Using the Red Giant plugin for Adobe After Effects, I show you how to create a 3D Milky Way style galaxy you can fly through.
The project file is included below. After some terrible singing and explainer at the start, I jump into After Effects and talk you through all the steps needed. First, we set up an emitter light and control its position using an expression to move it in a Fibonacci / Golden Spiral. Then we make the stars, followed by gas and finally dust as separate systems. Once completed, you have a 3D galaxy you can fly around.
Expression
Y = 0;
X = Math.sin(Math.PI*galaxySize)*Math.exp(galaxySize)*direction;
Z = Math.cos(Math.PI*galaxySize)*Math.exp(galaxySize)*direction;
[X,Y,Z]
X = Math.sin(Math.PI*galaxySize)*Math.exp(galaxySize)*direction;
Z = Math.cos(Math.PI*galaxySize)*Math.exp(galaxySize)*direction;
[X,Y,Z]
