Physics-Based 3D Car Drift in After Effects

In this tutorial, learn how to create a 3D car drift animation directly inside After Effects using Newton 4.

Author Notes

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create a 3D car drift animation directly inside After Effects. We will combine 2D physics simulation with 3D model integration using a hybrid workflow.

First, we use the Newton plugin to simulate the car drifting and interacting with the kinetic text. Then, we import a 3D car model using the Advanced 3D renderer to replace the 2D guide. Finally, we synchronize the 2D simulation and the 3D scene using camera property links for a perfect match.

You can find the full step-by-step text tutorial on the Motion Boutique website: https://www.motionboutique.com/learn/physicsbased-3d-car-drift-in-after-effects

Get Newton for Adobe After Effects: https://aescripts.com/newton

Questions or feedback? Feel free to join the Motion Boutique Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/rVppmqXzmw

00:00 - Intro

00:35 - Scene Preparation

01:17 - Creating the Trajectory

02:22 - Drift Physics

04:06 - Interaction with Letters

09:16 - Integrating the 3D Model

11:11 - Lighting & Environment

13:38 - Camera Synchronization

15:31 - Conclusion