BlurMaster (After Effects version): Tutorials & Tips
BlurMaster is applied like any plugin effect in Adobe After Effects (Windows, CS5 or later). (NOTE: We currently have no MAC plugins for After Effects, but may soon! Click here to be notified.) Simply drag-and-drop BlurMaster onto a timeline layer, from the Pixelan folder of the Effects and Presets panel of After Effects. See below for the basic steps to using this plugin. In a few minutes of seeing the below and then experimenting with the BlurMaster plugin, you will have much of the creative power of BlurMaster at hand for your projects. Note that all of this info is also available offline (for users who do not have Internet-connected editing stations) by clicking the FX Help button shown below.
BlurMaster Easy Steps
(1) Choose which layer you are transitioning to or from, using the Layer menu. It can be any layer in the comp; its Video switch can even be off. If the layer has effects or masks, precompose the layer first. If None is selected, BlurMaster will reveal lower tracks -- and some controls (like Blending) will have limited functionality.
(2) Set the transitions's progress over time, using the Progress control. A typical linear transition is 100 to 0 at a layer’s head, or 0 to 100 at the tail. To ease-in/out or hold the transition, add additional keyframes or select a handy preset in the Progress Presets menu. Presets say "HEAD" or "TAIL" to indicate which side they are most appropriate for.*
Note: To take full advantage of BlurMaster extras complete (1) and (2) before the next steps.
Click here to visually choose from over 750 pre-made blur transitions (plus saved favorites) in an animated Effects Browser window. Click Recent to quickly load a recently used preset. Click Menu to quickly load an effect via a pop-up menu. Or Standard for an Open dialog box.
To create a new effect or to modify a preset...
(3) Use the Blur Clip 1/2 sections of the plugin to adjust main blur settings. To quickly try pre-made settings, click the Section Presets button -- a Pixelan exclusive!
(4) If needed, untwirl other sections of the BlurMaster plugin to fine-tune further. Add blends, mix in a subtle iris or linear shape to influence the transition’s progression.
* COOL TIP: To save time positioning section preset keys where two AE layers overlap: Make sure the Layer control in BlurMaster is set to your overlapping layer (i.e. the other half of the transition), then choose a Progress preset within BlurMaster. The Progress keys will automatically be placed in just the overlap. Thereafter, you can choose any other section preset and its keys will likewise be correctly placed within the Progress keys. To temporary turn off this feature, Control-click a section preset.
You’re done! To save the custom BlurMaster transition you've created for future use, click the Save button. A
standard Save dialog will appear. We recommend saving in the "My effects" subfolder provided.
BlurMaster Saved Settings and Presets
Choose from over 750 pre-made professional effects in BlurMaster. There are THREE ways to access presets -- Effect Browser presets, AE Animation presets, and Section presets.
Effects Browser presets
This is the most powerful and visual way to access presets and is where HUNDREDS of transition presets are located. Click the Click here to load a preset... button at the top of BlurMaster (as shown by the smiley in the above illustration) to open a wonderful large Effects Browser window to visually choose/compare from over 750 pre-made presets (including those you have made and saved for future re-use). (1) Main presets use the same blur for clip 1 and 2 and are equally good for either transition between two clips or for a single clip head/tail use. (2) Presets in "More Presets for Between 2 Clips" folder use different blurs for clip 1 and 2 or some features not available with a single clip and will look complete only when applied between two clips. (3) The "Section Presets" folder contains over 200 pre-made blur presets for Clip1 ONLY and Clip 2 ONLY. These presets change ONLY controls in ONE Blur section of BlurMaster. Use presets in this folder to quickly and easily combine different blurs for clip 1/2 and make hundreds of new blur transitions. The Effects Browser is shown below. To save your own custom presets in the Effects Browser, use BlurMaster controls to set up the desired look, then click the Save button in the main BlurMaster control area.
Time-saving tips to load presets faster:
The Effects Browser is fast, but sometimes you may already know which preset you want to use, such as when you are applying the same preset repeatedly in a project. In that situation, selecting a preset by one of the following methods can be faster... To see recently chosen Effects Browser presets, click the Recent button. For a drop-down menu of Effects Browser presets, click the Menu button. To use a standard Open file dialog box, click the Open button.
Handy tips while working within the Effects Browser:
• To scroll through presets in a folder while keeping your eye on the top preview image for comparison, click in the right panel then use left or right arrow keys.
• To increase/decrease the thumbnail image size, use the Size button at the bottom of the Effects Browser.
• To copy a favorite preset into the My Favorites folder located atop the left column of preset folders, right-click any preset image and choose Copy to My Favorites. To copy the preset into a subfolder within that folder (such as if you want to organize presets per project or per client), right-click the preset and choose Copy to My Favorites >> [new subfolder]. You can then name the subfolder as desired. After the subfolder is created, it will also appear in the right-click menu.
