BCC+ Atmospheric Glow

Category: BCC Film Style

Effect Name: BCC+ Atmospheric Glow

The BCC+ Atmospheric Glow filter, part of the BCC Filnm Style category, is a glow style mega-filter effect that brings instant atmospheric looks to an otherwise flat scene.

Based around a film glow, this effect includes 9 independently controlled groups, including volumetric light rays, a smoke/fog generator, light flickering, chromatic aberration, on-lens orbs, film grain and a vignette with color/blur options, each of which adds a new element to the scene. Many of the effect groups are auto-animating and the effect is capped with a full suite of color correction tools. This effect includes dozens of professionally designed user modifiable presets to get you started with generating some exciting atmospheric looks.

Additionally Pixel Chooser with integrated Mocha includes tools to generate geometric shapes, gradient mattes, an AI depth map generator, and an AI-powered face detection model. Integrated Matte Assist ML and Matte Refine ML, use advanced machine learning to generate and track masks.

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.

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.

The Glow Group

The glow serves as a foundation of this filter and is the basis on which the entire look is generated. As you work with the filter, you’ll find that some groups in the filter can be applied either before or after the glow stage of the effect, which can be used to generate more photorealistic or more highly stylized looks. The glow section includes over 20 different apply modes which blend the glow result back into the filtered source.

• View: Allows for the selection of the view to aid in setting up the filter.
  • Output: This is the main result of the full glow effect applied back over the input clip
  • Glow: Displays just the generated glow prior to being applied back to the input clip via the apply modes.
  • Threshold: Displays the intermediate result of the threshold setting
• Intensity: Sets the intensity of the glow result. Higher values yield a stronger glow with a total white image when this parameter is set to it’s highest value.
• Color: Sets the color of the glow. Default is white.
• Radius: Sets the radius over which the glow spreads to surrounding regions.
• Threshold: Sets the pixel values that are affected by the glow.
• Glow from Alpha: Generates the image glow from the alpha channel instead of, or in addition to, the color channels. The selection determines how the alpha glow and the color channel glows are combined.
• Glow Under Source: Determines how the glows are composited with alpha source clips – a setting of zero composites the glow on top of the source and disregards the source alpha channel, while a setting of 100 composites the glow behind opaque regions in the source but allowing them to extend out into the transparent regions.
• 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 edge pixels to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
• RGB Independent Glows: Enables independent scaling of the glow dimensions for Red, Green, and Blue color channels.
• Red Scale: Scales red glow uniformly.
• Green Scale: Scales green glow uniformly.
• Blue Scale: Scales blue glow uniformly.
• Blend Mode: Sets the apply mode that the filter uses to composite the glow over the input image. The default apply mode is “Screen”.

The Flicker Group

The flicker option emulates a flickering light source and includes a pre/post glow option - setting the flicker to pre glow will result in a flickering glow while setting it to post glow will composite the flickering light on top of the glow. Included in the flicker group is a way to control the light pulse - the smooth setting provides a smooth ramp up and down of the flickering light, while spiky generates an abrupt and fast spike of light. The light can be set to flicker randomly over the course of the effect or in evenly timed pulses.

• Enable: Enable/disable the flicker effect.
• Pre/Post Flicker: Allows the flicker to be set before the glow effect has been applied, or after it has been applied.
• Speed: Sets the overall speed of the flicker.
• Amount: Sets the intensity of the flicker effect.
• Red Amount: Sets the intensity of the flicker effect in the red channel.
• Green Amount: Sets the intensity of the flicker effect in the green channel.
• Blue Amount: Sets the intensity of the flicker effect in the blue channel.
• Flicker Type: Determines the style of flickering.
  • Smooth: Generates curved pulsing flickers that fade in and out.
  • Spiky: Generates sharp flickers that flash on and off.
  • Linear: Generates flickers that ramp up and down.
• Flicker Style: Sets the style of the flicker.
  • Brighten Only: The flicker will consist of bright flashes only.
  • Darken Only: The flicker will consist of dark dropouts only.
  • Alternate Bright and Dark: The flicker will alternate between bright flashes and dark dropouts with a flat interval between each of the bright and dark light spikes.
  • Bidirectional: The flicker will alternate between bright flashes and dark dropouts with a flat interval after the bright and dark light spikes.
• Time Symetry: Sets the timing between each flash.
• Flatness: Sets the duration of the light spike peak hold, with higher values producing a flatter curve and extending the duration of the flash.
• Flicker Randomness: Adds more variability to the flickering animation.
• Intensity Randomness: Adds more variability to the intensity of the flickering animation.
• Noise: Sets the level of noise to the animation curve, resulting in a more erratic pulsing of light.
• Noise Smoothing: Adds some smoothing to the level of noise added to the animation curve.
• Random Seed: Randomize the look of the effect.
• Curve View: View a graph of the effect over the clip or over black. Allows for easy visualization of the effect animation.
• Time View: Sets the time scale of the curve view.

