3D Channel Effects (Pro Only); About 3D Channel Effects (Pro Only); 3D Channel Extract Effect (Pro Only) - Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 7.0 Manual

"HDR Compander effect" on page 553

3D Channel effects (Pro only)

About 3D Channel effects (Pro only)

After Effects Professional provides tools to integrate 3D scenes into 2D composites and to make changes to those 3D
scenes. You can import 3D channel image files saved in RLA, RPF, Softimage PIC/ZPIC, and Electric Image EI/EIZ
formats. For PIC and EI files, the 3D channel information is in the ZPIC or EIZ files, respectively. You don't actually
import ZPIC and EIZ files, but as long as they're in the same folder with the PIC and EI files, you have access to their
3D channels using the 3D Channel effects. The 3D Channel effects don't affect other types of files.
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 layer 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.
Note: Apply 3D Channel effects to 2D layers that have the auxiliary information. If you convert a layer to 3D and view
it from anywhere but the front and center, it doesn't appear as expected.
See also
"About 3D layers" on page 173

3D Channel Extract effect (Pro only)

The 3D Channel Extract 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 image 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.
This effect works with 8-bpc color.
Original (left), duplicate of original with 3D Channel Extract applied using Texture UV (center), and original combined with duplicate using
the Luminosity blending mode (right)
"HDR Highlight Compression effect" on
page 554
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