How to Create a Realistic 3D City in After Effects
- 1). Choose the textures that you want to use for the sides of buildings. Find pictures to use at copyright-free websites like Wikimedia Commons, Flikr or an Adobe After Effects texture website.
- 2). Decide whether you want to create a city landscape at night or during the day. Select your pictures based off of these settings.
- 3). Import the pictures into a photo editing software program like GIMP or Photoshop. Use the "Distort" tool to flatten the image out so that it is parallel on the screen. Save the image as a JPG for importation into Adobe After Effects.
- 4). Open After Effects and start a new composition. Choose the length that you want the project and press "OK."
- 5). Right-click in the composition window and select "Import." Choose the city building pictures you want to import as the textures.
- 6). Drag and drop the building picture into the "Comp" window. Go to "Layer" and select "Precompose." Select "OK" in the pop-up window. Double-click on the building layer to open its composition layer. Right-click and select "Properties." Resize the composition to 800 pixels. Press "OK," right-click in the "Monitor" window and select "Fit To Comp." Now the building picture is resized so that it will fit better within the project.
- 7). Click on the "3D" icon to make the building 3D. Now an "y," "x" and "z" adjustments will appear.
- 8). Select the "View" and choose "Top." This will now show the building as a sliver. Press "Ctrl" and "D" to duplicate the layer and create another side to the building. Drag the building up parallel with the original side.
- 9). Create two more duplicate sides and rotate them to fit on the left and right. Now you should see a square on the overhead view. Click on the "View" button and select "Custom View 1" to see how the building looks in 3D space. Adjust any sides that overlap.
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Right click in the window and select "New" and "Solid." Select a gray or black solid. Click on the "3D" icon for the solid. Go back to the top view and rotate the roof piece so that it sits on top of the building. - 11
Go back to the original composition and view the single 3D building in the black space. Duplicate the building or use other building textures to create more buildings for the project. - 12
Use the "Transform" tool and to adjust the position and sizes of each building. Spread them around and you will create the 3D city landscape.