Welcome to our tutorial on how to simulate a sheet of paper falling and folding using Newton and ConnectLayersPRO in After Effects.
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Follow these steps to create a dynamic and realistic animation:
The trick to achieving this effect is to create an animation similar to a rope and then extrude it in 3D. For this, we need our rope to be composed of many objects so it can collide and fold realistically.
The easiest way to create the base is by using Illustrator. Create a small circle and duplicate it multiple times, moving each duplicate to form a long line of small circles. Import this into After Effects.
In After Effects, convert your Illustrator file into shape layers. Center the anchor points of your shapes to the content of your objects.
Create a ground layer or use the Comp Walls feature in Newton to define the boundaries of your simulation.
Open Newton and increase the Sub-Steps to at least 10 for a more accurate simulation. Lower the gravity settings slightly.
Slightly move the first circle that will touch the ground to initiate the folding of the rope. If you don't do this, the rope will be too "perfect" and won't fold correctly.
Link all your circles with joints. If you're using Newton version 4 or higher, choose Weld Joints. Otherwise, a combination of Pivot and Piston joints will work.
Adjust other parameters in Newton such as Density or Friction to achieve the desired simulation. Render your animation.
Back in After Effects, open the new composition created by Newton and select all your circles. Launch ConnectLayersPRO and click on "Create Chain." You now have a line controlled by the animation of your circles. You can hide your all your circles. You can also bake the Path of your chain, this will improve the performance of your composition.
Convert your chain to 3D. Choose either the Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects or the Cinema 4D renderer. In the Geometry options of your Chain layer, use the Extrude function to give your line depth.
Finally, add lights and a camera to your scene to achieve the desired look. You now have a 3D sheet of paper that falls and folds realistically!
That's it! You've successfully created a dynamic animation of a sheet of paper falling and folding using Newton and ConnectLayersPRO. Experiment with different settings and effects to create unique and captivating animations. Stay tuned for more tutorials and updates. Follow us on social media for the latest tips and tricks on using After Effects and our tools. Happy animating!