New Tutorial: Depth Compositing

September 6th, 2012

In this tutorial we'll use a technique called Depth Compositing to combine stock footage with 3D rendering and the use a Z-Depth pass. This method allows you to place 2D elements like stock footage into the depth of a 3D render. I also demonstrate how to export a Z-pass from 3D max, Cinema 4D and even use Element 3D to output a depth channel.

The stock footage are from Action Essentials 2!

Watch Tutorial

Here is the example of using Depth Compositing from a while ago, I know the sound FX are bad, but hey, I mixed them in After Effects!

Andrew Kramer

POSTED:

13 years ago

77 Comments

Reziko

12 years ago

Wooow Its Amazing ... but Element 3D V1.6 Is Better .. Because its World position in Z Depth Pass . Andrew You are Amazing .. ))

NotMan

13 years ago

You are the man . What is this ? Aren't we men ? :\ oh ok. you are the best man. then Are we the worst men ? LOL.
anyway, great great great. you definately are the man. it's okay even if we are not man.

But someday we will also be "the man".

Danton

13 years ago

What song is used here? Would really like to know. Thanks.

Nico Hirsch

13 years ago

Very great tutorial!
Greets from Germany

Matthew

13 years ago

Awesome and useful tutorial as always. Though my addled brain continually read "depth" compositing as "death" compositing over and over and over again. Made the concept much more intriguing from an existentialist point of view. Maybe I just need more coffee.

asART. 3D & motion graphics

13 years ago

.. and here another short clip made with ELEMENT 3D.
Feel free to comment and share .. Cheers !

http://youtu.be/KRBPdYgDVZQ

vfxarun

13 years ago

amazing Andrew Thanks

ahdeyemo

13 years ago

you are always the man

Tobi0688

13 years ago

Andrew the new bundle pack will be this year?

video effects

13 years ago

Let's take a break. Andrew

benyamin

13 years ago

I enjoyed very much. Thank you. Andrews.

The plugin element alone processing power, which in the past has remained much the same time?

The Doctor

13 years ago

Nice one... and really useful too. Any particular reason for the use of .png? i mean besides the obvious alpha one... something like Size, quality or stuff like that.

thanks!

video effects

13 years ago

This plugin does not support png file, but a file photo of the mask will support.. auto react

Sandie

13 years ago

Awesome You Helped Me A Lot In Compositing Part And Motion Graphics Part

jjmon

13 years ago

hey...is that Sam?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5igaTXO-zk

13 years ago

Love the music in the promo. Who created that?

video effects

13 years ago

group in element 3d
http://www.video-effects.ir/?p=1426

Absumar

13 years ago

Hey Andrew,
too sad you have removed the resume download support as we dont have that fast connection to watch it online and without resume support download goes very slow and fails and have to start over!

video effects

13 years ago

Download now ... okay try again at the top of the key player download tut ..

ah shang

13 years ago

i love element 3D!!!!muak !

ThomasO

13 years ago

Great tip! Thanks for the tutorial and inspiration.

Leo

13 years ago

you should show how to do stuff like physics or like fumefx

Lifesoul

13 years ago

Awesome piece of visual effect. I would like to know what format the video was made render of stone_crash.mov with the shadow cast on the ground invisible in 3ds max 2012? with vray? But please reveals the secret of your render. Many thanks in advance.

Lifesoul

13 years ago

Thanks for not answering anything. I already found the solution of topic material for vray matte/shadow thanks to the forums here outside.

Dorian

13 years ago

Would you mind sharing a link on the matte/shadow info? Thanks if you can.

Dorian

13 years ago

Never mind, found some on YouTube

Lifesoul

13 years ago

I could not put a link here, because the moderator does not want to compete with anyone. Sorry. Videocopilot otherwise would have to explain more precisely the tutorial which launched on this issue.

mehmet

13 years ago

Thanks.Very nice tutorial.

Hakan

13 years ago

Bad.. from plastic soled shoes .. does not sound heel .. not synchronous step artificial parts of the wall stands .. shapes etc.

Kenneth

13 years ago

More tutorials that also contain Element would benefit the lots of people who do have it and eventually the $150 must become affordable. Save save save! Tutorials without any VC products are just pure kindness. Thanks for whatever you decide to provide VC Team :O)

By the way, is there a way to get to the Element Help Page directly from the home page or a menu somewhere? I still can't seem to find the link to reference all the Element specific videos.

Kenneth

13 years ago

Thanks for that. Just what I was after. I kept clicking on My Account > Support or Products/Plug-ins Element 3D > Details and couldn't find it.

Steve

13 years ago

While these tutorials are really cool, not everybody has $150 to drop on Element, so could you do some tutorials that aren't so heavy on Element?

