3D Can – Marketing Video

This workflow tutorial shows you how to create a marketing video in After Effects that includes your 3D can model (an energy drink in this tutorial).

Here’s the video I made for reference

The Process We’ll Follow

1. Create your 3D can model/object in Illustrator (previous tutorial)
2. Export it from Illustrator as a .gltf 3D model file (previous tutorial)
   Gltf (Graphics Language Transmission Format) is an open standard file format used to efficiently store and transmit 3D models and scenes. Sometimes called the “JPEG of 3D” because it provides a lightweight, fast-loading way to display 3D content across the web, apps, and games.
3. Import it into its own After Effects composition and set it into motion (in a separate composition)
4. Import the can animation composition into your final After Effects marketing video
5. Create/design your final After Effects marketing video
6. Render your final video

Setting Up After Effects for 3D

1. Set Up the 3D Engine & Import the Model

1. Open After Effects and select New Composition (1920 x 1080, 30fps, 15 seconds)
2. Go to Composition > Composition Settings > 3D Renderer.
3. Set the Renderer dropdown to Advanced 3D and click OK.
4. Import your 3D model (.obj, .gltf, or .glb) into the Project panel.
5. Drag the 3D model layer into your Timeline composition.

2. Create the Orbit Camera Rig

1. Go to Layer > New > Camera.
2. Select Two-Node Camera and click OK.
3. With the Camera layer selected, click Create Orbit Null in the top toolbar (or right-click the Camera layer and select Camera > Camera Orbit Null).
   Key Concept: Your camera is now parented to a Null Controller layer. To orbit or move around your 3D object, animate or rotate the Null Controller’s Y-Rotation or Position properties—do not move the Camera layer directly.

3. Build a 3-Point Lighting Setup

Because native lights in After Effects exist as individual layers, create three separate light layers via Layer > New > Light:

• Key Light: Point Light | 100% Intensity. Position: Above and to the front-left of your object. Main light source.
• Fill Light: Point Light | 35–50% Intensity. Position: Opposite side (front-right) to soften harsh shadows.
• Backlight: Point or Spot Light | 75% Intensity. Position: Behind the object, pointing forward toward the camera to separate the model from the background.
• (Optional) Environment Light (Crucial for Dark/Black Objects)
  • Black materials rely almost entirely on reflections to show their 3D shape rather than diffuse color.
  • Go to Layer > New > Light.
  • Set the Light Type to Environment.
  • Choose a default HDRI map/environment image provided in After Effects (or lower its intensity to roughly 20%–40%).
  • Result: This provides soft, ambient light from all angles, giving the dark black can realistic edge reflections and subtle metallic/plastic highlights without blowing out the label.

4. Test & Verify Your Setup

1. Select the Camera Orbit Null layer in your timeline.
2. Adjust or keyframe the Y-Rotation property.
3. Verification Checklist:
   • The camera orbits smoothly around the stationary 3D object.
   • Highlights and shadows shift dynamically across the model’s surfaces as it moves relative to the lights.
   • The 3D model displays true volume and depth rather than rendering flat.

Import your 3D GLTF object into After Effects

1. In After Effects, after you’ve made your composition, File > Import (or drag your file into the Projects window)
2. Select your 3D model file (.gltf), then click Import

NEED TO REVIEW — Useful Effects: Shatter

Shatter The Text with The “Shatter” Effect

1. Select your text layer and go to Effect > Simulation > Shatter.
2. In the Effect Controls panel, change the View drop-down from Wireframe to Rendered to see your actual text.
3. Open the Shape menu and change the Pattern from Brick to Glass (this gives it a realistic organic break rather than a blocky brick look).
4. Open the Force 1 drop-down menu:
   • Locate Position—this is your center point. Click the crosshair icon next to it and click anywhere on your composition window to set the exact point where you want the explosion to blast outward from.
5. Open the Physics drop-down menu and set Gravity to 0.
   • Why? If gravity is left at the default setting, your text pieces will explode outward and immediately fall to the bottom of the screen. Setting it to 0 keeps them flying outward cleanly into space.

