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Adobe After Effects Help
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3D Channel effects read and manipulate the additional channels of information, including
z depth, surface normals, object ID, texture coordinates, background color, unclamped
RGB, and material ID. You can matte 3D elements along a z axis, insert other elements in a
3D scene, blur areas in a 3D scene, isolate 3D elements, apply a foggy effect with depth,
and extract 3D channel information for use as parameters in other effects.
3D Channel Extract (PB only)
This effect makes auxiliary channels visible as either grayscale or multichannel color
images. You can then use the resulting layer as parameters for other effects. For example,
extract the z-depth information in a 3D channel file and then use it as an influence map in
the Particle Playground effect, or extract values from the Unclamped RGB channel to
produce a matte that generates glowing highlights.
For more information, see the After Effects product section on Adobe's Web site.
Depth Matte (PB only)
This effect reads the z-depth information in a 3D channel image file and can slice the
image anywhere along that z axis. Use this effect to matte everything in front of or behind
the value you specify. For example, remove a background in a 3D scene or insert objects
into a 3D scene. Simply create two layers with the 3D channel file; then, in one layer, matte
everything behind a certain point. In the other layer, matte everything in front of that
same point, so together, the two layers make up the original image. Then insert a layer
between them with the object that you want to composite into the scene.
For more information, see the After Effects product section on Adobe's Web site.
Depth of Field (PB only)
This effect simulates a camera that's focusing in on one area in a 3D scene (along the z
axis) while allowing other areas to blur. Use the Focal Plane option to specify the specific
distance, or plane, along the z axis that you want to focus on in the 3D scene. You can
identify this distance by clicking different parts of the 3D scene in the Composition
window, while keeping an eye on the z-axis values that appear in the Info palette. The
Focal Bias sets the speed with which the out-of-focus elements lose focus. This value works
like a gamma correction: the higher the value, the more quickly elements drop out of
focus.
For more information, see the After Effects product section on Adobe's Web site.
Fog 3D (PB only)
This effect applies fog along the z axis, so that the distant parts of a 3D scene look hazier or
disappear behind the fog. Fog 3D simulates fog by behaving as though there is a
scattering medium in the air that makes objects look more and more diffuse as they get
more distant along the z axis. To specify the Fog Start Depth, first select different elements
in the 3D scene and check their z depth in the Info palette. After Effects uses the
luminance value in the gradient layer (grayscale layer) and applies it as the scattering
medium. You could, for example, create a gradient layer from a swirling, drifting texture to
create a more atmospheric fog effect. For best results, make sure that the dimensions of
the gradient layer are the same as the footage, not the composition.
For more information, see the After Effects product section on Adobe's Web site.
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