The Volumetric Rays Group

The Rays option generates volumetric light rays that pull color either from the filtered source or from a user defined color. By default, the light beams will pull color from the filtered source but setting the color chip to anything other than white will override that and tint the light with the user selected color. The source for the rays can be set to use the alpha channel from the filtered source and the rays, which works great for title matte effects, and the rays can be composited over or under the source alpha. Also included in this group are screen and add blend modes.

• Enable: Enable/disable the rays effect.
• Pre/Post: Sets the rays to be generated before the glow effect has been applied, or after it has been applied.
• Blend: Sets the apply mode that the filter uses to composite the rays over the input image. The default apply mode is “Screen”.
• Position: Sets the x/y position of the source point from which the rays will emanate.
• Length: Sets the ray length.
• Brightness: Sets the brightness of the rays.
• Color: Sets the color of the rays.
• Blur: Blurs the rays.
• Threshold: Determines the amount of rays based on a brightness threshold.
• Rays from Alpha: Generates the image glow from the alpha channel instead of or in addition to the color channels.
• Rays Under Source: Determines how the rays are composited with alpha source clips – a setting of zero composites the glow on top of the source and disregards the source alpha channel, while a setting of 100 composites the glow behind opaque regions in the source but allowing them to extend out into the transparent regions.

The Smoke/Fog Group

This section is where things get more atmospheric. Fog and smoke clouds are generated in this group and depending on the pre/post option setting, the clouds can be set to interact with the rays for added photorealism. This group also features blending modes and individual parameter control over pretty much every aspect of the cloud generator - speed, color, contrast, density and more.

• Enable: Enable/disable the fog effect.
• Configuration: Determines how the fog is composited into the effect, as well as view the matte.
  • Pre Glow: Composites the smoke and fog onto the clip prior to applying the glow effect.
  • Post Glow: Composites the smoke and fog onto the clip after the glow effect has been applied.
  • Smoky Rays: Composites the smoke and fog texture into the volumetric rays.
  • View Smoke Matte: Displays the smoke matte. Disable before rendering effect.
  • View Rays : Displays the rays pixels. Disable before rendering the effect.
  • View Smoky Rays: Displays the Smoky Rays. Disable before rendering the effect.
  • Smoky Rays Tuning: Sets the black and white levels of the smoky rays.
  • Add Smoke/Fog: When Smoky Rays is selected, mixes smoke/fog effect back into the clip.

Smoke group

• Speed:Sets the overall speed of the smoke noise movement.
• Opacity: Sets the brightness of the opaqe pixels.
• Contrast: Sets the contrast between the light and dark areas of the smoke.
• Color: Sets the color of the smoke.
• Coherence: Adjusts the random movements of the smoke. Lower values will produce more random movement, whereas higher values will cause the smoke to move in a specific direction.
• Scale: Sets the scale of the smoke effect.
• Density: Sets the intensity of the smoke effect.

Fog group

• Opacity: Sets the opacity of the fog effect.
• Scale: Set the scale of the fog effect.
• Fog Contrast: Set the contrast between the light and dark areas of the fog.
• Fog Color: Sets the color of the fog.
• Level: Sets the gamma of the fog effect.
• Speed: Set the speed of the fog noise movement.
• Use Source Alpha: Applies the fog to the alpha areas of the clip.
• Blend Mode: Sets the apply mode that the filter uses to composite the fog. The default apply mode is “Screen”.
• Random Seed: Adjusts the randomness of the fog.

Prism group

The Prism group offers a way to generate chromatic aberration where the RGB light is split in a way that emulates poor quality glass or plastic lenses and is great when adding that extra level of spookiness to the result.

• Enable: Enable/disable to the prism effect.
• Amount: Sets the overall amount of the prism effect.
• Weight: Sets the smoothness of the prism with lower values generating a more visible stepped offset and higher values yielding a smooth continuous prism
• Short Color: Sets the color of the short color waves. The default is blue.
• Mid Color: Sets the color of the medium color waves. The default is green.
• Long Color: Sets the color of the long color waves. The default is red.

Grain group

The grain generator can produce auto-animating grain or static grain and there’s a checkbox option to set the grain to be RGB or B/W. Sometimes a little static B/W grain is a nice way to add a pleasing texture to the result. The Response Position, Range and Minimum parameters allow you to control where grain is added to the shot and can be thought of as a way to matte back the grain generator.

• Enable: Enable/disable the grain effect.
• Monochrome: When checked, the grain is monochrome. In this mode, only the Red Size, Red Amount and Red Softness sliders are active. Since the grain is monochrome, only one slider is needed.
• Size: Sets the size of the grain. The larger the Size setting, the larger the grain will be.

The Amount parameters set the red, green and blue intensities of the grain. Film stocks generally have varying amounts of red, green and blue intensities with the blue intensity generally higher than the rest. If you turn the red, green and blue amount sliders to a value of 0, the grain will disappear.

