Take your motion graphics and VFX projects to the next level by mastering the new CINEWARE feature in After Effects. CINEWARE provides you with an assortment of new 3D tools and options that are difficult or next to impossible to achieve in After Effects alone.

The first section discusses how the two applications can work together in unison, illustrating how to seamlessly import and export 3D assets and compositons between each application. The second section explores modeling techniques and visual effects involved in using both applications together. The final section goes into optimization and rendering for multiple outputs and devices.

Chris Jackson is an author, designer, and professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He lectures and conducts workshops relating to interaction design and motion graphics, and his professional work has received over 25 distinguished national and international awards for online communication. He continues to publish and present his research and professional work at Adobe MAX Creativity Conference, ACM SIGGRAPH, and the Society for Technical Communication (STC). Chris is also the author of Flash + After Effects, Second Edition (Focal Press, 2010), Flash Cinematic Techniques (Focal Press, 2010), and co-author of Flash 3D: Animation, Interactivity, and Games (Focal Press 2006).

Introduction

Chapter 1: Getting Started in CINEMA 4D

What is CINEMA 4D Lite and CINEWARE?

Creating a CINEMA 4D File

Modeling in CINEMA 4D Lite

Applying Materials in CINEMA 4D Lite

Moving Around in CINEMA 4D Lite

Adding Lights in CINEMA 4D Lite

Animating in CINEMA 4D Lite

Rendering in After Effects

Chapter 2: Modeling in CINEMA 4D

The CINEMA 4D Workflow

Modeling with Primitives

Generating Objects with NURBS

Defining Surface Properties

Lighting a Scene

Working with Cameras

Adding Visual Effects and Rendering

Chapter 3: 3D Camera Tracking and Compositing with CINEWARE

CINEWARE Render Settings

Using the 3D Camera Tracker in After Effects

Compositing a 3D Object with CINEWARE

Exporting a CINEMA 4D file from After Effects

Using a Null and Camera Objects in CINEMA 4D

Chapter 4: Casting Shadows Using Layers with CINEWARE

Lights and Shadows in CINEMA 4D

Creating a Shadow Catcher in After Effects

Adding Shadows in CINEMA 4D

Setting Up Layers and Compositing Tags

Compositing Layers with CINEWARE

Chapter 5: Lighting Effects

Seeing the Light

Adding Volumetric Lighting

Mixing Color with Lights

Combining 2D and 3D Effects

Chapter 6: Materials and Shaders in Motion

What are Shaders?

Using Volumetric Shaders

Product Placement with Alpha Channels

Animating Materials with Noise Shaders

Optimizing a CINEMA 4D Scene

Chapter 7: Working with Cameras in CINEMA 4D and CINEWARE

Cameras in CINEMA 4D and CINEWARE

Using Camera Layers in After Effects

Attaching a Target Camera to a Spline

Controlling Multiple Cameras in CINEWARE

Adding a Stage Object to Change Cameras

Chapter 8: Multi-Pass Rendering with CINEWARE

Rendering in CINEMA 4D Lite

Creating Shadows with Ambient Occlusion

Setting Up Multi-Pass Rendering

Adding an Object Buffer

Combining Multi-Pass Layers in CINEWARE

Chapter 9: Beyond CINEMA 4D Lite

Upgrading from CINEMA 4D Lite

Modeling with Points. Edges, and Polygons

Exploring MoGraph Objects in CINEMA 4D

Animating with Sound Effectors

Adding Dynamics to a Scene

Index