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3D Text Extrude tutorial - Page 3 - Lights, Camera... Action.
By Chris Bobotis

In this section of the 3d Text Extrude tutorial we will use the animated sequence we created in pages 1 + 2 and we will add an After Effects Light and Camera. We will alaso animate FreeForm's ''Mesh Subdivision'' and ''Displace Height'' features. Let's get at it...

a) 1_Mask Anim Comp at 400 x 300 pixels - 5 seconds.
b) 2_Mask + Soild Comp at 400 x 300 pixels - 5 seconds.
c) 3_FreeForm AE Comp at 400 x 300 pixels - 5 seconds.

Step 6
Open the "3_FreeForm Comp" and place ''2_Mask + Soild Comp'' into it. Now apply FreeForm AE to this layer. Effect >Forge>FreeForm.

Now add an After Effects light (Spotlight will do)...

...and an After Effects Camera (the default 50mm will do).

Step 7 - Optional
We added the After Effects ''Basic Text'' filter to superimpose the name ''Freeform'' on the layer. We did this not only for promtional purposes but also to illustarte that you can use FreeForm AE in conjunction with other filters in the Effects Control Window.

Step 8
Select the ''2_Mask + Soild Comp'' layer then in FreeForm AE got Displace Layer and select ''2_Mask + Soild Comp''. Now hide the ''2_Mask + Soild Comp'' layer by clicking on the "eyeball" icon in the After Effects Time Layout Window. We do not need to have this visible to gain access to the luminance values.

If you glance back at the Comp Winodw you will notice that not much has happenned... Why? You may ask. At this point the sequence the lumincane values drawn from ''2_Mask + Soild Comp'' are all dark. Hence the image adheres to the surface of the ''FreeFormed"" layer. Scrub through the animation or create a RAM preview to see the results before we move on.

Step 8
We will now animate the After Effects Light and Camera as well as FreeForm AE's ''Mesh Subdivision and ''Displace Height''

At frame 0 select the "camera" icon in the After Effects toolbox and postion your camera as follows:

The select the ''Light 1'' layer set the ''Point of Interest'' Position values as such. Don't forget to set a keyframe for both the Light and Camera. (see below)

Now select FreeForm's ''Mesh Subdivision'' and ''Displace Height'' and set them as per the above values. You can do this either in the ''Timeline'' or the Effects Control"" Window. Again, set a keyframe for each (see above),

At frame 01:00 set FreeForm AE's ''Displace Height'' val;ue to 40.

Your Comp should now look something like this:

At frame 02:00 set the FreeForm AE ''Mesh Subdivison'' value to 200

Your Comp should now look something like this:

At frame 05:00 set the After Effects Light and Camera values as such:

Your Comp should now look something like this:

That's it. Done deal :) Experiment with these features and send us some sample animations or After effects Project files of your own we would be happy to showcase your work in our User Gallery.

This concludes our 3d Text tutorial... have fun and let us know what you think

After Effects + Adobe are copyright of Adobe Systems Inc. Digital Fusion, copyright Eyeon Software, Maya Fusion, copyright Alias/Wavefront.