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Jerron Smith/4 min read

Animating a 3D Zombie in After Effects: Exploring Embedded Animation Options

3D Zombie Animation Options

Pre-Animated Asset

Drop in a pre-animated 3D model with built-in walk cycle.

Cinema 4D Lite

Animate a simple rig in C4D and import via Cineware.

2D Layers in 3D Space

Photoshop-cut zombie layers with parallax for fake 3D.

Puppet Pin

AE's Puppet tool deforms a 2D zombie image with rigged motion.

Master After Effects at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop's Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate teaches After Effects alongside Premiere Pro and Cinema 4D.

This lesson is a preview from our After Effects Certification Course Online (includes software & exam). Enroll in a course for detailed lessons, live instructor support, and project-based training.

So in this lesson, we'll be working with the zombie scene. Now, previously, we worked with a file that was just a static 3D model of a soda can. Sorry, an energy drink can, actually.

So in this lesson, we'll be working with the zombie scene. Now, previously, we worked with a file that was just a static 3D model of a soda can. Sorry, an energy drink can, actually.

But this time, we have something a little different. So I'm going to open up a 3D folder. I'm going to find the zombie.

And this is zombie.gltf again, same file format as before. I'll add it to my scene. And I'm going to get a message.

So previously, when I did this, the scene had already been prepared to be an advanced 3D using composition. This hot one, however, is not. It's using the classic 3D.

When it detects you're adding a 3D model, it's going to auto convert. So this message is doing. OK.

I'm also given the opportunity to control how big this is going to be in relationship to the overall scene. So I could do make comp size. I could adjust the size here.

I'm actually going to adjust it here. It's easier, I'd argue. I'm just going to make it like 200%.

That's good. Actually, that's a little too big. I'll go to 150.

That's a good idea. It's really about how big does it look in the scene compared to everything else. That looks about right, I think, actually.

So I'll just say OK. I'm going to pull him down, just drag that little blue arrow pointing up until he's about like level with my visibility of the floor. I'll put him over there.

So right now, this is no different from we had before. It is a static 3D model. And it just kind of hangs out here.

No problem at all. I'll undo that. However, this file has something the other ones did not.

It has animation options. And I can see them in the properties panel. And I can see them in the timeline under the properties panel.

The animation options are basically embedded animation that was made by the person who created the model. The modeler, Animator, whatever you want to call them. And they actually created animations in their software.

And it could have been any software they use it in. They all kind of have this ability, by the way. And what the program can do and what their 3D software can do is embed the animation into the model itself.

Now, again, not all file formats can support this feature. But this one does. So I've got an idle, walk in place, walk in place.

Another one, run in place. That sort of thing. Falling, falling forward.

That sort of stuff. Let's go falling back. Notice the moment I pick one of those, the length of the comp changes.

That's falling back. Okay. And then it seems to exist, of course, because that's what happens.

This is attack. It's even shorter, if you notice. That and then ceases to exist.

So these animations basically will keep the model on screen only as long as it tells you the numbers next to those. These numbers mean. So walk in place, walk in place, for example, looks like this.

It's a bit longer. Hands at the sides. If I go to the other walk in place, it's hands out.

And I can rotate that because, again, it is a 3D model. I can put that in any direction I want. Kind of cool.

Okay. So that is embedded 3D models. So that is how you choose a 3D model's embedded animation.

But that creates a problem because they're only as long as they were built. I would like this to continue to run forever. So I want him to walk and continue to walk and that sort of thing.

Hence why we have the walk in place concept. So I'm gonna do a couple things with this. So one, I'm gonna change the name of this.

I'm just gonna call it zombie walk. You can right click on a layer, choose your name, or highlight the layer as I did. And press the return or enter key on your main keyboard to make it editable.

Same difference. Okay. So my problem is I need to actually animate this now.

So here's what I do. I'll right click on that layer. Right click.

And on the menu, I'm looking for time. Enable timer mapping. Okay.

That's gonna give me keyframes for time. But it's also gonna make the layer's length infinite. Now I can use the selection tool to just extend that layer out to the end.