Can you put in and animate 3D models in After Effects exactly like in this video?

Question

From 1:25 to 1:30.

I want to do something like in this video where the 3D models of candies float up, swirl around together, shoot out to the viewer, and then land softly on a pile of itself. I was wondering if After Effects can be used to accurately recreate this scene?

If writing in detail of each action is too long/time-consuming, can someone at least explain how to do the swirling "tornado" effect? That is my biggest question.

For reference, I found a site that sells the exact 3D candy models used in the video above.

https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/candies-obj/1006028#

Answer 1

Combining camera footage with generated objects is called compositing.

The candy scene could be created in three steps:

1. The girl was filmed ahead of a green screen. Green parts of the footage made transparent.
2. 3D scene was created with background furniture and the candies flying – in Cinema 4D or any other 3D package. It was rendered to a movie clip A. And the frames with candies flying towards the viewer rendered with transparent background to clib B.
3. AfterEffects or other compositing package was used to combine the three layers (front to back): clip B, green screen, clip A.

Answer 2

Yes, you can do exactly that and lots more with this awesome plug-in - Element 3D for After Effects (Not free though). You can import 3D models from various programs, create primitives and 3d extrusions based on shape layers and texts right inside of After Effects with cool lighting.

Check the plug-in out and you'll be driven to buying and using it yourself. There are tons of possibilities with that plugin.

Answer 3

Yes, this can be done in After Effects, but I can suggest to use specialized 3D software, like 3dsmax. Here you will get much more tools to manipulate models and motion. Tornado effect can be done with particle systems and their "gravity systems", it much more easy than animating every candy.