Create the 3D Earth with after effect

First of all we need to get a decent picture of our planet, I've downloaded the 1417x969 PSD picture, that should be enough for our current project. If the page is down for whatever reason, you can download the Picture I've used Adobe Photoshop to make Alpha Channel.

Let's begin with adobe after effect .

- Create a new composition, in our case 360x288 with a length of 4sec.

- Import World.psd After Effects will ask you what you want to do with the Alpha Channel, just click on OK

- Ok, now just drag and drop your map to the timeline and fit it to comp height

-apply Drop Shadow effect with Distance 11

select the layer and go to Effect --> Perspective --> Drop Shadow

- Make new sold with Medium Gray-Royal Blue color or as you color prefer, make opacity to 30% .

- Put your tow layer in one comp (pre-comp) use shortcut ( ctrl + shift + C ) and write name of comp like as "world comp".

- Select the new composition layer ("world comp") and apply Grid Effect with following parameter

- apply the CC Sphere Effect, make radius to 251

Effect --> Perspective --> CC Sphere

- Make new layer (Null) and apply Angle Control Effect

Effect --> Expression Control --> Angle Control

- select layer "world comp" from timeline and expand effect for select Rotation Y value and press on it ( Alt + shift + = ) to Add Expression, Now drag and drop ( Expression pick whip ) to Null layer - Angle Control - angle wheel, Now the Null layer become Master layer and when change angle wheel will change every wheel links with it.

- Add key frame on (Null layer - Angle Control - angle wheel) from 0 sec( the Rotation Y value to 0x+0.0°) to 4 sec(change the Rotation Y value to 1x+0.0° ) on timeline.

-Now you can duplicate the layer "world comp" to three layer and make rectangle mask in different part for each layer ( the three layer duplicate), also increase the radius from CC Sphere Effect for each layer (the three layer duplicate) and change the mode to Pin light.

-Make New Adjustment layer and apply Glow Effect and change value to following

- Apply Glow Effect for other layer and change value as you like

- Make Background (you can use express background by Browse Presets and apply to select new solid layer).