BCC+ Displacement Map

Category: BCC Warp

Effect Name: BCC+ Displacement Map

The BCC+ Displacement Map filter, part of the BCC Warp category, uses the luminance or color information from an alternate video or still image track (the Map Layer) to displace the pixels in the source image horizontally and vertically. This filter creates a distorted version of the source whose distorted regions correspond to the luma or color channel of the Map Layer’s media.

Distortion maps may be selected from factory installed greyscale images, or any custom png, jpeg or tiff image.

Additionally, an included Glitch function, provides a way to generate unique glitchy displacement map results.

Working with the Filter

FX Editor and Presets

Use the FX Editor to load or save presets for reuse.
To load a preset: Open the FX Editor, select a preset from the Presets panel, and click Apply to return to the host application.
To save a custom preset: While in the FX Editor, click the Create Custom Preset icon in the parameter list, enter a preset name, and click Done. Additionally, a custom preset can be saved from the main menu bar by selecting File->Save Preset.
To import custom presets from another drive: While in the FX Editor, select File->Import Preset from the main menu bar.

Effect Controls

Mocha Mask and Track

Continuum effects include integrated masking and matte tools that allow you to restrict the effect to specific regions of the image.

Mocha masks: used to create custom spline masks. Mocha also includes Matte Assist ML and Matte Refine ML, which use machine learning to generate and track masks.
Pixel Chooser: used to generate geometric shapes, gradients, or mattes based on channel, luma, or color-based selections. Additionally, an AI depth map generator, and an AI-powered face detection model allow for precise control of masks and mattes.

Note: Mocha can also be used to drive geometric parameters. See the Mocha Motion Tracker documentation for details.

For more information, see Mocha and Pixel Chooser.

Compare Mode

The Compare Mode is used to view the filtered result alongside the original source layer. Several split-screen and side-by-side display options are available.

For more information, see Compare Mode.

Beat Reactor

The Beat Reactor is an audio-driven animation system that links effect parameters to an audio track. This allows visual effects to react dynamically to sound without manual key-framing.

For more information, see Beat Reactor Documentation.

View: Displays the view output from the filter.

Output: Displays the final rendered result.
Map Source: Displays the unfiltered map image.
Processed Map: Displays the filtered map image.
Horizontal Map: Displays the horizontal displacement pixels.
Vertical Map: Displays the vertical displacement pixels.

Map Type: Determines what the filter uses for the displacement map.

Layer: Selects a layer from the timeline to use as the displacement map image.
Displacement Map: Selects an image preset from the installed displacement map images.

Map Layer: Determines which layer in the timeline is used to create the distortions in the filtered image.
Browse Maps:Launches the FX Editor to select a preset map image.
External Map:Launches file browser to load a custom image map.
Watch Folder: Sets a watch folder which helps the filter finding a missing external image files when migrating the project to other systems.
Display File Info: Displays the file path information over the source image.

Map Transform Group

Crop: The map can be cropped by adjusting the various crop parameters.

Top: Crops the map from the top down.
Bottom: Crops the map from the bottom up.
Left: Crops the map from left to right.
Right: Crops the map from right to left.

Corner Pin: The map can be corner pinned by adjusting the Corner Pin sliders as well as dragging the four points on the corners of the screen.

Upper-Left: Controls the X and Y position of the Upper Left Point.
Upper-Right: Controls the X and Y position of the Upper Right Point.
Lower-Right: Controls the X and Y position of the Lower Right Point.
Lower-Left: Controls the X and Y position of the Lower Left Point.

Note: You may need to zoom the image out a bit to see the corner points. In addition, to see and adjust the corner points in After Effects, make sure that the effect title in the Effect Controls window is highlighted. For Final Cut Pro, you must activate the cross hair icon next to the corner position parameters to see and adjust the corner points on the screen.

