Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual page 497

AFTER EFFECTS CS3 491
User Guide
Controls whether bubbles bounce off each other, stick to each other, or pass through each other. At a value
Repulsion
of 0, bubbles don't collide; they pass through each other. The higher the Repulsion value, the more likely bubbles are
to interact with each other when they collide.
Controls how popping bubbles affect each other. When a bubble pops, it affects other bubbles around
Pop Velocity
it by leaving a hole that other bubbles can fill, pushing other bubbles away, or popping other bubbles. The higher the
value, the more popping bubbles affect one another.
Specifies the rate at which bubbles decelerate after being released from the producer point, and controls
Viscosity
the speed of the flow of the bubbles. A high Viscosity value creates resistance as the bubbles get farther away from
the producer point, causing them to slow down. If Viscosity is set high enough, the bubbles stop. The thicker the
substance, the higher the Viscosity. For example, if you want to create the effect of bubbles traveling through oil, set
Viscosity fairly high, so that the bubbles meet resistance as they travel. To create the effect of bubbles floating in air,
set Viscosity fairly low.
Causes bubbles to clump together and makes them less vulnerable to other Physics controls like Wind
Stickiness
Direction. The higher the Stickiness, the more likely the bubbles are to form clusters and cling. Use Stickiness and
Viscosity to create a bubble cluster.
Zoom and Universe Size controls
Zooms in or out around the center of the bubble universe. To create really large bubbles, increase the Zoom
Zoom
value instead of the Size value because large bubble sizes can be unstable.
Sets the boundaries of the bubble universe. When bubbles completely leave the universe, they pop and
Universe Size
are gone forever. By default, the universe is the size of the layer. Values greater than 1 create a universe that stretches
beyond the borders of the layer. Use higher values to make bubbles flow in from off-screen, or make it possible to
zoom out and bring them back into the picture. Using a value lower than 1 clips the bubbles before they reach the
edge of the layer. For example, when you want to confine bubbles to a specific area, such as inside a mask shape, set
Universe Size a little larger than the mask size to remove all the extra bubbles and speed up the rendering process.
Rendering controls
The Rendering controls specify the appearance of the bubbles, including their texture and reflection:
Specifies the relative transparency of bubbles as they intersect. Transparent blends the bubbles
Blend Mode
smoothly together, allowing you to see the bubbles through each other. Solid Old On Top makes a younger bubble
appear to be underneath an older bubble and eliminates transparency. Use this setting to simulate bubbles flowing
toward you. Solid New On Top makes younger bubbles appear to be on top of older bubbles and also eliminates
transparency. Use this setting to make bubbles appear as if they are flowing downhill.
Specifies the bubble texture. Use a preset texture, or create your own. To see the texture, make sure
Bubble Texture
that View is set to Rendered. To create your own texture, select User Defined, and from the Bubble Texture Layer
menu, choose the layer you want to use as the bubble.
Note: The preset bubble textures are prerendered 64 x 64 images. If you zoom in above 64 x 64, the bubble appears blurry.
To avoid this, use a higher-resolution custom bubble.
Specifies the layer you want to use as the bubble image. To use this control, choose User
Bubble Texture Layer
Defined from the Bubble Texture menu. If you want the layer to appear only as a bubble, turn off the video switch
for the layer in the Timeline panel.
Note: You can use any file type that After Effects supports. If you plan on zooming in or using a large bubble size, make
sure that the resolution of the layer is high enough to avoid blurring. Remember, this doesn't have to be a normal bubble.
You can make blood cells, starfish, bugs, space aliens, or flying monkeys. If it's a layer in your composition, it can be a
bubble.