Start Shatter Effect later in Timeline

• Select your text layer and make sure the Shatter effect is applied.
• Move your timeline playhead to exactly 2 seconds (0:00:02:00).
• In the Effect Controls panel, open the Force 1 drop-down menu.
• Set the Radius value to 0 and click the stopwatch icon next to it to create your first keyframe.This keeps the blast size at zero, so the text stays perfectly plain for the first 2 seconds.
• Move forward just one frame on your timeline (press Page Down on Windows or Command + Right Arrow on Mac).
• Change the Radius value to 0.2 (or higher). This suddenly opens up the explosion force, causing the text to instantly shatter on that exact frame.

NEED TO REVIEW — Useful Effects: Particle Systems II (Fireworks)

• In After Effects,

NEED TO REVIEW — Make the Video Background Removable for AR Use

To make a background removable in AR or compositing, ensure your video exports with an Alpha Channel (transparency). If you render a standard MP4, your background will be baked in (usually as black), and you won’t be able to “remove” it later without messy keying.

Here are the specific settings to prep your After Effects project for both a marketing video and an AR-ready asset:

1. After Effects Composition Settings

• New Composition
• 1920×1080 / 30fps (Industry standard and perfect for most social media/web marketing)
• Create a solid layer the same size as your background and color is as you wish for your project
• Set your 3D Renderer to Advanced 3D

• Toggle Transparency Grid: Click the small checkerboard icon at the bottom of the Composition window. If you see checkers, your background is transparent. If you see solid black, you might have a “Solid” layer acting as a background—hide or delete it before exporting for AR.

2. The “Shadow Catcher” (Crucial for AR)

In AR, a 3D object looks fake if it doesn’t cast a shadow on the “real” floor.

The size of your Shadow Catcher solid depends on two things: the height of your camera and the length of the shadows cast by your lights.

The Rule of Thumb

The shape should be at least 3 to 4 times the width of the can.

• Small Solid: If the shadow gets “cut off” by the edge of the solid, you will see a sharp, ugly line in your AR scene where the shadow suddenly disappears.
• Large Solid: It is always safer to go too big than too small. A solid that is 2000×2000 pixels (even in a 1920×1080 comp) is usually perfect.

How to Set It Up Properly

1. Create the Solid: Go to Layer > New > Solid (Make it 2000 x 2000).
2. Make it 3D: Toggle the 3D cube switch.
3. Positioning: * Press P for Position.
   • Set the X and Y to the center of your comp.
   • Adjust the Z position (or use the green arrow) to slide it just underneath the bottom of the can.
   • Press R and set X-Rotation to 90° so it lays flat like a floor.
4. The “Shadows Only” Magic:
   • In the Timeline, open the Material Options for this Solid.
   • Change Accepts Lights to Off.
   • Change Accepts Shadows to Only.
   • The white solid will vanish, leaving only the dark shadow pixels on your transparency grid.

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Pro-Tip: Soften the “Contact”

In the real world, shadows are sharpest right where the can touches the floor and get blurrier as they move away.

• To achieve this, go to your Light Layer (the one casting the shadow, usually a Point or Spot light).
• Increase the Shadow Diffusion setting. This prevents the AR shadow from looking like a harsh, black sticker.

Why 2000×2000?

If you decide to animate the can sliding across the floor or rolling, a large 2000px floor ensures the shadow stays “caught” no matter where the can goes within the frame.

3. Export Settings (The “Alpha” Secret)

To keep the background removable, you cannot use H.264 (MP4). You must use a format that supports transparency:

• Format: QuickTime
• Channels: Change “RGB” to RGB + Alpha
• Depth: Millions of Colors+
• Color: Straight (Unmatted) — This is preferred for AR/Pro compositing to avoid a “dark fringe” around the edges of the aluminum.

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4. AR Considerations (The “Real” 3D Route)

If your “AR scene” means a video overlay (like a TikTok filter), the steps above are perfect.

However, if your “AR scene” means a true 3D object that a user can rotate on their phone (like Apple Quick Look or Adobe Aero), a video won’t work. You would instead use the .GLB file you exported from Illustrator directly in the AR software.

Summary Checklist for After Effects:

Feature	Setting	Why?
Renderer	Advanced 3D	Required to render the .glb model correctly.
Background	None (Checkerboard)	Ensures nothing is behind the can.
Shadows	Shadows Only Solid	Provides a “grounding” shadow for the AR floor.
Output	QuickTime (ProRes 4444)	Only format that supports “RGB + Alpha.”