3D Text in After Effects (updated)

Andrew Devis has a 3-part tutorial for Extruding 3D Text & Shapes in After Effects. He's covering layer duplication, Shatter, and [later] Zaxwerks & 3D applications and Repousse from Photoshop. As usual, he has surveyed some tutorials and saves you time by offering a best practice.

Of course, there are a number of approaches for creating 3D and faux 3D text (and shapes) in After Effects with native and 3rd party tools. It's rather easier to list them than to demonstrate them, especially since there are a number insightful options for solving deficiencies in the popular, inexpensive approaches (duplicate layers and the Shatter effect).

Here's some of the approaches found at AE Portal; are there more?

• stacking layers close together in Z-space (numerous)
• the Shatter effect built into AE (numerous; recent 1, 2)
• the Vegas effect built into AE
• the Repousse 3D feature from Photoshop CS5 Extended
• Photoshop text as 3D volume
• fake 3D volumetric light with Shine or Lightburst
• 3D models imported through Photoshop (AE Help)
• integrate renders from 3D programs (several examples)
• particle-generated 3D text with Trapcode Particular
• stylized 3D text with Trapcode Form
• CE ShapeExtruder, a CustomEffect by Maltaannon
• Zaxwerks Invigorator, ProAnimator, 3D Serpentine (numerous; recent)
• Boris FX 3D Objects Filters (numerous)
• Shapeshifter AE (from Mettle)
• 3D Extruder by Ben Rollason, DistributeLayers, and other 3D scripts at AE Scripts. For a review, see Script of the Week: 3D Extruder by Mark Christiansen.

We couldn't embed the material by Andrew Devis at Creative Cow, so here's one of the more entertaining efforts from recent years, How to make 3D Text and use 3D Stroke in After Effects – Live Tutorial from Grayscale Gorilla (based on the graymachine 3D preset to create 3D extruded text ):


LiveTut3DText3dStroke from Nick Campbell on Vimeo.

Update: see also 1) 3D Extrude Tutorial by Alexander Dohr, a quicktip and expression for creating 3D text in AE, 2) Create a Procedural 3D Paint Splat Logo Animation in After Effects (AE 3D text) by Esko Ahonen for Rampant Design Tools, and 3) Ben Griggs on enfolding morphing 3D, Freeform Pro Gener8tor.

Update: adintermedia posted Create high realistic 3D Text in After Effects in 2 parts.

Also, in the long Create A Dynamic 3D Title Intro Using iExpressions And 3D Extruder, Lloyd Alvarez demos iExpressions, 3D Extruder, Separate RGB, Zorro - The Layer Tagger, Chameleon - Adobe Kuler Color , and Theme Browser, and more. And Ben Watts new tutorial previews well, Pimp Out Your Text With A Shiny Chrome Style – Tuts+ Premium.