MrVidelog

13 years ago

This tutorial will focus line not to Element 3D. Andrew has been shown only for the Element 3D that this possibility offers. I think it's good that he's so strongly supported in his products.

13 years ago

For us that did buy Element, there is a lot of potential that the tutorials have just started to explore. There are lots of sites where you can find AE tutorials, only one for Element as far as I know. VCP has a nice portfolio of products - I fully expect them to support and educate their customers first. But even when the tutorials use VCP products, I always pick up plenty of AE tips that Andrew throws in.

Airborne

13 years ago

As Andrew Kramer himself pointed out:

Yo Paul! Actually this technique has nothing to do with our products, I?m just using action essentials as an example. It is a generic method for compositing live-action 2D footage with a 3D render from any 3D program including Blender which is FREE. With a little bit of work, you can even take a camera and film some fire yourself.

If you limit yourself to only what is available in the application you will not be able to explore beyond the tools. Bringing in images, videos, effects etc. will only help you see what is possible.

Jesus

13 years ago

I've seen in some AE Tracker tutorial that you always flatten all of your nulls to get them in a stright line visually...so I know that is better as you state in your tutorials, but I would like to understand why this is so I can apply this technique by understanding things.

Thanks for all the stuff at video copilot

Jesus, not the messiah

Andrew

13 years ago

Andrew, it's Andrew,
I love this tutorial, I never knew about this and its been sitting right under my nose for so long. It is a tremendous help. Thank you.

Marsh

13 years ago

Awesome vid! There's one question I'd like you to answer: where do you get all your 3D stock footage like the helicopter parking thing??

Element 4D

13 years ago

Element 3D!
You can buy it here: http://www.videocopilot.net/products/element/

...and watch the tutorial about how it's done here:http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/3d_truck_compositing/

Luca

13 years ago

Thanks! Amazing!
Next you can do a tutorial for animated 3D object tracking? Thanks so much!
From Italy

asART. 3D & motion graphics

13 years ago

Hi..
Here is my latest work done with ELEMENT 3D ... Hope you will like it:

http://youtu.be/VAhEXIPr9Pw

christian Michael

13 years ago

Very nice....

asART.

13 years ago

Thanks a lot Christian

MrVidelog

13 years ago

Great. Looks like it would smell good.

The bottles you gerendet element with 3D?

asART.

13 years ago

Hi MrVideolog, Thanks for watching and your kindly words. Yes, the bottles were rendered in After Effect using ELEMENT 3D. I have created my model in 3D Studio Max and exported as an OBJ File. Imported it back into ELEMENT 3D and textured by using ELEMENT 3D STANDARD MATERIALS + some adjustments .. Cheers !

cherif

13 years ago

Hi Andrew,
Can you tell us the software that you use for making ( not mixing ) the sound fx?
Thank you for the tutorials.

Christian Michael

13 years ago

Cherif,

To be honest ?most? sound editing software will do the trick. Adobe Soundbooth, cakewalk, simple sound editing can also be done in Adobe Premiere while you piece your work together. If you want free sound effects, register at http://www.freesound.org/

You can find almost anything you want. I say ?almost? loosely, if it?s not there, there is always the opportunity to overlay different sounds, slow them down and speed them up to finally get what you are hoping to achieve.

Hope this helps.

cherif

13 years ago

Christian Michael,

Thanks for the information. But I do not think that Adobe Premiere or After Effects can create rhythms. We can take rhythms and change them. What I want to know : Is there a software that can CREATE rhythms?

Thank you.

Justin

13 years ago

I like how this is very easy to follow, but I have a question. Is it possible to pull off a Z-Pass on Trapcode Particular? Particular is a powerful particle engine, but it lacks the ability to work in 3d space with other elements.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Andrew, are the devs even looking at the Element 3D sub-forum? While it's nice you guys are updating Element 3D, there are still some bugs, and no comments from anyone with a Red name makes us wonder if the devs are paying any attention to the bugs people are finding.

Ruben Abreu

13 years ago

Amazing work Andrew Kramer!

Check out my channel i do vfx to!

Vlad "Dargalon" Savin

13 years ago

Element 3D - Burning Violin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJnPaM444wQ

Rony

13 years ago

Hey Andrew if you don't mind i want to know which sound recorder did you use for recording sound for your short film and how did you create the sound of announcement of Kramerican Airlines .
Thanks.

Naseer Ahmed Baloch

13 years ago

Awesome dear Andrew You are so Nice Sir

Justin Kuhn

13 years ago

Great tutorial! That finisher you did with Element really opened my mind to the possibilities.

paul

13 years ago

simple and cool technique.... but is it possible to create a shadow of the dirt charges and smoke on the 3d render. Suppose there was a fire burning in between the rocks and the shadow falls on the fragments.