• To rename a preset that is in the My Favorites folder, right-click the preset there and choose Rename this preset. To remove a My Favorites preset, right-click and choose Delete this preset.
• To hide any preset, right-click the preset and choose Hide this preset. To show all hidden presets in a folder, right-click any preset in that folder and choose Restore all hidden presets here. To temporarily view the folder's hidden presets, which can be handy if you just want to momentarily browse them, choose Temporary show hidden presets.
• To toggle between viewing the source file image and the BlurMaster preset, click the top large preview image in the Effects Browser.
Section presets
Our handy Preset menus for each section opens a quick menu of presets that change only the values in that section of BlurMaster controls. Use this unique feature to quickly and easily make hundreds of new effect variations. For example, try different Blur presets for Clip 1 and Clip 2 without affecting what you have set up in the other controls of BlurMaster. NOTE: In Blur sections you can make even a two-step adjusments. Select the "main" Blur settings from some submenu with a prefix "Step 1" and then try the offset presets in "Step 2 - Add Offset" submenu.
AE Animation presets
If you prefer, you can save BlurMaster presets as animation presets in the usual place within After Effects, by selecting BlurMaster, then choosing Save Animation Preset from the Animation menu in After Effects or from the Effects & Presets panel menu.
Detailed Help on Each BlurMaster Control
LayerChoose which layer you are transitioning to or from. It can be any layer in the comp; its Video switch can even be off. If the layer has effects or masks, precompose the layer first. If None is selected, BlurMaster will reveal lower tracks -- and some controls (like Blending) will have limited functionality.
Progress Control the transition's progress over time, typically changing in value from 0 to 100. A typical linear transition is 100 to 0 at a layer’s head, or 0 to 100 at the tail.
Blur Clip 1/2
Adjust the main BlurBlender controls. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
NOTE: If Layer>None is selected - only Blur Clip 1 is active.
Blur Type. Choose the Blur type. To turn a standard blur into a linear blur, use the Stretch slider below. To turn a radial blur into a spin or spiral blur, use the Stretch and Angle sliders below.
Size. Sets the maximum blur strength. To create extreme blurs, manually enter a value greater than 100. NOTE: BlurBlender automatically varies the blur strength so that the transitions always start/end with a crisp image. You not need to keyframe the blur strength from/to 0%, unless you want to modify the blur progress.
Stretch. To stretch a blur into a linear, spin, or radial blur, adjust towards 0% or 100%.
Angle. Set the direction of a linear, spiral, or offset blur.
Blur Offset. For linear blurs, the Offset controls can create wind trailing effects. For radial blurs, rays and various spin and zoom effects can be created. See the section presets in "Step 2 - Add Offset" submenu for examples. NOTE: If the Stretch control above have value of 0% or 100% only one of the Offset directions will be active.
Cross Style Cross blurs are available to blur in two perpendicular directions and blend the results, creating various crosshatch textures. For this effect, set the Stretch slider towards 50%.
Radial Blur X/Y. Position the radial blur center point.
Blending
Optionally use Photoshop-like blend modes and glows in this section to create new looks.
NOTE: If Layer>None is selected, some blending modes can produce irregular visual results. In this case, set the Blending slider to 0%. Tip: You still can use modes like Lighten and Darken to alter the transition brightness, experiment with Blending values outside the 0-100% range and use Glow conrols.
Blend Mode. To fine-tune the blur, choose a Photoshop-like blend mode. To see these blends, make sure that the Blending control below is not 0.
Blending. Set the opacity of the blend mode above. 100% is pure blending, for unusual looks, enter values outside the 0-100% range.
Glow. Optionally add a glow to enhance the effect.
Glow Size. Increase to spread the glow further into darker areas.
Glow Color. Select the glow color using the eyedropper or color controls.
Glow Mode. Set how the glow mixes into the images. "Add" tends to brighten or tint towards the chosen glow color. "Overlay" replaces the image with the chosen color.
Shape Mask
Use this section to conform the blur to a shape. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
Shape. Choose a shape from several geometries.
Strength. Set how strongly the blur conforms to the chosen shape.
X/Y Position. Position the shape within the image by dragging the center point. If "Linear" is selected, you can adjust its angle by moving the center point. For more precision, enter numerical values.
Text/Alpha FX For titles and source clips with an alpha channel, this sets the alpha channel processing. "RGB blur" affects only RGB channels. "RGB blur within alpha" retains sharp frame edges in clips that are smaller than the project's frame size. "RGBA blur" variations are handy for text blur since the alpha channel is also blurred.
