Ray traced 3D obsolete - what will replace it

[craigi35826625]

For 3D text, AE users can either use an adobe-admitted obsolete engine (ray traced 3D), the cinema4D engine within AE, or create the text in C4D.

Given that creating text in C4D limits the ability to change them or their appearance in AE, does adobe have plans to replace the ray traced engine with something else?

[Roei Tzoref]

C4D Renderer is the replace. It’s almost the same in terms of functionality.

[MikeHoium]

except for the massive shortcoming that you can't use masks on 3D layers when using the Cinema4D renderer

[P.M.B · Accepted solution]

MikeHoium  wrote

except for the massive shortcoming that you can't use masks on 3D layers when using the Cinema4D renderer

Among others.

I highly doubt Adobe has plans to take another stab at functional 3D.

I'm sure you're aware of Element 3D which is only $200 & very easy to use.

For just a few more $$ you could get Stardust which has a steeper learning curve then E3D but also includes all the functionality of

Red Giant's Particular, Form & Tao.  It also has dynamic rigid body and particle collisions. 

[craigi35826625]

Is there an equivalent to Stardust available at a lower cost?

[P.M.B]

Not really.  Not that I know of.

[craigi35826625]

As the case with most/all plug-ins, their actions can be perofrmed/replicated in AE without them - they just save a lot of time and effort to do so, would you say?

[P.M.B]

craigi35826625  wrote

As the case with most/all plug-ins, their actions can be perofrmed/replicated in AE without them - they just save a lot of time and effort to do so, would you say?

I wouldn't say that.  That may be the case with some plug-ins or scripts that basically just run a bunch of native AE functions but plug-ins like Element3D & Stardust are coded from scratch.   I mean anybody with the creativity & coding abilities could create a plug-in for After Effects so in sense I guess it's true...Buying Stardust is easier and faster than coding that functionality yourself (which could take years assuming you have the skills required) but what it does cannot be replicated in After Effects just using the available "out of the box" tools.  If that makes sense.

[Roei Tzoref]

you can't do this on raytraced 3d as well. comparing the two here. C4D Renderer is more limited on disabled features but both don't accept masks on shapes/text or CR/CT precomps.