3D Flag Version 2.0 is now available for download. This version is compatible with After Effects CS3 – CS5.5.

In addition to the After Effects CS5 and CS5.5 compatibility, we also added support for 16-bit and 32-bit rendering. We have also improved the speed of the program so you can get near-realtime playback in the After Effects timeline.

The plug-in is available now via the Zaxwerks website. Upgrades from version 1 are $25.

In this tutorial, we’re going to go over all the details of working with shadows. If you ever wondered about how to get shadows to work with your 3D objects, what settings to use, or how to speed up your projects, you’ll want to watch this video tutorial and find out!

Topics discussed:

• Creating a floor to set up the shadows in 3D Serpentine, 3D Warps, and 3D Invigorator.

• Creating a Light, and positioning it correctly.

• Working with Light Intensity, Shadow Darkness, and Shadow Diffusion.

• Setting up the Shadow Quality and Shadow Catcher.

• Optimizing the setup in After Effects for faster previews.

• Setting up lights in 3D Invigorator and working with Shadow Catcher materials.

Click on the image above, or the link below to watch the video tutorial.

Click to watch the Working with Shadows Tutorial

In this tutorial, John Dickinson shows you how to create a great animation that integrates both 3D Flag, and ProAnimator. John goes over how 3D Flag can be used for more than just a flag. The plug-in works well for banners, or even an animated fabric background. The tutorial covers tips and techniques on project setups, and After Effects tips to create a good looking animation.

The tutorial is covered in two parts, so be sure to watch both tutorials!

Topics discussed:

• Setting up 3D Flag to create a banner.

• Pre-composing each part of the banner, and masking them to create 3 separate banners.

• Adjusting the pre-roll to create a realistic looking animation.

• Creating 3D Text with ProAnimator and setting up the lights and animation.

• Using Displacement Maps to create a moving shadow for the text.

Click on the image above, or the link below to watch the video tutorial.

3D Flag & ProAnimator Tutorial Part 1

3D Flag & ProAnimator Tutorial Part 2

Both ProAnimator FX and 3D Flag have been rebuilt. Both programs are now fully compatible for Motion 4 and Final Cut Pro 7.

Visit our download page: HERE

Below are the release notes for both programs.

ProAnimator FX Version 4.9.1 Update:

- Full compatibility with Motion 4 and Final Cut Pro 7.

- Contains new presets for Materials and Object Styles.

- Updated authorization dialog messages.

- Fixes an issue where the Material and Object Style Swatches can become corrupted.

- Fixes Display issues in Motion and Final Cut Pro where the image may become pink, blue or upside down.

- Fixes a Field rendering issue where the ProAnimator FX objects are not being rendered.

- Fixes an issue where the project settings are not displayed properly within the ProAnimator FX interface.

- Fixes an issue where rendering with compressor or batch may cause memory leak issues and / or freezes.

3D Flag FX Version 1.1.2 Update:

- Fixes an issue where duplicating layers containing 3D Flag will lead to a crash in Motion 4.

- Fixes a memory leak issue while rendering in Motion 4.

It’s been a while, but we’ve included a new series of example projects and movies for 3D Flag!

Open up customizable banners, pirate flags, curtains and more! Visit our Examples page to download all the new project files, as well as view all the project animations.

Click on the picture above to go to our Examples page.

3D Flag is a plug-in for After Effects CS4, Motion 3, and Premiere Pro 2.0.

For more information on 3D Flag, visit the 3D Flag Details page.

POST SCRIPT FROM ZAX:
The CS3 versions have been officially released. Any software available from the Download Link will work in AE 6.5, 7 and CS3.

Here’s a quick link to get to the download page and check version numbers.

First, let’s start with the simple answer: 3D Flag creates cloth animations that are completely real-looking. The cloth responds to wind and gravity in ways that are beautiful to watch and would be impossible to animate by hand. 3D Warps creates bends, twists, tapers and ripples that are very controllable. 3D Warps does not attempt to replicate natural phenomena, it is made to do graphic-style distortions to a 3D surface. For instance if you want to add a curve to a background image you’d use 3D Warps. There’s no way you could do it with 3D Flag, just as there would be no way to simulate real cloth by stacking a few warps.

The longer answer:
The 3D Flag plug-in creates its motion using calculations pulled from physics. You control the input parameters such as wind speed, gravity, weight and stiffness of the cloth, but when it comes to the final shape of the cloth, that’s all done for you. In a way a 3D Flag animation is a lot like the domino effect. You set up a lot of dominoes, knock one over and see what happens to the rest.

The 3D Warps plug-ins are a completely different beast. 3D Warps are all about “control”. There are a variety of warp styles built in which will do specific things such as create a bend, or a twist, or pond ripples. You get very detailed controls over things like the diameter and position of the bend curve, the exact amount of twist, or the height and wave length of the ripples. Up to three warps can be combined. This can create distortions that are hard to image before you see them.

Can you use the Warps plug-ins to do the flag effect? No. You can stack several warps and get a shape that looks flag-ish, but when moving, it doesn’t have the natural, organic flow that real cloth has. It would also be just plain impossible to animate the effects of wind as the flag drops and raises and folds over on itself.

So there you go. When you need something to look like real cloth use the 3D Flag plug-in. When you need to do other types of shape-changing distortions to your images, use the 3D Warps plug-ins.

Best,
Zax