3D THAT FEELS FAMILIAR

3D Invigorator PRO is the program that brings big-time 3D motion graphics to your After Effects work. 3D Invigorator PRO renders quickly and can create beautifully sculpted 3D models quickly and easily without extensive training.

At Zaxwerks we believe the key to workflow is familiarity. We feel that if we give our users tools they are familiar with, they learn the program faster and can be more productive. To that end we've made 3D Invigorator operate as a plug-in for After Effects so you never have to leave your main program.

FAMILIAR MODELING

The tools in 3D Invigorator act like tools you are already familiar with. If you know how to draw Bezier curves, like the ones you find in Illustrator or Photoshop, you already know how to model in 3D.

The modeling is done as you are drawing the curves so you can see exactly what you are getting as you draw. There is no guesswork and no multi-step process to learn.

The models stay live so if you have to make changes, a quick adjustment to the curves will rebuild the model in 3D without you having to do anything.

This type of immediate feedback and easy control makes the modeling very familiar and friendly. It helps you feel at home right away.

FAMILIAR ANIMATION

The most familiar animation controls are the ones you already know. Every animation system has its own peculiarities, so do you want to learn a whole new animation system or would you like to use one that has the controls you already know? If you didn't have to learn a new system wouldn't it be easier to learn?

3D Invigorator PRO uses the After Effects timeline for all of its animation. There is no new animation system to learn, period.

If you know how to set keyframes in After Effects you already know how to animate in 3D Invigorator PRO.

FAMILIAR LIGHTING AND LENS FLARES

Light comes from somewhere, right? It doesn't just magically come from some invisible point in space. To help you create lighting that looks and acts real, 3D Invigorator PRO has lighting controls based on real world lights.

It's pretty cool. With a mouse click you can arrange your lights in a ring or on a truss. Then create industry standard fixtures like ellipsoidals, fresnels or motion control rigs with another click. One more click lets you see the beams coming from the lights, and a final click turns on lens flares. 4 clicks for all of that? Think about it.

But what makes it truly familiar is that all of this can be done using After Effects lights too. This means you can position and animate your familiar AE 3D lights, and then get the trusses, light beams, fixtures and flares to go along with them.

If you know how to use After Effects lights, you already know how to use 3D Invigorator PRO's lighting.

FAMILIAR SURFACING AND TEXT STYLES

What could be more familiar than drag and drop? 3D Invigorator PRO comes with over 200 seamless materials that are applied by dragging a thumbnail picture and dropping them directly onto your object.

Adjusting the surface materials is done live with no need for rendering so the feedback is extremely fast and interactive.

3D Invigorator also introduces the idea of 3D Text Styles. These are thumbnail pictures which encapsulate everything needed to model and surface a text or logo design. This lets you set up the look of a design and save it as a preset, after which you can completely model and surface any number of other versions by simply dropping the thumbnail onto your text or Illustrator shapes.

If you know how to drag and drop, you already know how to texture and use 3D Styles inside 3D Invigorator PRO.

FAMILIAR BEVELING

3D Invigorator PRO's bevel creator is the most advanced custom bevel creator in any 3D program. It will also feel the most familiar to you because it uses regular old Illustrator-style, Bezier curves.

The program comes with over 100 professional bevels to get you started. You can always edit them or create your own. The ability to create your own bevels can't be understated. This ensures your designs will always look fresh.

As with modeling, the bevel drawing is live, so you see the final 3D model as you draw the bevels. Bevels can be made of multiple pieces. They can also be divided so different materials can be applied to each part. In fact the term 'bevel' doesn't begin to describe what's possible.

BEST OF ALL, NO ROUND-TRIPPING

Round-Tripping is what happens when you use After Effects with an external 3D program. You render a movie from the external program, import the movie into After Effects, maybe import the camera data too. But then the client makes a change. Uh-oh!

So now you have to go back to your external program, make the changes, re-import the movie, re-import the camera data, fix whatever problems this causes, etc., etc. Each change creates another round-trip. Every round-trip is a headache that just wastes time.

With 3D Invigorator PRO round-tripping doesn't exist. As an After Effects plug-in there is no time lost re-rendering, moving files back and forth or fixing mistakes. It is literally the fastest 3D workflow possible because you stay inside of After Effects 100% of the time.

3D Invigorator PRO Plug-in for After Effects

• This plug-in only works in Adobe After Effects.
• It is not compatible with any other host.

