Blender to After Effects Workflow

Overview

• Utilize Blender for creating 3D shapes and textures.
• Use After Effects to finalize the artwork.
• Suitable for beginners and advanced users.

Steps in Blender

Creating a Sphere

• Access Sphere: Go to Add > Mesh > UV Sphere.
• Customization:
  • Set Segments to 128.
  • Set Rings to 64 for increased detail.
• Smoothness: Right-click sphere > Shade Auto Smooth.

Material Settings

• Default Material:
  • Change color, metallic property, and roughness.
  • Adjust transparency by changing alpha.
  • Modify light interaction using the I falloff.
• Apply Custom Texture:
  • Click Base Color > Image Texture.
  • Select desired texture file (e.g., marble texture).

Export Process

• Export sphere as gltf 2.0 (.glb file) for compatibility with After Effects.

Steps in After Effects

Initial Setup

• Composition Settings:
  • Go to Composition > Composition Settings > 3D Renderer.
  • Set renderer to Advanced 3D.

Importing Model

• Import glb file into After Effects.
• Adjust size and position.

Lighting

• Setup Lighting:
  • Open object layer, enable shadows.
  • Create Layer > New Light > Environment Light.
  • Use HDRI for high-quality lighting.

Advanced Model Import

• Export detailed Blender models using the same workflow.
• Import and use lighting setup in After Effects.

Creating Advanced Shapes in Blender

Making a Cube

• Add Cube: Go to Add > Mesh > Cube.
• Scale Cube: Press S to scale; adjust size.

Cutting a Hole

• Add Cylinder: Set vertices to 128.
• Rotate and Insert: Use R for rotation.
• Apply Boolean Modifier to cut a hole.
• Finalize Shape: Apply all transforms.

Export and Import

• Export as visible objects only.
• Import into After Effects and adjust.

Camera and Effects in After Effects

Camera Setup

• Create a new Camera (50mm).
• Create a Null Object for motion.
• Animate Camera: Use time-based rotation.

Scene Finalization

• Duplicate and position shapes creatively.

Adding Depth of Field

• Precompose Layers: Combine all layers into one composition.
• Apply Effects:
  • Use 3D Channel Extract and Depth of Field.
  • Adjust black and white points for depth.
  • Add Camera Lens Blur for final effect.

Conclusion

• Experiment with different shapes and lighting.
• Use additional VFX packs for advanced effects.
• Encourage creativity and continuous learning.

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