• Red Amount: Sets the intensity of the red grain.
• Green Amount: Sets the intensity of the green grain.
• Blue Amount: Sets the intensity of the blue grain.
• Softness: Sets the softness of the grain. Normally, only minor softness adjustments are necessary, usually between a value of 0-1.
• Response Position: Defines the portions of the image where grain will be added. A low Position value places grain in the darkest image values, while a high Position value places grain in the brightest areas.
• Response Range: Increases or decreases the area where grain is added to the image based on the value of the Position slider. A low Range value indicates a narrow range of values, while a high Range value indicates a large range of values.
• Response Minimum: Sets the minimum level of grain that is always added to the image. A Position value of 0 and a Range of 80 is typical of standard film, with grain applied to the entire range except the brightest whites with black being the most affected.

• Animate: Enable/disable animation in the grain. When enabled the grain will randomly animate to create a noise effect.
• Random Seed: Adjusts the randomness of the animation.

Orbs group

The Orbs group emulates the look of moisture on the surface of a camera lens and includes a slew of controls. The orbs can completely cover the lens surface or you can set them so that they appear on the outside edges by using the invert illumination option. Depth blurring of the orbs is included as is a way to control their brightness, color and scale. And they are auto-animatable - you can make them appear to float over the surface or they can remain static.

• Enable: Enable/Disable the orbs effect.
• Count: Sets the number of orbs in the effect
• Illumination Radius: Sets the area that is covered with orbs.
• Invert Illumination: Inverts the illumination and alters the area in which the orbs will appear.
• Falloff: Sets the feathering of the orb edge. Higher values yield a softer edge.
• Depth Blur: Sets the apparent depth blur of the Orbs in z space. Higher values make the Orbs appear to be moved out of focus.
• Depth Blur Randomness: Adds more variability to the depth blur sorting of the Orbs in z space.
• Intensity: Sets the opacity of the orb.
• Intensity Randomness: Adds more variability to the intensity of the individual orbs.
• Light Source: Sets the XY position of the light source in relation to the orbs.
• Scale: Sets the scale of the orb.
• Scale Randomness: Adds more variability to the scale of the orbs across the image.
• Color: Sets color that will be used for the orbs.
• Color Randomness. Adds more variability to the color of the orbs.
• Speed: Sets the speed of the orb movement.
• Coherence: Adjusts the random movements of the orbs. Lower values will produce more random movement, whereas higher values will cause the orbs to move in a similar direction.
• Flicker Amount: Sets the intensity of the flicker present in the orbs.
• Flicker Speed: Sets the speed at which the orbs flicker.
• Flicker Randomness: Adds more variability to timing of orb flicker effects.
• Flicker Smoothness: Adjusts the curve animation of the flickering orbs. Higher values will result in smoother animations.
• Blend Mode: Sets the apply mode that the filter uses to composite the orbs into the scene.
• Seed: Adds more variability to the starting point of the orb position on the lens.

Post Color Correct Group

A suite of color correction tools are available in this group which allows for control over the final color of the effect. Bear in mind that these controls will control the final result, including the filtered source. Every stage of the effect that is before this stage will be subject to color changes made in this section.

• Enable: Enable/disable to Post Color Correct effect.
• Hue: Rotates the hue of the image.
• Saturation: Sets the saturation of the image. Positive values saturate, negative values desaturate.
• Brightness: Sets the brightness of the image.
• Contrast: Sets the contrast of the image.
• Gamma: Sets the gamma of the image. The gamma adjustment leaves the white and black points the same and only modifies the values in-between. Positive values lighten the midtones, negative values darken the midtones.
• Temperature: Sets the color of the image to be either warmer or cooler. Dragging the slider to the right makes the image cooler (bluer) and dragging the slider to the left makes the image warmer (redder).
• Cyan/Magenta: Adds either Cyan or Magenta to the image. Dragging the slider to the right makes the image more magenta and dragging the slider to the left makes the image more cyan.
• Red: Adds or subtracts red from the image.
• Green: Adds or subtracts green from the image.
• Blue: Adds or subtracts blue from the image.

Vignette group

The last section in this effect is a vignette, which includes options for controlling the size, position and softness of the vignette as well as control over the color. And there is a blur option to produce out of focus edges.

• Enable:Enable/disable to vignette effect.
• Color: Sets the color of the vignette through the use of a standard color picker. The default color is black.
• Opacity: Sets the opacity of the colored vignette. For defocused vignettes, you may want to turn down the Opacity so you can see the defocused effect.
• Blur: Sets the softness of the image in the area of the vignette.
• Blur X: Sets the softness of the image in the area along the X axis.
• Blur Y: Sets the softness of the image in the area along the X axis.
• Roundness: Sets the roundness of the vignette. The vignette can either be circular or square or anywhere in between.
• Size: Sets the size of the vignette.
• Aspect Ratio: Sets the aspect ratio of the vignette.
• Softness: Sets the softness of the vignette edge.
• Softness X: Sets the edge softness along the X axis.
• Softness Y: Sets the edge softness along the Y axis.
• 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.