From the course: After Effects CC 2021 Essential Training: Motion Graphics

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3D layer properties

3D layer properties - After Effects Tutorial

From the course: After Effects CC 2021 Essential Training: Motion Graphics

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3D layer properties

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- [Tutor] When we turn a 2D layer into a 3D one, we add on several new properties to the layer. A 3D layer now gains material options that can react to light in very different ways. We can control its different surface properties, in addition to having a layer cast shadows into our scene. So here in this composition, I've got three cloud layers and they're all animated the same, they just rotate in space, and this is to showcase how they interact differently with light. So if we twirl down this cloud default, we see that under material options, we have all these new attributes, ambient, diffuse, specular, metal, all these things add up to contribute to how the layer interacts. And right now you can see that there is a light source and we're getting a hint of it, and when we rotate out to the extremes the outer parts of the cloud are a little bit darker, and overall we get the sense that this is rotating in 3D space.…

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