J Valberg

13 years ago

For the smoke you could put the same footage you used in the render, and make it look flat on the ground, but realisticly smoke don't create much of a shadow inless it is really dens, and a light is shining brightly on it. For the shadow on the pieces it self, you could make a rough shape in your 3d program and make your pieces a matte shadow object and only render that, then composite it into your shot (may not work great, but it is only a suggestion).

jose Arrebola

13 years ago

Very good technique .. ! Thanks Andrew ..

irfrandes0930

13 years ago

awesome

thnx so muchhhh for tutorial Mr.Andrew Kramer

Paul Revere

13 years ago

I respect you for marketing your products, but please go back to Videocopilot the free Tutorials Website. Obviously, Can't Do Anything since I didn't buy Element 3D nor Action Essentials 2.
To learn in this website in the future, Should I buy these products?
I request Tutorials but with no 3rd Party Tools. Too many of them Lately!
Cheers

Andrew Kramer

13 years ago

Yo Paul! Actually this technique has nothing to do with our products, I'm just using action essentials as an example. It is a generic method for compositing live-action 2D footage with a 3D render from any 3D program including Blender which is FREE. With a little bit of work, you can even take a camera and film some fire yourself.

If you limit yourself to only what is available in the application you will not be able to explore beyond the tools. Bringing in images, videos, effects etc. will only help you see what is possible.

John

13 years ago

a fantastic and very true answer.

BENCH

13 years ago

VERY, VERY well put Andrew.

alaindeloc

13 years ago

"I request Tutorials but with no 3rd Party Tools"

Who are you Paul? It's beyond my understanding and my common sense.. You are asking someone (more like ordering) to work for you for free in a manner that first it doesn't touch in any way your pocket and second it helps you make some money.
It's just something that my mind can't understand, really..

David

13 years ago

I agree with alaindeloc. Don't forget. For all intents and purposes, Andrew is doing you a favor by providing these resources. As he mentioned, you do not have to own those applications, and he even mentions that in many tutorials. In fact, I use Blender for a lot of my 3D rendering. Appreciate, don't critize.

Paul Revere

13 years ago

Thanks Andrew. I get it

ElMarwany

13 years ago

Thanks!!!! u r the best

Jay

13 years ago

Hej Andrew. I notice your comment on mixing sounds in AE. I have always had problems with sound in After Effects, Windows and Mac. When rendering out sound effects don't come in at the right time and it seems that music tracks finish before the film does. Any ideas or can anyone else answer. Many thanks, Jay

Jerome

13 years ago

Element 3D is quickly becoming a "must have" tool in a After Effects user arsenal. AMAZING value for the money.

Andrew Kramer and the VideoCopilot team are a precious resource to the design and VFX community.

sing

13 years ago

awesome like always, and by the way, what about the upcoming FX you posted a couple days ago, finished yet?

Scott Freestyle

13 years ago

Andrew you are true inspiration. I know you must of heard it a thousand times, but I want to add my thanks to you anyway. Not only are you an inspiration as an artist, but as a person of integrity and humility. I want to thank you for the time you have spent helping many of us and I sincerely hope you continue. Also thank you so much for Element 3D... this thing is just beautiful to play with... I wish you great success in the future, you certainly deserve it.

Christian Michael

13 years ago

Nothing like going back to basics and learning something new. Nicely done :0)

Matthew Sabia

13 years ago

Okay well ignore my last. I'm a moron and didn't realize you DID go over all that in the Epic Shatter tutorial... It's been a long day okay? LOL

Matthew Sabia

13 years ago

Andrew, awesome tutorial as usual, but every time I see some type of 3D destruction in a video like this I get exited and think we're going to learn how to make it in the 3D program. You always just mention it like it's no big deal, but to be honest whenever I attempt to create anything like this it either looks super un realistic or the fracturing itself just looks fake.

I would love to see a tutorial on 100% Rayfire and 3D Max textures and rendering

Tempest

13 years ago

Great tutorial. I really appreciate the fact that we can create a Z-depth mask using Element 3D. This helps when not having access to a 3D program. Great job.

Twister

13 years ago

HI ALL! I'm new to 3D and I had a question. How do you render out a Z-Pass from Blender? I have tried, and havn't seem to have gotten anyware

PLEASE RESPOND!

sebastian

13 years ago

in the render setting in layers tick off z pass once you have rendered you multi pass go into the compositor and add an normalize node connect the zpass to the input of the normalize and connect that to the composite then make a new directory for the zpass and and render again

lucas

13 years ago

Wow great!
Btw what???s that music used in the video? Sounds really cool!

video effects

13 years ago

thanks Andrew this is a good tut
can i make object animate in cinema 4d and import to element?how?
do you want to mach the element with realflow ?

video effects

13 years ago

tanks..Well that's too bad So I must say that he supports animated water animation in realflow and the support she gets After Effects

If this was an excellent

Jose Ramirez

13 years ago

By the way, Andrew you are AWESOME man.

