Turn any Image into 3D using AI! (ZoeDepth + After Effects)

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to turn any 2D image into a 3D environment that you can use in After Effects.
All the backgrounds used in this tutorial can be found in our new ENVIRONMENTS Pack: bigfilms.shop/products/enviro...
- ZoeDepth: huggingface.co/spaces/shariqf...
- ENVIRONMENTS Pack:
bigfilms.shop/products/enviro...
UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS:
www.makebigfilms.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:09 - ZoeDepth tutorial
1:46 - Importing GLB files into AE
4:35 - Keying out Lara Croft
8:51 - Placing the Green Screen plate in 3D
10:55 - Animating the camera
14:17 - Outro
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Instagram: / makebigfilms
TikTok: / makebigfilms
Facebook: / makebigfilms

[@00chaka]

You blew my mind right open😮 This is so incredible thank you for showing how to think outside the box. Very simple but effective technique.

[@IronReel]

This tutorial was fantastic. Excited to do this! Thanks for your hard work, man!

[@AndrewPetersGospel]

you are the greatest sensei........i understand your tutorials so easily...you're a great teacher, thanks

[@robfernandez5234]

Thanks for spotlighting this solution. In the Environments KZbin there were a lot of questions about this. My challenge now, as a Resolve user, is dropping the processed images into Fusion! Which is a whole other thing! Much appreciated!

[@EthanCrB]

Dude this is Mind-blowing 🤯 Thank you so much for showing this to us 🔥

[@andrewgil2850]

One thing that will bring this together better is comping smoke(and other effects into it to hide any seams and you can do multiple to create a whole set, also you can add lights to this and it’ll affect everything

[@SpectrumReviews]

You effects packs and tutorials are amazing. I appreciate your work you put into this. I'm learning from this and already have a project in the works for my stream.

[@falfieri3167]

Their effects packs are scams.

[@SpectrumReviews]

@@falfieri3167 please explain

[@chadiwack]

Fantastic tut. I subbed. Thanks for getting straight to the point and killing it.

[@tomo6716]

3D model support is available in the After Effects 24.1 official release (no longer Beta)!

[@blaylock1978]

This was just a few days ago, right? I did the update but didn’t check k it out.

[@demiloca]

thank you! That explains - or hopefully explains - why BETA isn't showing my GLB. Update: didn't work but some boxes that identify it as 3D are now populated.

[@AndyCochrane]

Came here to add this - it's in the official release now. There are a LOT of limitations to it, but it works now

[@HeroHiFi]

Excellent tut! Nice, clear steps. Thanks

[@jorgeferraraoficial]

That’s the best tutorial ever! Thank you for helping us that works with vfx! 🔥

[@dr3w_h]

Omg, this video is just GOLD! Thank you so much!

[@user-mx6dq7jv1o]

THANKS FOR TEACHING HOW TO DO THINGS IN AFTER EFFECTS IT HELPED ME A LOT

[@FilmRigz]

Very good on explaining everything, very simple and straightforward, 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@TheSatzy6699]

Great content and explanation ❤

[@hossienrahimianmajd]

amazing points i needed in my after effects skills thanks for that

[@mariorodriguez8627]

Great work!!! Got all the packs over black friday deals :)

[@heveycreations4197]

Your tutorial is really good !

[@Nohoes-]

This is amazing man ❤ thanks

[@rgarlinyc]

Great stuff - can't believe you and your channel were unknown to me until about 15 minutes ago!

[@creatancremanova7097]

stunning! thank you

[@hestiaart4154]

Youre amazing😊 thanks for tutorial very inspiring

[@apdirectedit]

BRO YOU THE REAL MVP!!!

[@simonkennedy6116]

Thanks for introducing me to Zoedepth, it's really going to speed up my 3d creation

[@TRNRILY]

Just started playing with this, having a 3d program to take the file and then edit out things like the sky to then replace and comp in AE is kinda needed for any shots with excessive open sky, because the AI doesn't know what to make of that. Other than that tho and minor texture issues which are to be expected its making my life really easy. Was very intimidated to learn 3d modeling when I know all the other aspects of comping and just wanna make some videos using 3d environments, so this workaround combined with cutting out and adding additional assets + smoke and lights really sells it. A little bit of noise and a semi dramatic color correction goes far in the compositing. Hopefully the site is able to support PNGs soon and create mesh maps without the background issue.

