3D objects in Motion and Final Cut Pro?

Well yes, it is possible, thanks to a new plugin from MotionVFX.com called mObject.

With mObject, you can create or import 3D objects, add lighting and textures, and then manipulate them directly inside either Final Cut Pro X or Motion.

This week on MacBreak Studio, Steve Martin and Mark Spencer from Ripple Training take a look at this powerful plugin and provide some motivation for why you might want to use it.

After installation, mObject appears as a Generator in both Final Cut Pro X and Motion. After applying the generator, to create, import, and manipulate 3D objects and scenes you launch the mObject interface, which is a separate application integrated into each host.

So what can you do with mObject? One example is to integrate “true” 3D text into a scene. While you can create “faux” 3D text in Motion by using the Extrude filter that can look quite good, the illusion breaks down when you add a camera an move it around. With mObject, text is also extruded, but it can also be beveled, textured, and even curved – and it keeps it 3D characteristics as a camera animates around it.

In addition to 3D text, you can add 3D objects to a scene. mObject ships with a basic set of objects, and you can purchase additional packs based on themes like sports, music, and military. You can also import 3D objects created with other 3D applications, whether you create these yourself or purchase them from a site like TurboSquid.

You can add textures to your objects, and use different lighting setups. The objects have reflective properties, based on HDRI images that you can choose to show or hide in your scene – again, the plugin comes with a variety of images, and you can import your own.

Once your scene is constructed, it appears in your host application, where you can animate the objects and/or the camera.

Watch the episode to see demonstrations of a few of mObject's broad capabilities.