Position: Sets the position of the map image along the horizontal and vertical axis.
Position Z: Sets the position of the map image along the z axis.
Scale X: Sets the horizontal scale.
Scale Y: Sets the vertical scale.
Gang Scale: The Scale X and Scale Y slider values can be linked together. When enabled, the scale parameter will not display individual X and Y parameters.
Tumble: Tumbles the image along the horizontal axis.
Spin: Spins the image along the vertical axis.
Rotate: Rotates the image.
Shear X: Skews the map image left and right.
Shear Y: Skews the map image up and down.
Anchor X: Defines the point on the X axis around which position, rotation, scaling or shearing takes place.
Anchor Y: Defines the point on the Y axis around which position, rotation, scaling or shearing takes place.
Anchor Z: Defines the point on the Z axis around which position, rotation, scaling or shearing takes place.
Camera: Sets the position of the map image in relation to the camera along the horizontal and vertical axis.
Camera Z: Sets the apparent distance of the map image to the camera.
Filter: Sets the filtering method when applying a transform to the map image. Mitchell is the default, however a number of additional filtering options are available.

Triangle: The Triangle filter is not the highest quality, but fine for scaled images.
Quadratic: Quadratic is like triangle, but more blur with fewer artifacts. It offers a good compromise between speed and quality.
Cubic: Cubic is the default filter in Photoshop. It produces better results with continuous tone images, but is slower than Quadratic. If the image contains fine details, the result may be blurrier than desired.
Catmull-Rom: This produces good results with continuous tone images which are scaled down, producing sharp results with fine detailed images.
Gaussian: Gaussian lacks in sharpness, but is good with ringing and aliasing.
Mitchell: A good balance between sharpness and ringing, Mitchell is a good choice when scaling up.
Sinc: Keeps small details when scaling down with good aliasing.

Filter Softness: Sets the blur level of the filtering.
Edge Mode: Transforming the source image can create instances where there are areas along the edges of the frame where no image appears.

Transparent: Disables edge handling. No image appears along exposed edges of the frame.
Repeat: Repeats edge pixels to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
Reflect: Reflects pixels back into the result to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
Wrap: Wraps the edge pixels to the edge of the frame to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.

Map Processing Group

Pre Blur: Sets the amount of blur applied to the Map Layer.
Blur Threshold: Softens the Map Layer before computing the displacements.
Map Black Level: Sets the channel values of the map that are output as pure black. All pixels whose value is lower than the Map Black Level value become pure black.
Map White Level: Sets the channel values of the input image that are treated as pure white by the filter. All pixels whose value is higher than the Map White Level value become to pure white.
Map Gamma: Sets the midlevel gray values of the input image by adjusting the gamma. Increasing Map Gamma lightens the shadows and reduces contrast. Decreasing Gamma darkens the shadows and increases contrast.

Glitch Group

Glitch On: Enables the glitch parameter controls.
Global Seed: Sets the global random seed for all glitch groups.
Glitch Intensity: Sets the global intensity for all glitch groups.
Intensity Randomness: Sets the random seed for the global glitch intensity.
Interval Randomness: Randomizes the global glitch Interval.
Glitch Duration: Sets the length of the glitches in time.
Duration Randomness: Randomizes the Glitch Duration.
Duration Mode: Determines the type of duration.
- Actual: The actual length of the glitches in time.
- Average: The average length of the glitches in time.
Edge Mode: The Shift and Shake features described below can create instances where the image is offset so there are areas along the edges of the frame where no image appears during Glitches.

Zero: Disables edge handling. No image appears along exposed edges of the frame.
Tile: Repeats edge pixels to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
Reflect: Reflects pixels back into the result to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result. This is the default setting of the filter.
Clamp: Locks the edge pixels to the edge of the frame, to generate stretched opaque pixels along the edge of the result

Note: Each individual group below includes its own Interval Seed, and varying those seeds between groups allows for varying the timing between the different Glitch components.

Block Damage Group

Block Damage Intensity: Used to adjust the amount of blocks on screen during a glitch.
Block Minimum Intensity: Allows for forcing a minimum amount of blocks for the glitch duration.
Block Run Length: Controls the number of blocks between gaps. A value of zero generates completely independent blocks. A value of 100 generates one run of blocks with gaps on either side.
Block Size: Determines the size of the blocks.
Pattern Amount: Increases or decreases the percentage of the Blocks displaying a Pattern.
Pattern Opacity: Sets the opacity for the Patterns.

