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)
    jlTF (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 After Effects and set it into motion
  4. Import the can animation into your After Effects marketing video
    Then, complete the video design and render.

Shatter The Text with The “Shatter” Effect (Best Control)

  1. Select your text layer and go to Effect > Simulation > Shatter. [1]
  2. In the Effect Controls panel, change the View dropdown from Wireframe to Rendered to see your actual text. [1]
  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). [1, 2]
  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. [1, 2]
  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. [1, 2, 3, 4]

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.