by reduxFX·VFX
Images © reduxFX. Used for product review; image policy.
EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools earns its place in the aescripts library by turning a single ZDepth pass into three operations inside After Effects: depth-based compositing, pixel selection, and shadow projection.
A ZDepth pass stores the distance from camera for each pixel, and there is a lot you can do with that data once it reaches After Effects. EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools, from reduxFX, is a set of plugins built to make the most of a ZDepth pass rendered from a 3D application.
The set includes three tools. Z_Depth Compose composites two layers based on their depth maps. Z_Depth Cut selects pixels based on a depth map. Z_Depth Shadow projects a layer onto a depth map.
Version 1.5, released in February 2023, introduced new licensing and improved compatibility with the 2023 release. Compatibility spans After Effects 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and the CC versions back to CC 2014. A demo video is available, and the plugins are listed here as free.
EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools is best for compositors and motion artists in After Effects who render ZDepth passes from a 3D application and want to composite, cut, or project shadows using that depth data.
EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools is completely free to download and use.
EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools is compatible with After Effects 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020, plus the CC releases going back through CC 2019, CC 2018, CC 2017, CC 2015.3, CC 2015, and CC 2014. That range covers more than a decade of After Effects releases, so the plugins should slot into both current installs and older projects still running on legacy versions. Version 1.5 notes improved compatibility with the 2023 release, and an earlier update signed and notarized the build for macOS Monterey.
EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools is listed as free in this catalog. Version 1.5, released in February 2023, introduced new licensing, so for the current licensing terms and any account or activation requirements it's best to check the developer's page on aescripts before downloading. The set comes from reduxFX and covers three depth-based plugins, so confirming the details there will tell you exactly how the current release is distributed and what, if anything, you need to register first.
EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools works with a ZDepth pass, the render pass that stores the distance from camera for each pixel. You typically render this pass from a 3D application, then bring it into After Effects. From there the set gives you three ways to use that data: Z_Depth Compose composites two layers based on their depth maps, Z_Depth Cut selects pixels based on a depth map, and Z_Depth Shadow projects a layer onto a depth map.
Version 1.5 of EFX Render Elements Z Depth Tools was released on February 9, 2023, and brought new licensing along with improved compatibility with the 2023 release of After Effects. Earlier updates addressed platform and stability items: the build was signed and notarized for macOS Monterey in August 2022, and prior releases fixed 16-bit mode issues that followed After Effects upgrades. A demo video is also available for anyone who wants a closer look at the plugins.
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