Base Form> OBJ Settings group

Go beyond grids and spheres with OBJ file support in Form 2. The OBJ Setting group is enabled when you import an OBJ Model, and helps the base form take the shape of the OBJ file that it loaded.

You can import an OBJ model or OBJ sequence with the Base Form pop-up. The importer lets your base form take the shape of animated models designed in your favorite 3D applications, including Cinema 4D, Blender, 3D Studio Max and Maya. Import a static or animated OBJ, and Form will automatically convert its vertices into particles for a fast start to a sophisticated animation.

Form 2 supports 3D objects with built-in features like Shading group, Layer Maps, World Transform and Motion Blur. Form integrates well into After Effects' 3D environment by working with features like 3D lights, the 3D camera and orthographic viewing.

OBJ Note Form 2 does not support negative indices (also called relative indices) inside the OBJ file. Indices are used to reference vertices inside the OBJ file.

3D Model pop-up

Use this menu to choose your 3D Model. You must first set the Base Form menu to the OBJ Model option.

You can import an OBJ model or OBJ sequence into Form 2. First, import the OBJ file or the first frame of the OBJ sequence into your After Effects project. Then place the OBJ file in your Timeline and turn off its visibility (with the eye icon). Next, choose Base Form> OBJ Model. Then use the 3D Model pop-up to select the OBJ layer in your Timeline.

Refresh button

When you first load an OBJ, Form caches the animation and then uses that information instead of referencing the OBJ. Once that OBJ cache is built, if any changes in the OBJ are made, you will not see those changes in the Form animation. If you want Form to re-cache the animation, click Refresh to refresh your OBJ model.

Skip Vertex

When Form imports an OBJ, it puts a particle over every vertex in the 3D model. Skip Vertex tells Form to skip over some of those vertices in order to thin out the fullness of your OBJ.

The value set is the number of vertices skipped. For instance, a value of 3 skips 3 particles, renders 1, skips 3 Particles, renders 1, and so on.

Left to right, Skip Vertices at 20 and 40. This example uses our 'Tube_Long' OBJ preset file.

Speed

Controls the speed of the OBJ animation. Higher values mean a faster speed. For instance, Speed at 0.5 equals 50% speed, while Speed at 2 equals 200% speed.

Offset

OBJ Sequences are very similar to image sequences. A OBJ sequence that lasts 30 frames contains 30 OBJ files that it cycles through. Offset offsets the OBJ frame that the animation starts on. Instead of starting on Frame 0, with an Offset of 3, you will start at frame 3.