Chapter 8. Creating a 2.5D Environment Camera Fly-Through
In this chapter, we will learn how to use the 3D tools in After Effects. We will continue building on the concepts we've only touched on in the previous chapters by creating a camera fly-through in a 3D environment! The 3D tools in After Effects are not true 3D tools—they are actually 2.5D. Using these tools gives us access to other dimensions, so we can move things along the Z-axis. This may sound simple, but it actually unlocks the ability to use a true camera and lights that interact with the layers in the composition. This means that we won't have access to full 3D capabilities unless we use a 3D program, which we will go into in the next chapter. For this project, we will use all of the assets from Illustrator. Artwork from Illustrator is vector-based and can be scaled without losing quality. This will be important as we zoom in close and fly through our scene.
The following topics will be covered in...