Macintosh

• Host: Adobe After Effects CC 2017-19
• For users working with After Effects CS6, please contact us for older versions of the plug-in
• Intel Mac Only
• Mac OS X 10.12 or higher

Windows

• Host: Adobe After Effects CC 2017-19
• For users working with After Effects CS6, please contact us for older versions of the plug-in
• Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10

Version 8.6.1 - Mac Only Update

• Adobe After Effects CC 2019 Compatible.
• MacOS Sierra Compatible
• Stability fixes.

Version 8.6.0 Update (Latest Windows Version)

• Adobe After Effects CC 2018 Compatible
• Faster loading of the Setup Window
• Fixes some major crashes.
• Stability fixes.

Version 8.5.2 Update

• Major Speed Improvements.
• Fixes some major crashes.
• Stability fixes.

Version 8.5.1 Update

• Fixes a memory leak dealing with Depth of Field.
• Fixes a memory leak dealing with Motion Blur.
• Fixes an issue where some warning boxes wouldn't go away.

Version 8.5.0 Update

• Added global reflections. You can now use a single map for all reflections in the scene.
• Added global reflection rotation. By setting a rate of rotation the global reflection will keep moving so the reflections don't go dead when objects stop moving.
• Materials can now be dropped onto trusses and each truss can have its own material.
• Added foreground compositing, so you can overlay screen UI or pre-rendered scene elements.
• Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed memory leaks, especially when using motion blur or depth of field, that were causing crashes during long renders.
  • Lots of stability fixes.
  • On the Mac you can now load a project file by dragging the project file onto the application icon.
  • The split arrows now stick to the end of your cursor better.
  • AutoSave files are now cleaned up better.
  • Shape tools can now be used to draw custom profiles without crashing.
  • Reflections using multiple shaders now render properly.
  • Fragmented objects new render better using the OpenGL renderer.
  • Stretched glows are no longer clipped.
  • Selecting and editing objects that are children of other objects works better

Version 8.0.0 - Major Release

• Compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
• Compatible with OX 10.9 or above and Intel Mac Only
• Compatible with After Effects CS6 - After Effects CC 2017
• Real-Time Rendering
  • Optimized OpenGL and Ray-Traced Renderer- Our Open GL and Ray Trace Renderer is now faster than ever! Create hundreds of thousands of polygons without having to worry about slowdown. Everything updates in real-time with texturing, lighting and shadows.
  • Auto-Rendering- With Auto-Rendering, whenber you make any changes the scene automatically renders. No need to keep having to click the Render Test button to see what your objects look like.
• Depth of Field - Use Depth of Field to create highly realistic images where some objects are in focus while other objects are out of focus.​
• Instancing
  • ​Instanced Objects - With instanced objects, the program automatically duplicates as many objects as you want without slowing down the program. These objects can than be distributed using the distribution tools.​
    • New Distribution Types - Use new distribution tools such as assigning your objects to take on the shape of a different object, or other simple shapes such as cubes, spheres and more.
    • Materials - Apply the same material or different materials to the instanced objects.
    • Randomization - Use our randomize controls to place objects in random positions instead of scattering objects one by one.
    • Instanced Text- With instanced text, you can set the text to be instanced by character, word, or paragraphs. This lets you distribute walls of text to create amazing text backgrounds quickly and easily.
• Normal Maps
  • Applying Normal Maps - Our Material Editor gives you the ability to load either a noraml map or bump map to create realistic effects.
  • Realistic Material Presets - Our material presets have been re-edited with normal maps for ever more realistic effects for your objects.
• New Lighting Controls
  • Image Based Lighting - Apply Image Based Lighting for highly realistic lighting effects for your scene.
  • Shadow lights - Create a light that doesn't affect your scene, but has the ability to cast shadows.
• Note: Wireframe and hidden line rendering styles are no longer supported. If you have any old projects that are using wireframe or hidden line rendering, the material will render as a solid color instead. You may use the Grid Shader as an alternative for Hidden Line rendering.

Version 7.0.1 Update

• Flares optimization to allow much faster preview speed.
• Fix with Flare color not displaying properly.
• Memory optimization to prevent out of memory issues.

