Video Copilot Element 3D

Overview

Element 3D solved a specific and very common problem: motion graphics work needs 3D objects constantly, and going out to a full 3D package for a logo extrusion or a field of floating shapes costs more time than the shot is worth. This plug-in renders real geometry inside the compositor, on the graphics card, fast enough to scrub the timeline while it is doing it. That is the entire pitch and it has held up for years.

It imports standard 3D exchange formats, extrudes text and shapes from the host's own layers, replicates objects into arrays and particle systems, and renders with proper materials, reflections, ambient occlusion and motion blur. The result composites with the rest of the comp natively because it is part of the comp, not a rendered sequence dropped in from elsewhere.

Getting geometry into it

Objects come from three directions. The bundled model packs cover a large amount of everyday need, from abstract shapes to more specific props, all with materials already assigned. Standard exchange formats import with their geometry and material assignments intact, so a model built elsewhere or downloaded comes in without rebuilding it. And text or spline layers from the host are extruded directly, with bevels, shell thickness and separate materials on the front, back, bevel and sides.

That third path is the one used most, because logo and title work is most of what this plug-in gets bought for. A text layer becomes real extruded geometry that catches a light, reflects an environment and holds up under a moving camera, which is what a flat layer with a bevel effect has never managed.

Replication, particles and animation

Any object can be replicated into a grid, a sphere, a ring or an arbitrary arrangement with per instance randomisation of position, rotation, scale, colour and material. The instances can be driven by a null, a layer's luminance, an audio amplitude or an animation curve, which is how the familiar shots of a thousand objects assembling into a shape are built without a particle system in a separate program.

The particle mode replaces the instance grid with an emitter, giving object based particles rather than sprites. Physics is deliberately simple, this is not a simulation package, but for the motion graphics use of objects streaming past a camera or forming and dispersing, simple is what renders in time.

Animation is driven from the host's own keyframes and expressions, so everything an editor already knows about the graph editor applies. The camera and lights are the host's camera and lights, which means the plug-in's render matches the comp's 3D space rather than approximating it.

Materials and rendering

The material system covers diffuse, specular, reflection with an environment map, glossiness, illumination, normal and bump maps, and transparency. Environment reflections make the largest visible difference on a logo shot and cost almost nothing to set up, since the bundled environment maps are usually good enough without a custom one.

Rendering happens on the graphics card, with ambient occlusion, motion blur and depth of field available in the render itself rather than added afterwards. Multi pass output writes the depth, normals, reflection and object identifier passes separately for compositing control. On a card with reasonable video memory a complex scene still previews at a usable rate, which is what makes it practical to iterate rather than render and wait.

What you get

• Graphics card accelerated 3D rendering inside the host compositor
• Extrusion of text and spline layers with per surface materials
• Import of standard 3D exchange formats with materials intact
• Bundled model packs with materials already assigned
• Replication into grids, spheres, rings and arbitrary arrangements
• Per instance randomisation driven by nulls, luminance, audio or curves
• Object based particle emission rather than sprites
• Environment reflections, ambient occlusion, motion blur and depth of field
• Multi pass output for depth, normals, reflection and object identifiers
• Uses the host's own cameras, lights and keyframes

Inside the archive

• Element 3D plug-in installer, 64-bit
• Model packs covering abstract shapes and common props
• Environment map and material preset libraries
• Example projects demonstrating replication and particle setups
• Notes on host installation paths and video memory settings

System requirements

Installing it

1. Close the host application before you start.
2. Unpack the archive and suspend real time protection for the install.
3. Run the installer as administrator, it will detect the host plug-in folder.
4. If the host is not detected, point the installer at its plug-in directory manually.
5. Install the model packs to a drive with space, they do not need to sit next to the plug-in.
6. Open the host, create a solid, apply the effect, and confirm the scene setup window opens without a trial notice.

Mirrors

Release history

Questions about this release

Comments

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