects from the layer as if from a mirror. 100% specifies the most
reflectivity; 0% specifies no specular reflectivity.
Shininess Determines the size of the specular highlight. This value is active only if the Specular setting is greater than zero. 100% specifies a
reflection with a small specular highlight. 0% specifies a reflection with a large specular highlight.
Metal The contribution of the layer color to the color of the specular highlight. 100% specifies that the highlight color is the color of the layer. For
example, with a Metal value of 100%, an image of a gold ring reflects golden light. 0% specifies that the color of the specular highlight is the color
of the light source. For example, a layer with a Metal value of 0% under a white light has a white highlight.
Specify resolution to use for rendering shadows
The Advanced 3D rendering plug-in is used to render compositions containing intersecting 3D layers. To render shadows, the plug-in uses shadow
ProVideo Coalition website
Creative COW website
AE Portal website
Artbeats website in which he demonstrates how to use layers with Cast Shadows set to Only to cast shadows of
in this video tutorial
that demonstrates the use of the Camera tools to adjust cameras
that shows how to use the Camera tools and camera views in After
that use the toWorld method link a camera and light to a layer with the CC
on Adobe TV.
Adobe website.
Part 1 concentrates on working with photographs
After
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