[@starfieldcommand]

Thank you ! you are an amazing creator!

[@Danny_Suede]

dude this is a BANGER!

[@MusicFlowDaily]

Wow! A game changer! Thank you! ❤

[@iamandycozzens]

I probably would've bought the pack when it was discounted if this tutorial came out with it.

[@imvisuals215]

Ok. Now I have a use for these. Dope tut.

[@sensei009]

This tutorial is amazing! Thank you. 🫶🏽

[@jason.martin]

Wow, this is brilliant!

[@scrizofficial9281]

Incredible, thank you very much !

[@patrikmedia]

amazing tutorial

[@walidhasan9862]

Thanks man 🔥🔥

[@violentpixelation5486]

That's a PACKED video! #Gold 💯🔥

[@that1guy111987]

The ZoeDepth thing is cool, and there are some great techniques and ideas behind this. Ultimately what is lacking is the lighting of the subject on green screen and matching to the scene. This is a prime example why VFX should never be an after thought and always planned ahead of your shoot.

[@PopoRamos]

I Agree! Also the 3D parallax here introduces crazy artifacts! I would use as a cheap background element out of focus. Pretty much as Ian Hubert Does it.

[@user-vp9ub1fm8y]

Bruh this is nuts!

[@matthallett4126]

Nice work!

[@drumSick66]

That's really cool, thanks!

[@jaydez_]

ahhhhmanzing, thank you so much!

[@renata-sw1li]

wow! loved it! thanks!

[@mfundoh8148]

I'm so stoked. 😂❤

[@benpedro80]

thank you , I have learned something today !!

[@_Soul_Hacker]

Nice work broh🔥👍🏻

[@chrisgallagher85]

This is bada$$!! Thanks for sharing.

[@doodlve]

Nice. It was pretty cool

[@Flugamefilm]

So you telling me i just spent 5 months learning unreal engine just to not even have to use it anymore to achieve this visual effect? 😂

[@AMVDon]

Post 2020 is crazy

[@Instant_Nerf]

Unreal ? Nah more like blender into unreal. You gotta 3D model these first. And with nerfs and Gaussian splats .. what’s the point anymore to 3D model.

[@Flugamefilm]

My point exactly, I get my 3d models from the marketplace. And now gaussian splatting is gonna take over. We're moving pretty fast @@Instant_Nerf

[@AtrusDesign]

Of course it’s very limited to this kind of shots… so no UE is again needed.

[@RetzyWilliams]

No game could use this technique. UE is a game engine first and foremost. These limited shots is all it can do.

[@Chewbacca2000]

Thanks man!!

[@smaug-tv]

Thank you, please keep going.

[@roadstudiosproductions]

Gotta use this for new feature film

[@AllanGildea]

Insanity. Thanks for this amazing tutorial. Think of the old school matte painters, painting straight to glass in camera! If they could see this.

[@peffken8834]

Thx 4 sharing Zoedeph, your experience how to handle it in AE. In your workflow to integrate greenscreen footage, I would make a copy of the scene, make a mask of the keyed one (or a duplicate with mask output setting in Keylight) and feathering the boundries (perhaps you need another copy to fence the feathering - there are a also some other, sometimes simplier ways to get to it...), use it as a mask for the backround, so that you you get an inner outline of the backround in the siloulette, precomposing it and adjust and blend it for your needs to get a nice spill of the environment. So here too, a pretty good result is achieved and explained, but what surprises me is that the shadows are mostly neglected, overlooked or ignored. Which, among other things, perfect the illusion of a composition.

[@j.i.7146]

This seems important for an even more seemless integration of the keyed out footage. Since I am not that comfortable in AE yet, can you please explain it simpler, so I can understand the steps you suggested?

[@agnesslovehealz]

Nice first time heard of this one nice good stuff

[@EY3VISIONFILMSVFX]

Yeesssssssss sirrrrrrr thanks brother going to use this asap toooooonightttt!!!!!!!!!