Jose Ramirez

13 years ago

Is there any way to use Rayfire with an AMD graphic card? Any alternative?

Paul_Emile

13 years ago

Hi Jose
I think rayfire doesn't work with your AMD card because you didn't download the Nvidia PhysX plug in FOR 3dsMAx, because you must download the plug in for 3dsmax and not only vidia PhysX. I hope I helped you.

Hamza

13 years ago

OMG .Andrew you are such a great inventer . really studed alot from you sir ..yoour are the best ...this tutorial really helped me in present work for compositing ..really gived reality touch

sebastian

13 years ago

maybe you should have studied English a bit more

Hamza Zahid

13 years ago

hmm may be .but i think after effect supports different languages ...So enjoy sebastian --lapicniki ya mataou--

Alec

13 years ago

Wow great!
Btw what's that music used in the video? Sounds really cool!

Dana Jean Phoenix

13 years ago

Another amazing tutorial Andrew!! Thanks so much!! BTW, Element is an incredible time=money saver!!

DJP

Peter

13 years ago

I second that please show how to fracture ground or break such things using rayfire..probably for you that will be 5 more minutes

Isaac

13 years ago

Andrew already did a tutorial using Rayfire and the Tutorial name is Epic Shatter here is the link...
http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/epic_shatter/

Ben

13 years ago

Please do a tutorial on rayfire! PLEASE

Joseph Coleman

13 years ago

He already did in the crystal ball tutorial: Epic Shatter
http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/epic_shatter/

manidante

13 years ago

i think.. u should have a like button

Dipo Dipe

13 years ago

Great as usual...Thanks

stamina ec

13 years ago

thank you for everything you taught me

Jacob

13 years ago

Nice! Will check out when I get home!

Farshad

13 years ago

wow Very Nice , thanks VC , i like this tutorial

InconsistentPictures

13 years ago

Really great tutorials and it couldn't have came at a better time. Thanks!

grim

13 years ago

9:46 am?

Lokman

13 years ago

Another tutorial!
Thank you Andrew!

loocas

13 years ago

Hi, I don't want to sound like a smart ass, but technically, these aren't deep compositing techniques. You'd actually really require deep data (that AE doesn't support, afaik) and comp it a bit differently. Still a very cool tutorial (as always) and great results (also, as always). So keep the awesome work up!

Andrew Kramer

13 years ago

To split hairs further... this is called Depth Compositing, not Deep compositing. Depth meaning it is based on a Z-Depth Pass.

Raghav

13 years ago

Deep compositing? LOL

Serge

13 years ago

That would make a cool movie title.... Maybe the basis of AKs next intro tutorial

SockGardener

13 years ago

You can find a good overview/introduction to Deep Compositing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19w3vkFp5X0

13 years ago

Or Maybe he wanted to say Johnny Depp, because that isnt Johnny Depp

Jovica

13 years ago

Your brain is very DEEEEEP!

theEPICnoLESS

13 years ago

Hi, you may not mean to but you do sound like a smart ass. And if you know "so much" about Deep/Depth composting than why are you watching a tutorial for how to do it.

Monte

12 years ago

There's absolutely no reason to ignore the obvious similarities of these two methods. More people will know about deep compositing, more people will ask for it to be implemented into After Effects. For those who are interested here's a detailed write-up on the subject http://www.deepimg.com/

Alex

13 years ago

you're always number one!!!

Thorsten Meyer

13 years ago

Great,

I still think that Element 3D is by far the best plugin you can buy for AE, I would even change my platform to be able to use Element if I would run AE on my Computer.

Thanks,
Thorsten
http://dreamridiculous.com

http://www.PhotoMocha.com
Sense of Delight

Joseph Coleman

13 years ago

I used zDepth to help comp the smoke in this intro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGHYcKupHaA

Robo_Jo

13 years ago

What Audio Program do you usually use?

mario

13 years ago

OK, that does it! Sam for President!

lakekover

13 years ago

OHHHHH YAA! finally, i remember this blog post "upcoming tutorial" like what seems like 20 mazillion years ago.. time to watch cause the clock just turned to 12pm here!

Keenan Mitchell

13 years ago

Thanks for the tips! Was surprised to see another tutorial here today. This is a method I've only used in animation, so it was great to see the VFX workflow.

ujjwal

13 years ago

AWesome just awesome...

Samuel

13 years ago

Fantastic!!!! U R the man!!!! Thanks!!!!

Ajith kamal

13 years ago

Fantastic........

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