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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects Blur away from 3D plane?

  • Blur away from 3D plane?

    Posted by Eric Barker on June 30, 2014 at 11:05 pm

    Interesting problem, not a big deal, but something that could be useful. I’m trying to create some realistic looking reflections in a translucent surface. I’ve got a precomp with the continuous raster switch on, and it holds a bunch of 3D layers. In the parent comp, I’ve duplicated it with the second copy set to -100% z-scale to create the reflections. What I’d like is for the reflections to blur the farther away they get from the z-axis, as reflections would typically do the farther away from a reflective surface. Typically I can fake this with a compound blur, but all the internal 3D layers are at different points, so this isn’t an option here.

    Any theories on how I could make it blur the farther away from a 3D plane that’s not the camera? Sorta sounds like a job for the Ray-trace engine, I know, but this is in classic 3D.

    Television Producer
    KTVF-11 Fairbanks, Alaska
    video.ericbarker.com

    Eric Barker replied 12 years, 1 month ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • Brian Charles

    June 30, 2014 at 11:26 pm

    Would this free plug-in help? It includes an adjustable blur.

    https://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/reflection_plug-in/

  • Eric Barker

    July 1, 2014 at 12:41 am

    Wow, that was PERFECT, thanks! I had to put it on every 3D layer inside the precomp, but then I just made two versions of the precomp, one with only reflections and one without reflection, and then just set the opacity of reflection comp below. Amazingly CPU efficient! I’m working with about 80 3D layers here, two duplicates of Element 3D with a very complex model (giant puzzle split into pieces), constant animation and camera movements, and things are still really screaming! The reflection precomp barely added a CPU hit at all! Andrew is amazing!

    Television Producer
    KTVF-11 Fairbanks, Alaska
    video.ericbarker.com

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