How to make it without Freeform by Digieffects…?

[John Cuevas]

Check out this tutorial from Mathew Fuller, Ted took Fuller’s original idea and expanded upon it by using Freeform.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
Thinkck.com

“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.

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

You probably have CS6 since Free Form was included with AE up until 5.5.
You can get Free From V2 for $99 from Mettle or even better if you have the cash get FreeForm Pro.
The technique I describe uses displacement maps (grayscale images)- so any other plugin that uses that may be of use, although I am not aware of any that does as good of a job as fast as the Mettle plugins do.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Darby Edelen]

[Tudor "Ted" Jelescu] “The technique I describe uses displacement maps (grayscale images)- so any other plugin that uses that may be of use, although I am not aware of any that does as good of a job as fast as the Mettle plugins do.”

You can sort of do it with the built-in Displacement Map effect and some expressions applied, but it won’t work nearly as well as Freeform.

Apply the Distort > Displacement Map effect to the footage you want to displace. Point it to the grayscale height map that defines the layer’s heights. Set the Horizontal and Vertical displacements to something large like 50, then apply this expressions to the Max Horizontal Displacement:

try{
h = Math.abs(value);
c = thisComp.activeCamera;
cp = fromWorld(c.toWorld([0,0,0]));
p = toWorld(anchorPoint);
v = p - cp;
x = radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(v[0],v[2]));
y = radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(v[1],v[2]));
linear(x, -90, 90, h, -h);
}
catch(err){
0;
}

And this expression to the Max Vertical Displacement:

try{
h = Math.abs(value);
c = thisComp.activeCamera;
cp = fromWorld(c.toWorld([0,0,0]));
p = toWorld(anchorPoint);
v = p - cp;
x = radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(v[0],v[2]));
y = radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(v[1],v[2]));
linear(y, -90, 90, h, -h);
}
catch(err){
0;
}

If you need more displacement you can change the underlying values of the Horizontal and Vertical displacements (these define the maximum displacement).

You’ll notice that this only really works if you’re looking at the front of the layer, and not close to parallel along its surface. These are just the shortcomings of cheating it with this technique 🙂

Darby Edelen

[Duca Simone luchini]

HiJohn, I’just made it but water effects in really better in the other tutorial by Jelescu, using freeform.

THX!

[Duca Simone luchini]

Hi Ted, I replied in “Comment” about your tutorial 3D_from_2D_Image_Using_Displacement_Maps): I didn’t understand how have you made a displacement map of a surfer in Photoshop. About freeform and similars, all is clear now.

Many thanks!

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

I promised a tutorial and it’s coming in this new year- it may take a week or two but I’ll get to it- till then- Happy New Year!

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Duca Simone luchini]

Great Ted,
that’s fine!
Happy new year and best regards!

[Duca Simone luchini]

Hi Ted,
I’ have trapcode partucular suite and inside that there is Form:

https://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/trapcode-form/features/#tabs

I’m not sure but maybe this plugin can make the same work as Freeform…

[John Cuevas]

It doesn’t, form is a different animal all-together.

Johnny Cuevas, Editor
Thinkck.com

“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.

[Duca Simone luchini]

Ach… sin!