I'm working processing games asset files and as a part of this I have to mimic 3D animations with flat assets; letters spinning in the round for example. I can fake this up pretty good using the faux 3D features of AFX but I cannot take advantage of that for the final export - I'm are limited to scaling, rotating, and transparency of the sprite sheet assets.
How I've been using this technique is to throw layers into depth and then rotate them providing a clear depth cue. I then bake the animation (a script keyframes every single frame) and turn off the 3D switch. This works to a point. (Notice the 'edge assets when seen edge on faking the 3D feel of the letters) What is missing from this is the foreshortening effect that happens in a 3D space as an object rotates. To get around this shortcoming I've been manually scaling the image to squish it in the direction of the rotating. That way I get a little bit of parallax motion and with the squashing and stretching it comes out as a reasonable facsimile of a 3D rotation.
The problem is this is very limited - of course. Works great for a simple wiggle or even full rotation on the X-axis, or the Y-axis, but not both. Both it gets tricky to keep it looking believable. The example here looks fine, but more complexity and it breaks.
Does anyone know of a script or technique that can bake in the visual foreshortening as a scaling factor?
Am I asking too much of After Effects?