Shift Group

Shift Group Intensity: Used to adjust the overall strength of the shift distortions during a glitch.
Shift Peak Position: Defines at what point within the duration of the glitch shows the most shift, with zero being the beginning of the glitch, 100 the end, and 50 the midpoint.
Line Duplication: Artifacts where horizontal lines of pixels are duplicated and positioned adjacent to each other vertically. This creates the appearance of vertical stripes in areas of the image.
Shift Amount: Increases or decreases the peak horizontal Shift and Jitter amount in the shift animation that occurs over the duration of the glitch.
Density: Sets the density of Shift bands on screen during a Glitch.
Run Length: Controls the number of shifted lines between gaps.
Skew: Defines the peak horizontal Skew amount in the shift animation that occurs over the duration of the Glitch.
Jitter: Adds an additional randomized horizontal shift to each line (1 pixel horizontal band) within the Shift band.

Displacement Group

Displacement: Sets the amount of blur applied to the Map Layer.
Horiz Channel: Determines the channel in the Map Layer used to compute horizontal displacement. White treats all of the pixels as if they were white (i. e. fully displaces each pixel to the Max. Horizontal value). Gray treats all pixels as if they were 50% gray (resulting in no displacement). Black treats all pixels as if they were black,.
Horiz Displacement:Sets the amount of horizontal displacement for pixels in the Map Layer. Positive values move points that correspond to white pixels in the Map Layer to the right; points that correspond to black pixels displace to the left. Negative values displace pixels in the opposite direction (white pixels move to the left and black pixels to the right). The displacement of gray pixels is interpolated between these values. 50% gray pixels undergo no displacement, because they “pull” equally in both directions.
Horiz Refrerence Level:Sets the channel value where no displacement occurs.
Vert Channel: Determines the channel in the Map Layer used to compute vertical displacement. White treats all of the pixels as if they were white (i. e. fully displaces each pixel to the Max. Horizontal value). Gray treats all pixels as if they were 50% gray (resulting in no displacement). Black treats all pixels as if they were black,.
Vert Displacement:Sets the amount of vertical displacement for pixels in the Map Layer. White pixels are displaced up by this amount, and black pixels are displaced down by this amount. The displacement of gray pixels is interpolated between these values. 50% gray pixels undergo no displacement, because they “pull” equally in both directions.
Vert Refrerence Level:Sets the channel value where no displacement occurs.
Red Amount: Sets the amount of red pixels applied to the Map Layer.
Green Amount: Sets the amount of green pixels applied to the Map Layer.
Blue Amount: Sets the amount of blue pixels applied to the Map Layer.
Edge Mode: Determines how edges of the filtered frame are handled.

Transparent: Allows the edge of the result to become transparent.
Repeat: Repeats edge pixels to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
Reflect: Reflects pixels back into the result to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
Wrap: Wraps pixels back into the result to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.

<li><span class="param-name">Post Offset:</span> Offsets the map layer after displacement has been applied.</li> 
<li><span class="param-name">Post Scale:</span> Sets the scale of the map layer after displacement has been applied.</li>  
</ul>

Pinning Group

The BCC Distortion Pinning controls are used to fine tune edge treatment in situations where a distortion effect might cause regions from outside the image edges to be remapped inside the boundary.

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Mix with Original: Blends the source and filtered images. Use this parameter to animate the effect from the unfiltered to the filtered image without adjusting other settings, or to reduce the effect of the filter by mixing it with the source image.
GPU Rendering:Specifies how the effect is rendered.
- Default: Uses product-wide default of 16 bit half-float GPU rendering.
- 16 Bit Float: Manually force 16 bit half-float GPU rendering.
- 32 Bit Float: Manually force 32 bit full-float GPU rendering.
- Disabled: Forces CPU rendering.