Has anyone used Element 3D with affter effects for architecture

[skyeparker]

I'm trying to insert my Revit model into drone footage and I'm looking for the best way to do so. I found a .obj exporter plugin foir Revit so I was hoping I could insert that into after effects using the Element 3d v2 plugin by video copilot. Can anyone advise as to if this is wise? Or suggest other options that are relatively low cost and fast?

[Francisco Penaloza]

I just did some test with Element 3D, it is a very cool tool, but I am almost sure it won't be able to load a whole building.

Now, this depends of course of the size of your project, but if it is a house, I think is a no go.

Element 3D was designed mostly for small or none complex object, everything else is textures and flares

 

Now for what you need, there is a different workflow. There is a plugin/script that will export a tracked camera from After Effects to 3D Max, this works very well. I haven't done in a while but I remember it worked fine.

First, you need to track your drone footage in after effects, then select the points and create a Null object and a 3D Camera, then you can export this camera to 3D Max.

 

If you have Cinema 4D this process is simpler, you track the video and then send the 3D Camera directly to Cinema 4D.

 

This method is with a script.

https://cgi.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d-camera-tracking-in-3ds-max-using-after-effects--cms-27249

 

Here is a link from Autodesk script.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/3DSMax/files/GUID-789B7236-3454-49E3-95F7-F958B0ECEBC1-htm.html

[skyeparker]

I'd really like to stay away from 3ds max. Its such a difficult program to use. Even if I could just insert a model with no interior walls or plants or anything complex it would be great. Guess I'll just have to buy it and see what happens. Thx.

[James Vella]

Id second Francisco on this. I used Element 3D a few years ago to do something similar with a building and it was quite painful, also be careful of max objects - from memory it could only handle 80 objects or so. If you do go this route - I suggest heavy optimization and merging as much geometry as possible. Feel free to give us an update on how things go, I would be interested to see if the workflow is any different from how I remember it.

[John Dollus]

Too bad that Max->After Effects link workflow from a few years ago was abandoned like a sack of kittens.

[Chris Harris]

too bad that max->after effects link workflow from a few years ago was abandoned like a sack of kittens.

 

ditto.