15 // Lighting in 3D Step 1: Open the comp [Ex.01a] in this chapter’s Example Project’s [Ex.01] folder. It contains two 3D layers: a pure orange solid (Orange Solid 1), and a colorful image (CM_nature print leaves). They are nice and bright because there currently is no light layer in the comp – so After Effects is using a default light, which illuminates all layers evenly to show their original colors. Step 2: Make sure the Info panel is open (if it isn’t open, press Command+1 on the Mac; Control+1 on Windows), and move your cursor over the orange solid in the Comp panel – it should give a red (“R”) value of 255, or 100% strength (use the Info panel’s Options menu to change the display units). If you want to verify what’s happening to the surface color of a layer as you experiment with lights, move the cursor around the orange square and watch the red channel’s readout in the Info panel. If you want to just look at a pretty picture instead, turn off the Video switch for the Orange Solid layer. We’re going to assume you’ve left both layers on.
Step 5: The Light Settings dialog appears when you add a new light or edit an existing light. Use these settings to start with in comp [Ex.01a].
When no lights are present, 3D layers are illuminated evenly by a comp’s default light (left). When you add a light, the characteristics of the light affect how the 3D layers are seen (center). 2D layers are not affected by lights; if you turn off the 3D Layer switch for the background in [Ex.01a], it returns to its normal color (right).
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Step 3: Add a light to this comp by using the menu command Layer > New > Light or the shortcut Command+Option+Shift+L (Control+Alt+Shift+L). The Light Settings dialog will open. For now, choose a Light Type of Spot, set Intensity to 100%, Cone Angle to 90 degrees, Cone Feather to 50%, Color to white, and make sure Casts Shadows is disabled. Click OK, and a layer named Light 1 will be added to your comp. Step 4: You will notice that the images in your comp have become darker. Once you add a light to your comp, After Effects turns off its default light, and the two 3D layers are now relying on your new light
for illumination. To verify that 2D layers do not interact with lights, turn the 3D Layer switch for CM_nature print off; it will return to its normal surface color and brightness while Orange Solid will still appear incompletely illuminated by the light. Turn CM_nature print’s 3D Layer switch back on for the remainder of this exercise. Step 5: Select Light 1 and type P to reveal its Position, then Shift+A to reveal its Point of Interest. We chose a Light Type of Spot because it is arguably the most dramatic, and also because it offers the most control. Spot lights can be aimed, just like a two-point camera. If you look in the Comp panel, the red/green/blue axis arrows show the Position of a light.