I'm not really sure how long it has been since we have redesigned the website but we thought it was time!

The new design is focused on content so we finally made the page wider. We've also updated the tutorial section so that you can watch the tutorial you click on with few clicks. The project file and related information is all in one place too. One of the bigger new features is the tutorial playlists. Right now, I've just created a few playlists of some of my favorite tutorials but what this mechanism will allow me to do is create more in depth training that has multiple parts and still fit into our typical system. Lots of important stuff behind the scenes!

Noted Features:

• Wider page width! (Dynamic sizes coming for mobile)
• Fewer clicks to access tutorials and content
• Tutorial Playlists
• Better resolution for embedded videos on blog

We are still transitioning so please give us time to get through all the small bugs, we're working on it!

Of the many new features announced with Element 3D V2 (so far), there is one I am particularly excited about and that is the new specular highlight model.

The new spec model takes advantage of the new physical shader system and features a natural light falloff helps create more realistic shaders! You can even get the specular to be much smaller and sharp or large and diffused. May seem like a small thing but it makes a big difference!

Now that we have released the first look at Element 3D V2, you can see that this is not a small update to our plug-in. It is a massive overhaul with many big features. So, I thought I would take a little time to answer a few technical questions.

NOTE: Pricing information and upgrade paths will be announced soon!

With all the amazing new features in Element 3D V2 (why, thank you!), do I need an insane Graphics Card?
Not at all.

Our render engine is actually more efficient than V1 but we also added many new features so we recommend having at least 512MBs of video memory and 1GB is even better. Certain features just use up memory, so you want to have enough memory to keep things running smoothly and allow more complex scenes. Plus if you are creating 4K stuff, you need to be able to have enough memory for large renders.

What graphics card should I get?
Nvidia and AMD cards have shown very nice performance with E3D V2. Even the mid-range GeForce graphics cards have plenty of power to run V2 with great speed. If your card is more than 4 years old, you can REALLY speed things up with a new graphics card! A decent $150-250 graphics card will go a long way.

Intel cards are not officially supported, sorry. It's hard enough to get the AMD and Nvidia dialed in!

Of course the Titan cards will give you a nice boost, but we get plenty of speed with the high-end AMD and GeForce cards at half the price.

What graphics card do I need for the GPU Accelerated Ray Trace Shadows and Ambient Occlusion?

Both Nvidia and AMD (ATI) Graphics cards that supports OpenCL will allow you to use the Ray Traced features in Element 3D V2. Most cards from the last 4 years support OpenCL and you can take a look at this page for more information.

Of course, the Ray Trace features are not required to use Element 3D since you can always use Shadow Maps and Screen-Space Ambient Occlusion for most cases. Shadow maps will always be faster than Ray-Tracing but when you need that extra accuracy, it's available!

What about Dual Graphics Cards with SLI?
Since Element 3D renders with OpenGL, it is not possible to use more than 1 GPU for rendering. Only Video Games that render full screen can use multiple graphics cards.

However: Cards with 2 GPU's cores (Like the GeForce 690) will speed up OpenCL stuff like the Ray-Trace Shadows and Ambient Occlusion.

What Version of After Effects do I need?

Element 3D V2 will run on every version of After Effects from CS5 to the latest CC 2014. Basically all 64-bit versions of AE.
Mac users need to be running at least OSX 10.7 to use V2.

Will my older projects made with V1.6 open inside of V2?
Yes for the most part but...

Element 3D V2 will replace V1.6 when you install. Projects created in V2 will not open in V1. (Of course, we will always make older versions of plug-ins available if you need them.)

We worked hard to get projects to convert properly but our goal was to modernize the internal system. So the new coordinate system and anchor points work better but if you changed the anchor point in a previous project, you may need to adjust it again. Same for SSAO, we improved the algorithm (and got rid of some nasty banding) but some cases might look a touch different than before.

Of course, be sure to back up your V1.6 projects before opening them in V2, that way you can at least install the older version if something doesn't look right.

With that said, be careful. If you don't need to convert the project, why risk it. Just finish it in V1 and then move on to the glorious V2!

Check out the new features coming to Element 3D V2 coming out this November!

Watch on Youtube in HD

Watch on Vimeo

See the awkward comedy stylings of Andrew Kramer as he... WAIT! Wrong press release!

As promised, here is my full Keynote Speech from the 2014 AE World conference! I really put a lot of thought into this speech and I hope you guys check it out!

Join me as I discuss my motivation for becoming a better artist with fun stories, personal challenges and my advice for all Digital Artists! See my original Demo Reel from 2002 and hear the story behind my first big job with J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot.

Plus my thoughts on tutorials, distractions and what I think is the most important skill for every designer. Hear my tips on how to stand out, manage priorities and avoid getting burned out!

Watch on Youtube in HD

PS: I want to thank my younger brother Matt for helping me prepare for my first keynote speech!