Glassy look?

[Kalleheikki Kannisto]

Another solid atop the footage with a gradient from deep blue to orange/brown, blend in Screen mode, lower opacity to 25-50%. That is, if you are not planning on 3D animating the glass.

[Jerry Smith]

Thanks. I should have been more specific. In different projects, I have different solid backgrounds. They are pretty much just like the blue background here on this creative cow web page. How can I take each one and give it a nice glassy look? I played around with a gradient. I played around with a light flare. But I’m not sure what is the BEST way to do it. And I’m not really very good with After Effects despite being 1000 hours in. 🙁 So, if you could spoon feed me what effect to use and how to use it for an arbitrary color, that would be what I need.

The background is 2D and doesn’t move. I have some moving infinitely thin rotating (3d) translucent white solids on top. I would like to give them a similarly glassy look.

I did a search, but all the glassy effects that come up are much more advanced 3d things. I’m just going for the super high tech look that you see on cell phones like in the link.

Thanks!

[John Cuevas]

Without getting into massive reflection maps, something simple might be the CC Light Sweep, to fake a specular highlight.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
ThinkCK

“I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
—THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb.

[Jerry Smith]

Did they use reflection maps for that cellphone app?

Is there any kind of plugin I can buy?

I’m a bit surprised there isn’t some effect called “Reflective Glass” that you can just slap onto solids. Or again, “Brushed Metal”; I see guys construct a brushed metal look using noise and several steps.

[John Cuevas]

Along with the gradient, maybe add a bit of noise. Perhaps a directional blur with a small blur amount, 2 pixels.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
ThinkCK

“I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
—THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb.

[Kalleheikki Kannisto]

Just to derail the conversation, in my view this approach looks more glassy than a plain colored gradient:

iPhone illustration

That would be a semitransparent layer with a masked white-to-transparent gradient overlaid in screen mode.

[John Cuevas]

I think in his initial post and link he’s not talking about the phone, but the background layer.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
ThinkCK

“I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
—THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb.

[Jerry Smith]

Thanks John,

So you say I should use CC light sweep, a gradient, noise, and then a directional blur? So four effects?

I’m sorry, but I’ve really only used a few effects. I’m a time re-map master, but a novice with almost everything else.

What effect do you use for the gradient?

[Jerry Smith]

Thanks Kalle,

I was asking about the brown that is right around the round white head shots. You mentioned brown in your first response, so you seemed to know what I was asking about.

But, to be 100% clear, I’m asking what the app designer for that brown app would use in AE to make that app assuming he started with some kind of brown solid or at least a brown hexidecimal number. Assume he can’t use Photoshop or another program.

[Kalleheikki Kannisto]

I only see a radial gradient between two colors there. (Effect>Generate>Gradient Ramp).

The background is a 4-color gradient (Effect>Generate>4-Color Gradient).

You can bring in the reference image and pick the colors from it.