[@Karmawillhaveus]

Thank you!

[@yojacq]

this is sick

[@alvaire]

Vraiment c'est super

[@chosenonemedia8337]

Very Cool!

[@xbrutalgamer8193]

this is so cool

[@mathieudubost9730]

Awesome !

[@yaruuvva]

very cool tutorial indeed! more AI tuts!

[@artemus80j.4]

Using this along side with Element 3D would be a great combo.

[@mufasa2079]

convert your glb into an obj file

[@BLACK_TIGER_OFFICIAL]

thank you so much

[@KeithDaviesMusic]

Colin is a clever guy!

[@zorkon407]

So cool Thanks

[@slickslimyfilm]

Idk about GLB file in Davinci but I would keyframe the background to give it some movement

[@skatedyerskate6685]

COOOOOOOL! thankyousomuch

[@viperstudiosinc.]

It’s still a great skill set to have using UE. Zoedepth looks cool, it’s just another tool to add to your workflow!

[@farhang-n]

thanks a lot

[@gameland8162]

amazing

[@p2mthedirector]

Thank you

[@WizardVal]

It looks like this Zoedepth is directly creating a depth map and displeis the regular plane accordingly. Following that logic you should be able to add light sources into your AE scene to illuminate or enhance this scene.

[@yojacq]

how can you send a tutorial

[@WizardVal]

@@yojacq It is easy mate- use the same technique as in this tutorial when creating camera. Create a plane, subdivide it to a good number to have enough geometry then add the displeis modifier. Add lights to the scene and place them where required. Search for : camera projection in after effects

[@cgxlv]

Pretty cool dude. FYI, This seems to work ok in the latest version of AE I am running which is 24.1 so I doubt people will need the Beta

[@elmomaclroy]

GREATT!!! TNX

[@g-coversa]

I will wait 😅

[@Bluemaali]

I need more tutorial please I purchase this pack I needed more tutorial please 🥺

[@user-ck9cw8fs5n]

Looks similar to the video copilot depth tutorial, or the volumax plugin but free and fast

[@Soothing_Relaxaing_Music]

Genius

[@AVISIONMUSICTV]

This is OK for story boarding or even comic book creation graphic novel. That's about it.

[@skabarflix]

Some of the backgrounds on the site are fantastic, but others could really use a tune up. For example, a neon city isn't very good if the lights arent flickering or changing. At that point, you might as well just make your own backgrounds. Other than that, this and the backgrounds are great!

[@Loony_BeLuna]

I'm a 3D artist and this is pretty much what I was looking for, but it's not quite finished yet. I work with DAZ3D, but I've never learned to model anything myself and with a tool like this I could finally model things for myself. AI can convert images into .Obj files, that would be amazing!

[@WizardVal]

It is not converting 2D into 3d objects. It is distorting the simple plane according to the depth map it has created. Lots of artifacts and the movement is REALLY limited. Doesn't work actually with the complex images having objects and people. For the environment as background it could work. It is something like Camera mapping in 3d max or Maya or any other modeling software. The depth map is really not as perfect as it is based on black and white 2d image. If you manage to convert this into space data in Fusion or nuke then you can improve your results. otherwise for a good result you need to build a more or less detailed 3d scene and then to map camera with your image. Hope it does make sense

[@Loony_BeLuna]

@@WizardVal Hi, yeah I had the same experience while watching the video. I hope to see that AI can make .obj files from images in the future. Especially environments. Like I would love to use a "filled" children's room or playing room, but adding many toys needs to have all those toys in your lib and that takes a LOT time to add and position. Or a room full of toys. Also filled classrooms with static objects as students would be great, at least with daz3d you struggle heavily to render with more than 4 people.

[@WizardVal]

@@Loony_BeLuna Exactly! It’s too early to expect ai to solve complex tasks. People don’t understand that this ai hype is created by ai developers to get more money. It’s obvious that when it come to something more complex than to put together some images it falls. I remember 10 years ago when I started to create VR imagery and everybody was excited and thinking that AR VR or MR is just around the corner and will change the industry. 10 years later people still use shitty images to promote and marketing products. If you can imagine the amount of money wasted.because of outdated business structures where thousands of incompetent people just show up that they are capable of something. Unfortunately our reality had turned into virtual absurdity.

