To Use The Standard 3D Rendering Plug-In - Adobe AFTER EFFECTS 7.0 Manual

To render shadows, the plug-in uses shadow maps, which are images rendered from the point of view of each light
source. Normally, a shadow's resolution is computed automatically based on the composition resolution and the
quality settings (switches). If normal resolution doesn't create the quality you want, or renders too slowly, you can
adjust the shadow map resolution. For example, if shadows are blurry and the Shadow Diffusion material option is
set to 0, increase the shadow map resolution. Or, if shadows render too slowly, decrease the shadow map resolution.
If your animation doesn't include intersections and you don't want to set the shadow map resolution, use the
Standard 3D rendering plug-in, which usually renders more quickly.
When using the Advanced 3D rendering plug-in, non-intersecting planes sometimes render as intersecting when the
layers almost touch, resulting in rear layers being visible through the front before they actually intersect. To avoid
this, move the layers slightly apart.
Note: The Advanced 3D rendering plug-in doesn't support the Dissolve or Dancing Dissolve blending modes.
A 3D file with intersecting layers rendered with the Standard 3D renderer (left) compared to the Advanced 3D renderer (right)
Choose Composition > Composition Settings.
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2 Click the Advanced tab.
Choose Advanced 3D from the Rendering Plug-in menu.
3
To specify the shadow map resolution, click Options, and choose an option from the Shadow Map Resolution
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menu. (These options represent the resolution in pixels. Choose Comp Size or a resolution larger than the compo-
sition size for best results. Lower resolutions may result in shadows that appear blurry.)
Note: When a shadow-casting layer intersects another layer, sometimes there is a small gap behind the intersection that
is supposed to be shadowed. To decrease the size of the gap, increase the shadow map resolution.

To use the Standard 3D rendering plug-in

Use the Standard 3D rendering plug-in if your composition does not include intersecting layers—it may be faster for
some compositions, and it creates output of the same quality as the Advanced 3D rendering plug-in.
Choose Composition > Composition Settings.
1
Click the Advanced tab.
2
3 Choose Standard 3D from the Rendering Plug-in menu.
To specify anti-aliasing, click Options, and choose one of the following options from the Anti-aliasing menu:
4
Renders the animation without employing any advanced anti-aliasing, which results in a faster render, but
Faster
with possibly ragged edges on edge-on animations.
Employs advanced anti-aliasing when rendering the animation, which may slow the render time, but
More Accurate
will create edge-on animations with smoother edges.
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