Version 7.0.0 - Major Release

• Compatible with After Effects CS5 - After Effects CC 2014
• Compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 / OSX 10.6.8 or above and Intel Mac Only
• Lighting
  • Advanced Lighting Controls - Create your own lighting animations using After Effects keyframes.
  • Set up your lights to track objects, the camera and more.
  • Use Fan controls for lights to fan out, or converge at a point.
  • Work with Parallel, Point or Spot lights to create a realistic 3D environment.
  • Lighting Fixtures - Dozens of lighting fixture presets.
  • Variety of Trusses and Pipes - Create complex trusses such as box, triangular, rectangle trusses, or laced and ring pipes with a click of a button.
  • Lens Flares - Dozens of Lighting Flares can be used for any lighting effect. Contains a wide variety of flares to use for professional stage effects.
  • Flare Editor. This lets you create extremely realistic glows and spikes to produce the perfect flare for your scene.
  • Light Cones - Customize your light with dozens of different beams such as hard, soft, smooth, wash, and many other moody lights.
  • Lighting Rigs - Use lighting rigs to instantly add stage elements to your project.
• Gorgeous Photo-Realistic Materials - Over a hundred highly detailed, seamless materials.
• Newly Designed Interface - Re-designed buttons and easier to read text.

Version 6.1.1 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS5, CS5.5, CS6 and After Effects CC
• Fixed an issue where using Wireframe or Hidden Line may cause a crash when working with a lot of geometry.
• Fixed crashes when adding/removing/converting points in the Object Drawing window.
• Fixed an issue when duplicating more than 3 Text Blocks at the same time.
• Fixed crashes when using the Undo command with certain commands in the Object Drawing window.
• You can now import/export grouped/parented objects using the .zxo format.
• Path selection has been enhanced so it's now easier to select tiny objects in the Object Drawing window.
• Fixes an issue where the background image will reset in size if adjusting the background opacity.

Version 6.1.0 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS5, CS5.5, CS6
• GPU-based Open GL rendering. Enables final quality textures, bump maps, reflections and shadows right in the 3D preview window.
• Changes have been made to handle text editing under more situations allowing text to be freely edited while retaining its original position.
• The user interface on Windows has been upgraded for a more modern look.
• A blur function was added to the noise shaders making for better bump maps and a wider range of uses.
• Bump maps have been made more dramatic... and useful.Path selection has been enhanced so it's now easier to select tiny objects in the Object Drawing window.
• The Specular channel is now full color ... good for metallic materials.
• Material channels now show a 'no' sign if they don't affect the material. This makes it very easy to see which channels are contributing to the look of the material.
• Imported 3D objects now have normals imported too.
• The drawing window now automatically scrolls if you drag objects to the edge of the drawing area.
• Fixes an issue where using the Color Picker when working on a Mac OSX Lion may cause the program to crash.
• Fixes an issue on Lion where clicking the 'little red ball' button may cause a crash.

Version 6.0.0 - Major Release

• Compatible with After Effects CS5, CS5.5, CS6
• Compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 / OSX 10.5.8 or above and Intel Mac Only
• Ray Tracer Renderer
  • ​Refractions - Create realistic looking materials that simulate the effect of glass, ice, or water.
  • Ray Trace Reflectivity - Make surfaces reflective. You'll be able to see the other objects in the reflections!
  • Falloff - Apply to make the reflections fade off over a certain distance.
• Ambient Occlusion - Darkens corners and areas where one object is close to another to add realism for shadows.
• Ray Trace Shadows - Create more realistic shadows than using Shadow Maps.
• Grid Shaders - Create Grids or different line patterns. Useful for creating tiles.
• Collect Files - Used to collect all media files that are being used by materials.
• Import Images - Select images to import and they automatically get mapped onto 3D Planes. It's easier than ever to create 3D backgrounds.
• Trace Background - In the Object Drawing window, use the '.' command after tracing a background image to instantly transfer the background image onto the object you are tracing.
• Increased Number for Sets and Layer Maps - Animate up to 16 Sets and apply up to 16 Layer Maps for your materials.
• Shadow Catcher Plane - Select a 3D After Effects layer to use as a shadow catcher layer.

Version 5.1.0 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS6
• Optimization for rendering frames with Motion Blur and Fields.
• Fixes compatibility with the Zapf Dingbat font so the preview shows up properly.
• Fixes the Orthographic camera so you can now orbit using the camera.
• Fixes a crash where if you move Text and use the Undo command, this may cause the program to crash.
• Fixes an issue where deleting shapes in the Profile Editor may cause a crash.
• Fixes an issue where using the Undo command after applying Object Styles may cause the program to crash.
• Fixes a crash if you try to duplicate more than one Set.