[@Loony_BeLuna]

@@WizardVal I think you underestimate the power of AI. It has not to do with the devs. AI developed in 2023 MUCH faster and heavier than VR ever did. I did not saw a future in VR since beginning, it's still bad. That thing on my face would be too warm and uncomfortable. But AI is developing extremely, look how good Adobe Firefly got, look how great AI to voice with videos is and now this here. I managed to write a code with AI and I use AI really really much since 2023. I used ebay today and ebay has now AI to let it write the product description of the thing you want to sell. My new LG OLED TV has AI (Which I disabled) to improve image and sound. AI is Really a game changer. Elon musk is also working on it and also work on Androids, our World is changing, if we survive all the upcoming wars...

[@WizardVal]

@@Loony_BeLuna Do not underestimate the power of capitalism mate. They invented the infinite game, subscription game and many others. Yes, mate they will keep feeding us with “ amazing “ updates once a year, like Intel or Adobe, the recent scandal shows that “ benefits for mankind” is an illusion to keep us intrigued. In reality I didn’t find extraordinary capabilities or mind blowing art created by ai. To spend years in order to learn how to create a prompt and days to trial and errors before ai will create something interesting? No thanks man. I better learn the painting skill and create art no ai can create ever. AI is a tool. Not a creator. It is not capable of doing what humans can do. It will never be. Despite all the scaremongering it cannot take decisions, just a simple tool. A calculator. That will be capitalised accordingly. No miracles.

[@zenproducts]

HERO!!!! thanks!

[@Kyle-jm4cn]

The model is great! It seems like the material is compressed? It looks like the resolution is much lower.

[@janussquared9793]

Could a workaround to the limits both left and right of the 3D created background be to take a frame shot within either After Effects or Premiere import it to Photoshop and do a "creative fill" both left and right then use that prior to making it 3D and THEN use that to import in After Effects?

[@baptistoriginals]

Yeah depending the fill you might could even do further separation in whatever it generates for more depth

[@technologyfact9222]

Nice sir

[@sino1449]

Hi, i am a great fan , but please could you tell the process with davinci resolve? Thank you

[@rickarroyo]

Very nice! Is it possible to use it in element 3D? element 3D import .glb file? (I remember that obj and fbx work well)

[@aSoloVision]

FINALLY 😂

[@dannybee88]

So Awesome!!!!! Thank you ! One Question my mind went blank haha When I move the null cam position my character is not locked on the stairs like yours it moves.... I know I have fixed before but like I said my mind went blank haha Can you help !!?? Thank you!!!!

[@wandabhala8516]

Dude you had me at free

[@hyperbolekid]

Is there going to be a Holiday sale on these packs? I want to load up

[@plungercameramaneditz458]

hey bigfilms, i know you already have tornadoes in the apocalypse pack, but can you make a pack called tornado pack?

[@FEARFANATICS]

Great for an establishing shot. Where you going from there? These are one off shots that look cool but you haven’t shown them used in any context or scene.

[@princeedwards1185]

Hey guys I just bought this pack with the understanding it works with Davinci resolve is this for after fix only

[@robfernandez5234]

Hey Collin - we don’t use AE (or want to buy it!). Can we do the same thing in Resolve? Thanks much!

[@GreetingUser]

Nice! Is it safe to use it commercially? Does it store the images fed into it?

[@Misterred-GW2]

hmm Thank you for the video! I wonder what I could do if I would shoot a piece of footage, and then put every single frame into Zoedepht, with this 3D thingy, would that make it an easy way to track 3D objects into a video scene without having to track? hmmm Maybe old ways are better, but its def an interesting workflow!

[@nujurustudios]

Thank you for this tutorial, but right now I am stuck at the y rotation step. I did what you said but I am still seeing a black screen with the 3D arrows. Did I do something wrong?

[@OdinsForgeEnt]

Can you do this with FCPX?