Video Copilot Element 3D

Overview

Element 3D solved a problem that used to cost motion designers entire days. Putting a three dimensional object into a composition previously meant modelling it elsewhere, rendering it elsewhere, importing passes, and starting over when the client asked for a different angle. This renders the object inside the composition in real time, so the angle is a parameter rather than a re render.

The renderer is GPU based and shows a near final result in the viewport as you scrub. Models import from the common exchange formats with their materials, and the plugin builds its own material system on top with reflection, refraction, glossiness, bump, normal, environment mapping and physically inspired shading. Lighting comes from the composition lights and from image based environment maps, and the shadow and ambient occlusion passes are calculated live.

The replicator system is where it becomes a motion graphics tool rather than a model viewer. Any object can be duplicated across a grid, a sphere, a spline or a particle system, with animated offsets, random distribution and per copy variation driven by parameters. Text and mask shapes from the composition extrude directly into three dimensional geometry with bevels, so a title becomes a solid object without a modelling round trip.

It integrates with the composition rather than sitting beside it. Composition cameras and lights drive the scene, tracked camera solves place objects into filmed plates, auxiliary channels output depth, position, normal and object identifier passes for compositing, and motion blur and depth of field are rendered rather than faked. The bundled model packs cover the props, primitives, materials and environment maps that most jobs reach for first.

Key Features

• GPU based real time rendering inside the composition viewport
• Model import from the common three dimensional exchange formats with materials
• Material system with reflection, refraction, glossiness, bump, normal and environment mapping
• Text and mask extrusion into solid geometry with bevel controls
• Replicator for duplicating objects across grids, splines, spheres and particle systems
• Per copy animation, random distribution and parameter driven variation
• Composition camera and light integration, including tracked camera solves
• Rendered motion blur, depth of field, shadows and ambient occlusion
• Auxiliary output channels for depth, position, normal and object identifier passes
• Bundled model, material and environment map packs

What Changed in This Build

• Improved performance on current generation graphics hardware
• Better handling of very high polygon count imported models
• Additional material presets and environment maps in the bundled packs
• More stable viewport behaviour with several instances in one composition

System Requirements

Processor	Intel or AMD 64-bit with AVX2
Memory	16 GB minimum, 32 GB recommended for heavy scenes
Graphics	GPU with 4 GB VRAM minimum, 8 GB recommended, current driver required
Storage	8 GB for the plugin and bundled packs
Host	A compatible compositing application of a matching generation

Release Details

Full title	Video Copilot Element 3D
Version string	2.2.3 build 2192
Publisher	Video Copilot
Category	Video Editing
Licence	Full version with bundled model packs
Platform	Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit
Interface language	English
Archive size	1.32 GB
Mirrors	4 active, all reporting online
Listed	refreshed 2 months ago, checked again 40 minutes ago

Installation Notes

• Install the host application first so the plugin installer finds the correct plugin folder.
• Update your graphics driver before first use, since almost every reported problem traces back to an old one.
• Keep model packs on a fast local drive. Loading heavy scenes from network storage is noticeably slower.

Before You Start

Read the notes above before running setup. Most of the problems people write in about are covered there, and almost all of them come down to an older version of the same software still being installed, a graphics driver that predates the release, or a security suite quarantining part of the package mid install.

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