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3D Stroke Style Trails and Liquid Deformations in After Effects

December 30, 2020
Max Kravchenko

Max Kravchenko

Senior Logo Animator

Welcome to another Logo Animation tutorial! In the previous lesson, I’ve created a 3D model of a UFO, animated it, and transferred it into After Effects. In this video, I’ll show you how to create nice and smooth ‘3D stroke style’ trails and liquid galaxy deformations using CC Smear effect.

3D Stroke Style Trails in After Effects

A. Understanding 3D Stroke

The 3D Stroke effect in After Effects allows you to create dynamic lines that can evolve over time, adding depth and dimension to your motion graphics.

B. How to Apply 3D Stroke:

  1. Open After Effects and create a new composition.
  2. Import your footage or create your animation.
  3. Select the layer where you want to apply the 3D Stroke effect.
  4. In the Effects & Presets panel, search for “3D Stroke.”
  5. Drag the 3D Stroke effect onto your selected layer.

C. 3D Stroke Style Trails:

  1. Customize the Start and End properties to control where the stroke begins and ends.
  2. Experiment with the Thickness, Opacity, and Color settings to achieve the desired look.
  3. Enable the Motion Blur option for smoother, more realistic trails.

D. Motion Design School – Logo Animation in After Effects:

Apply 3D Stroke to animate and enhance logos, creating mesmerizing motion graphics as taught in the Motion Design School’s logo animation course.


Creating 3D Liquid Effects in After Effects

A. Introduction to 3D Liquid Effects

Liquid deformations add a fluid and dynamic quality to your animations. This effect can simulate liquids, creating organic and visually stunning motion graphics.

B. How to Apply 3D Liquid Effects:

  1. Import your footage or create your animation.
  2. Create a new composition.
  3. Select the layer where you want to apply the liquid effect.
  4. In the Effects & Presets panel, search for “Liquid Deformations” or similar plugins.
  5. Apply the desired liquid deformation effect to your layer.

C. Customizing Liquid Deformations:

  1. Adjust parameters like Viscosity, Turbulence, and Density to control the liquid’s behavior.
  2. Experiment with color gradients and opacity to achieve a realistic liquid look.
  3. Utilize keyframes to animate the liquid effect over time.

D. Combining 3D Stroke and Liquid Deformations:

  1. Apply 3D Stroke to create dynamic lines.
  2. Apply Liquid Deformations to another layer for fluid motion.
  3. Experiment with blending modes to seamlessly integrate the 3D stroke with the liquid effect.

Advanced Techniques and Tips

A. Seamless Integration

To seamlessly integrate 3D Stroke and Liquid Deformations, consider using masks, adjustment layers, and blending modes for a cohesive and polished look.

B. Expressive Typography

Apply these techniques to typography for expressive and engaging text animations.

C. Experimentation is Key

Don’t hesitate to experiment with various settings, keyframe animations, and layer combinations to discover unique and captivating results.


Conclusion

By mastering 3D Stroke Style Trails and Liquid Deformations in After Effects, you’ll unlock the potential to create visually stunning and dynamic motion graphics. Explore these features, combine them with your creativity, and elevate your animations to new heights.

By the way, we’ve decided to feature this animation in 3 series to introduce you to various tips life hacks.

So if you are interested in logo animation and your dream is to start making money with it one day, subscribe to our channel and consider taking our ultimate on-line course on logo animation:

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Logo Animation
in After Effects

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