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Cast and accept shadows

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  1. After Effects User Guide
  2. Beta releases
    1. Beta Program Overview
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  3. Getting started
    1. Get started with After Effects
    2. What's new in After Effects 
    3. Release Notes | After Effects
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  4. Workspaces
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  5. Projects and compositions
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    2. Composition basics
    3. Precomposing, nesting, and pre-rendering
    4. View detailed performance information with the Composition Profiler
    5. CINEMA 4D Composition Renderer
  6. Importing footage
    1. Preparing and importing still images
    2. Importing from After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro
    3. Importing and interpreting video and audio
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    7. Detect edit points using Scene Edit Detection
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  7. Text and Graphics
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      1. Formatting characters and the Character panel
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      1. Work with Motion Graphics templates in After Effects
      2. Use expressions to create drop-down lists in Motion Graphics templates
      3. Work with Essential Properties to create Motion Graphics templates
      4. Replace images and videos in Motion Graphics templates and Essential Properties
      5. Animate faster and easier using the Properties panel
  8. Drawing, Painting, and Paths
    1. Overview of shape layers, paths, and vector graphics
    2. Paint tools: Brush, Clone Stamp, and Eraser
    3. Taper shape strokes
    4. Shape attributes, paint operations, and path operations for shape layers
    5. Use Offset Paths shape effect to alter shapes
    6. Creating shapes
    7. Create masks
    8. Remove objects from your videos with the Content-Aware Fill panel
    9. Roto Brush and Refine Matte
  9. Layers, Markers, and Camera
    1. Selecting and arranging layers
    2. Blending modes and layer styles
    3. 3D layers
    4. Layer properties
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    8. Cameras, lights, and points of interest
  10. Animation, Keyframes, Motion Tracking, and Keying
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      4. Animating Sketch and Capture shapes using After Effects
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  11. Transparency and Compositing
    1. Compositing and transparency overview and resources
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  12. Adjusting color
    1. Color basics
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    1. Effects and animation presets overview
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    19. Detail-preserving Upscale effect
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  14. Expressions and Automation
    1. Expressions
      1. Expression basics
      2. Understanding the expression language
      3. Using expression controls
      4. Syntax differences between the JavaScript and Legacy ExtendScript expression engines
      5. Editing expressions
      6. Expression errors
      7. Using the Expressions editor
      8. Use expressions to edit and access text properties
      9. Expression language reference
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    2. Automation
      1. Automation
      2. Scripts
  15. Immersive video, VR, and 3D
    1. Construct VR environments in After Effects
    2. Apply immersive video effects
    3. Compositing tools for VR/360 videos
    4. Advanced 3D Renderer
    5. Import and add 3D models to your composition
    6. Import 3D models from Creative Cloud Libraries
    7. Image-Based Lighting
    8. Extract and animate lights and cameras from 3D models
    9. Tracking 3D camera movement
    10. Cast and accept shadows
    11. Embedded 3D model animations
    12. Shadow Catcher
    13. 3D depth data extraction
    14. Modify materials properties of a 3D layer
    15. Work in 3D Design Space
    16. 3D Transform Gizmos
    17. Do more with 3D animation
    18. Preview changes to 3D designs real time with the Mercury 3D engine
    19. Add responsive design to your graphics 
  16. Views and Previews
    1. Previewing
    2. Video preview with Mercury Transmit
    3. Modifying and using views
  17. Rendering and Exporting
    1. Basics of rendering and exporting
    2. H.264 Encoding in After Effects
    3. Export an After Effects project as an Adobe Premiere Pro project
    4. Converting movies
    5. Multi-frame rendering
    6. Automated rendering and network rendering
    7. Rendering and exporting still images and still-image sequences
    8. Using the GoPro CineForm codec in After Effects
  18. Working with other applications
    1. Dynamic Link and After Effects
    2. Working with After Effects and other applications
      1. Export After Effects project as Premiere Pro project
    3. Sync Settings in After Effects
    4. Creative Cloud Libraries in After Effects
    5. Plug-ins
    6. Cinema 4D and Cineware
  19. Collaboration: Frame.io, and Team Projects
    1. Collaboration in Premiere Pro and After Effects
    2. Frame.io
      1. Install and activate Frame.io
      2. Use Frame.io with Premiere Pro and After Effects
      3. Frequently asked questions
    3. Team Projects
      1. Get Started with Team Projects
      2. Create a Team Project
      3. Collaborate with Team Projects
  20. Memory, storage, performance
    1. Memory and storage
    2. How After Effects handles low memory issues while previewing    
    3. Improve performance
    4. Preferences
    5. GPU and GPU driver requirements for After Effects
  21. Knowledge Base
    1. Known issues
    2. Fixed issues
    3. Frequently asked questions
    4. After Effects and macOS Ventura
    5. How After Effects handles low memory issues while previewing

Control how 3D objects interact with light and shadows in your composition by configuring their cast and receive shadows properties.

Use Compositing Options of a layer with 3D objects to configure their ability to cast and receive shadows. These properties are valuable tools to define the relationships between 3D objects in your composition and how they interact with light and shadows.

Before you begin:

Create a new composition, import 3D models, and add an environmental light.

  1. In the Timeline panel, select the layer with 3D objects whose shadow properties you want to configure.

  2. Twirl open the properties and select Composition Settings to view the Casts Shadows and Accepts Shadows options.

  3. For the Casts Shadows properties, configure it by specifying the following parameters:

    • On: When you turn on the Casts Shadows option, the 3D models in the layer will cast shadows based on the environment light source in the composition.
    The Casts Shadows under the Compositing Options of a layer with a 3D model is turned on.
    Turning on Casts Shadows under Compositing Options enables the 3D models in the layer to cast shadows.

    • Off: When you turn off the Casts Shadows option, the 3D models in the layer will not cast any shadows.
    The Casts Shadows under the Compositing Options of a layer with a 3D model is turned off.
    Set all 3D objects in a layer to not cast shadows by turning off Casts Shadows under Compositing Options.

    • Only: When you specify Only, the 3D models in the layer will not be visible but will still cast shadows.
    The Casts Shadows under the Compositing Options of a layer with a 3D model is specified as Only to hide the 3D object but still allowing it to cast shadows.
    Specify the Casts Shadows option as Only to hide the 3D object in the layer but still allow it to cast shadows.

  4. For the Accepts Shadows properties, configure it by specifying the following parameters:

    • On: When you turn the Accepts Shadows option On, the 3D models in the layer will accept shadows from the assets that have Casts Shadows enabled.
    The Accepts Shadows under the Compositing Options of a layer with a 3D model is turned on to allow shadows from other 3D objects with Cast Shadows turned on.
    Turn Accepts Shadows on to allow receiving shadows from other 3D objects with the Casts Shadows property turned on.

    • Off: When you turn the Accepts Shadows option Off, the 3D models in the layer will not accept any shadows from the assets that have Casts Shadows enabled.
    The Accepts Shadows under the Compositing Options of a layer with a 3D model is turned off.
    Turn Accepts Shadows off if you want the 3D model in the layer to not receive shadows from other 3D objects that have Casts Shadows on.

    • Only - Disabled: Unlike the Casts Shadows, when you specify Only - Disabled, there are no changes in the shadows' behavior in the composition.

  5. Complete the animation workflow and export and render the composition as usual.

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