Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

how to apply filter only to the reflection of an object?

Hi,


I'm still just learning my way with Motion and now I'm trying to create a scene where I'm trying to imitate a water reflection of video footage. I create a surface on which I get the reflection on but to make it look like the reflection is on water I would need to apply some distortion filters on it. The problem is that I can't get the filter to only apply the reflection without affecting the actual object. Is there something I'm totally missing here? How can I get this thing done?

Posted on Jun 1, 2015 6:18 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jun 1, 2015 9:47 AM

Off the top of my head you will probably need to build this in a different way ( at least thats what I did a couple of months back).

I simply created my own reflection, by duplicating my object, inverting it, turning the opacity down etc. Then I added the ripple

effect to this own rolled reflection.


adam

7 replies

Jun 3, 2015 11:37 AM in response to Tontsa

After one frustrating day with Motion 5 I can now share my realization on the subject. I did managed to get the reflection done very simply by duplicating the object and choosing from Blending - Casts Reflection to No in the other duplicate and Reflection Only in the other. BUT with many hours of fiddling with my very basic skills I tried to create the ripples. First with Droplet filter and then by creating an object with replicator and putting a Bump Map filter on the "water" layer. With both of these methods I came across the same problem. They didn't work out in 3d space with the reflections. In other words I couldn't get the ripples to go on the floor even though the corresponding replicator object does so. The ripple is always facing the camera. Apparently same rules don't apply to reflections as they do for actual objects. So I think now that the only workaround for this is, like Adam said, to create the reflection myself. This just feels like a lot of extra work as I have quite many layers of video and now I must go through all of those and make the reflection by hand.


Unless someone can give some advice on how to get it done more easily.

Jun 3, 2015 8:30 PM in response to Tontsa

One of the easiest ways (but by no means the only way) is to simply create a color solid generator, rotate it -90 degrees along the X axis and scale it very large. In the Properties inspector, turn on Reflection. Enclose the Color Solid in its own group (select the color solid and type Command-Shift-G) Now, if you apply the distortion filter (there are several that do "ripple" effects, the color solid will be affected but the reflection stays "still". What you want to do is add the distortion filter to the **Group** that contains the color solid. That way, the reflected image will also be affected.


My favorite "ripple effect" is to actually add a Clouds generator. To the Group, add a Refraction filter and add the Clouds generator to the source well. You can customize the speed of the action in the Clouds generator and "temper" the effect with the Refraction controls. But try them all out and maybe combine a couple of them!


User uploaded file


As you get used to the ins and outs of Motion, it will become a very much less frustrating experience. Motion is one of the best applications of its kind for "user experience."

Jun 6, 2015 3:28 AM in response to fox_m

Hi and thanks for the reply!


That was pretty much the way I figured it out in the first place but there comes the problem I tried to explain in my second post. The ripple effect is not in 3d space but always facing the camera. So yes the reflected image on the "water" is getting the effect but the ripple is not advancing along the plane as it should be in real world. Or have I missed something completely here?


One possible solution came to my mind but I still have to find a way to test it. Is there any easy way to create a sort of tidal wave to the "water" plane not by using any but so that the actual object gets warped? I think that would also make the reflection of the video to get the wave effect and the ripple would go along the plane in 3d space. What do you think?


Toni

Jun 6, 2015 1:49 PM in response to Tontsa

(If I've misunderstood what you're trying to get at, I apologize!)


Any object or set of objects you want to apply the ripple effect to, just throw them all in the same group. Apply the bump map to the group. Create a Clouds generator and apply it to the Bump Map filter source well and turn off the Clouds (if you're not going to be using a "water" effect). Everything will ripple as if it is in crystal clear water.


In the demo below, I duplicated the 3D "text" (unicode █ character) that has a "seascape" texture applied* and moved the duplicate into the group being distorted. In the first half, the Clouds generator I used for both the "water" effect AND the bump map is visible. In the second half, I merely turned off the visibility of the layer. (The opacity of the 3D text copy is also turned down to about 34%.)

User uploaded file


If you need to "push" the "water" into a "tidal wave" type shape, you can add 1 Bulge filter per group. Center them at the top corners and adjust parameters to arrive at the affect to the scene you need. [If you need two Bulge filter effects applied, you need to select the parent group of your objects and type Command-Shift-G to enclose all of it in another group level. Apply the 2nd bulge filter to the top group level.]


The basic "rule" is: everything you want to ripple, put them all into a group or series of hierarchical groups and apply the filters to the top group layers. The effect is more effective if everything is consistently distorted across objects.


*I was experimenting with using blended textures inside the new 3D features available… I didn't feel that any real benefit is gained with this method. It is, however, possible to animate the textures applied in 3D text. I should have flipped it over for this demo to make it look like it's reflecting the back side... but it's pretty much the same as the front.

Jun 7, 2015 12:49 AM in response to fox_m

Hi,


The effect that I'm going for is that a person touches the the water and that creates a small "tidal wave" type of ripples to the water. So if you could show me how to create the effect on the water when your "ice cube" drops into the water and have some other object reflected on the water at the same time. 🙂 At the easiest I thought I would just get it done by putting Droplet effect to the group in which I have the "water" surface in which I see the reflection of the person. But there comes the problem that the Droplet effect is not growing as it would in 3d space. It is not going along the water but it's always facing the camera. In other words I can't rotate the effect -90 degrees on it's x axis. And this problem is appears only when the effect should be affecting a reflected image. Hopefully you get what I'm going for!

how to apply filter only to the reflection of an object?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.