How to create spinning objects in After Effects
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In After Effects go to Composition/New Composition.
Choose the preset of your choice. We are going with HDTV1080 29;97, background color black and then Click OK.
We are ready to bring in our planet. We are using a flat planet map of the earth. Nasa.gov has planet maps and anything from NASA does not have a copyright.
File import your flat map into your project panel and then drag it in to the timeline.
Click on the picture name in the timeline and then type CC Sphere in the Effects & Presets panel. Double click on the CC Sphere effect. What’s very cool about this effect is that if your map is drawn correctly you will not have a seam where the left and right edges meet.
Your map is starting to look like a planet. You can go to the Effect Controls panel and twirl open light and change the light height to your liking.
To make your planet spin twirl open rotation in the Effect Controls panel.
Then click the stop watch on Rotation Y.
Then move your timeline indicator to the end of the timeline.
Go back to the effect control and replace the 0x on Rotation Y with the number of your choice. We are using 3x.
You should now have a rotating planet. NASA also has public domain pictures of star fields which you can download and place beneath your planet in the timeline.
