For some time now, Adobe has been rethinking the 3D compositing workflows in After Effects, starting with the introduction of new 3D compositing and camera controls in 2020. The workflow still relies on layers, but now there's the ability to manipulate layers within a 3D space.

The recent update appears to be the most significant addition to the toolset since the release of this version. The main stable release has integrated several new 3D features that were previously available only in separate beta versions of the program.
One of the longer-running processes in the beta version is the "native" import of 3D models. Now, users can import 3D models in glTF and GLB formats directly into After Effects without relying on third-party plugins like Element 3D. OBJ import remains in beta. Besides geometry, 3D lighting and cameras can also be imported in glTF and GLB formats.
Imported models can be rendered within the same 3D space as native cameras, lighting, and other 3D layers in After Effects using the new Advanced 3D renderer.

Announced initially in September, it represents a hardware-agnostic GPU-based rendering engine designed for high-quality rendering, unlike the existing 3D Draft preview mode. According to Adobe, it enables motion graphics artists and visualization professionals to render less complex frames directly within After Effects, without transferring them to Digital Content Creation (DCC) applications such as Cinema 4D, which is included in After Effects.

Render Advanced 3D also supports image-based lighting for photorealistic work and 2D/3D workflows to create more stylized images, as seen in the image above. The first option illuminates objects in the workspace using an HDRI environment map. It only supports the .hdr format, but you can convert images to other formats within After Effects. The second option enables using a rendered frame from a 3D model layer as a source to apply 2D effects to parts of the 3D scene.
According to Adobe, users can create "highly stylized renders using effects referencing another layer, such as Displacement Map, Vector Blur, and Calculations."

Additionally, After Effects 24.1 introduced new 3D parenting capabilities. Now, layers can be parented in 3D space by dragging limited X, Y, and Z controllers and two-axis combined 3D Gizmo controllers to more precisely position them.

It's also worth noting that beyond the set of 3D tools, After Effects animation presets have been updated. Release notes don't provide specific details, but alongside adding new presets, existing ones have been updated to "incorporate more modern design elements."

After Effects 24.1 is available for Windows 10 and higher, and macOS 12.0 and higher, only through subscription. The subscription cost for the single app After Effects is now $34.49 per month or $263.88 per year. Last month, Adobe increased prices for many Creative Cloud subscriptions.