BCC+ Polarizer

Category: BCC Color & Tone

Effect Name: BCC+ Polarizer

the BCC+ Polarizer filter, part of the BCC Color & Tone category, simulates the effect of polarizer filters on footage. The greatest use of polarizing filters is to achieve a darkened, deep blue sky. Our digital version of the Polarizer is designed to do just that. Through the use of a matte and an adjustable gradient, the color of the sky can be adjusted.

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.

• View: Allows you to set the viewer to display various outputs for the filter.
  • Output: Shows the default look of the BCC+ Polarizer filter on the image.
  • Matte: Shows the matte. Useful when determining the range of the pixels used in the effect.
  • Grad: Shows the gradient. Useful when determining the look of the gradient used in the output.
  • Sky: Shows the pixels isolated to the sky. Useful when determining the range of pixel values used in the output.

  Sky Group

  Color Correct controls are provided to adjust the sky.

  • Hue: Rotates the hue of the sky.
  • Saturation: Adjusts the saturation of the sky. Positive values saturate, negative values desaturate.
  • Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the sky. Positive values brighten, negative values darken.
  • Contrast: Adjusts the contrast of the sky. Positive values increase contrast, negative values decrease contrast.
  • Gamma: Adjusts the gamma of the sky. 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 temperature of the sky. Dragging the slider to the right makes the sky cooler (bluer) and dragging the slider to the left makes the sky warmer (redder).
  • Red: Adds or subtracts red from the sky.
  • Green: Adds or subtracts green from the sky.
  • Blue: Adds or subtracts blue from the sky.

  Temperature Group

  Applies a warming filter to the image.

  • Color: Sets the color through the use of a standard color picker.
  • Opacity: Sets the opacity of the warming or cooling.
  • Preserve Highlights: Preserves the white areas of the image.
  • Exposure Compensation: Exposure Compensation adds back the brightness loss as a result of the warming or cooling.

  Matte Group

  • Hue: The Polarizer isolates the sky using a matte based on a blue hue. Use the Hue eyedropper to select the exact color of the sky if you are not seeing enough polarization.
  • Range: Increases or decreases the range of values in the hue matte. A low Range value indicates a narrow range of values. A high Range value indicates a large range of values included in the matte.
  • Blur: Sets the softness of the matte by using a quality blur.

  Grad Group

  The Polarizer can optionally use a gradient that limits where the filter is applied. For instance, if the polarization is affecting areas other than the sky, enable the Grad and adjust it to limit the areas of polarization.

  Grad is the transition area between the colored portion and the original image. Its direction, corners and size can be adjusted.

  • Enable: Turns the grad on and off.
  • ND Brightness: Darkens the colored portion of the grad.
  • Type: Controls the direction of the grad.
    • Top-to-bottom: The direction of the grad is from top to bottom.
    • Bottom-to-top: The direction of the grad is from bottom to top.
    • Left-to-right: The direction of the grad is from left to right.
    • Right-to-left: The direction of the grad is from right to left.
    • Horizontal Strip: Horizontal strip grad.
    • Vertical Strip: Vertical strip grad.
  • Size: The size of the grad.
  • Angle: The angle of the grad.
• Corner Pin:The grad can also 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.