3D (?) problem in After Effects

[massimou]

Ok.. so I'm making a movie, and in one scene a guy is supposed to walk towards a space ship. I have a 3d modeled space ship in .mov format. If I open the .mov file I get a still picture which I can rotate to see the ship from every angle. The question is, how can I make the ship move around in After Effects, or do I need some other program for that?
Right now, when I import the ship to AE I just get a still picture where the ship isn't moving at all (only when I preview it, it just spins around, but I can't control the way it rotates, which I want to control).

[guns1inger]

The mov file you have is a VR file, which can only be played in quicktime to get the 3D effect. After Effects isn't really built to do what you are trying to do. You need to model the ship in a 3d program, do a rotation for the camera and render a set of stills of the ship rotating, then use these in AE to create the illusion you are after. Where di the ship come from ?

[massimou]

Some site... Don't remember which..

[massimou]

What 3D program recommend?

[guns1inger]

There are many. Some are free - blender has a good reputation, although it's interface can be very confusing. Most commercial 3D apps are expensive, or have free versions that watermark the image. My preference is 3D Studio Max from Autodesk (aka Discreet), although Cinema4d is probably the best of the budget programs.

Be warned - 3D is not for the faint hearted, and takes time to learn. Don't expect instant results. Be prepared to do a lot of learning.

[massimou]

A friend happened to have Cinema 4D, so borrowed it from him. But now I wonder.. How do I import the VR file into the program?