Version 5.0.9 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Optimized the performance when working with many objects in the scene.
• Improved responsiveness of commands in the Object List panel.
• Fixes an issue where certain controls would not accept typed in values (Windows Only)

Version 5.0.8 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• You can now copy and paste the text from one 3D Text window to another, as well as copying text from word processing programs to paste into the program's 3D Text window.
• Upgraded the drawing of Bezier paths so they're easier to draw and manipulate.
• You can now cycle through the drawing tools by repeatedly pressing a tool's shortcut key.
• Made it easier to delete swatches.
• Fixed how reflection maps were applied when reopening version 4 projects in version 5.
• Drawing window grids can now be hidden.
• Improves Video Card Compatibility for both Mac and Windows.
• The file icons are now modern and awesome!
• Rearchitected how text works so it's now more intuitive to create text blocks or individual text objects. This also makes it much easier to replace text for versioning or doing text substitution.
• The program now saves the last Camera used and the interface will open with the previously used camera.
• The Render Test button now works for all Cameras instead of just the Main Camera.
• Fixes an issue where After Effects may run out of memory and crash during rendering.
• Fixes an issue where editing the text from a version 4 project may cause the text to shift in position.
• Fixes an issue where black pixels may appear during a render when using Fresnel materials.
• Fixes an issue where you have to re-link the Text Substitution file after re-opening the project file.
• Fix for a crash that may occur if you are working in a separate program such as Illustrator or Photoshop, and using the Save command.

Version 5.0.7 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Fixes the User Account Controls (UAC) issue on Windows.
• Fixes a compatibility issue with OSX 10.7 Lion.
• Fixes an issue where using the Undo command when applying materials can cause the program to crash.
• Fixes an issue where the project may crash during rendering.

Version 5.0.6 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Fixes an issue related to multi-threaded rendering. It may prevent an issue where the program crashes during the render.
• Fixes an issue where if you duplicate or copy and paste 3D Text, the text may shift in position after editing the text.
• Fixes an issue where using a Matte material with the setting 'Composite on Original' did not show the appropriate layer.
• Fixes an issue where the authorization code was not sticking in Windows 7.
• Fixed an issue with editing text from older projects.

Version 5.0.5 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Enhanced 3D Text engine. This fixes any issues with incompatible fonts.
• Improved multi-threaded rendering engine.
• Compatibility opening up older projects.
• Fixes issues with importing 3D Models.
• Typing values into fields. (Windows Only)
• Fixed an issue with editing text from older projects.

Version 5.0.4 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Fixes an issue where moving a Warp Pose may crash the program.
• Ignores certain Fonts on the Mac where it may cause a crash when opening the 3D Text window.
• Fixes an issue where applying a material onto an imported 3D Model causes the model to turn black.
• Edited the Light Menu to show when lights are turned on or off, and also if shadows are turned on or off.

Version 5.0.3 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Fixes an issue opening older project files.
• Improves compatibility with Illustrator files.

Version 5.0.2 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Fixes an issue where objects may not be in the same position if you are opening up a project from version 4.5.1.
• Fixes an issue where the program may crash if opening up certain projects from version 4.5.1.
• Fixes an issue where Layer Maps may not be working properly.

Version 5.0.1 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Fixes an issue where the project may not render the Comp Camera correctly.
• Fixes an issue where certain materials do not show up properly in the After Effects interface.
• Fixes a Windows issue where applying materials into the Material Docks may cause a crash.

Version 5.0.0 - Major Release

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Compatible with Windows XP and above / OSX 10.5.8 or above and Intel Mac Only
• Auto-versioning. Set up variables in 3D Text objects and then drive the variables with a text file. This takes versioning to the next level by enabling you to create one animation and then render countless additional animations based on changes in the text file.
• Improved 3D Text engine increases the compatibility with many font types.
• Customizable Workspaces
• Object List lets you select objects easily.
• Integrated Drawing Window lets you use familiar tools such as the Pen, Pencil, Shape, Text, Selection to build and edit professional logos
• Draw custom bevels with the Profile Editor.
• Create and edit Lathe objects easily in the Drawing Window.
• Bend, fold, twist your 3D objects with all the exciting features of 3D Warps. With over a dozen different deformations that are all fully customizable, you have endless possibilities.
• Cornering and Auto-curve Pen tools allow you edit or draw curves with ease.
• Use Gradient/Noise Shaders & Blend Modes to create sophisticated texture maps without having to leave the program.
• New UV, Spherical, Planar, Cylindrical, Cubic, or Camera View mapping lets you create different looks for your 3D Objects.

Version 4.5.1 Update

• Compatible with After Effects 6.5 - CS4
• New feature: user and master swatches. User swatches are now saved in the 'Documents > Zaxwerks' folder.
• Compatibility with After Effects CS4.
• Fixes an issue with the text window when using Windows Vista.