CC Glass Bump Map WILL NOT WORK

[Infinity_Prism]

Hello,

I am currently working on a project and when I use CC Glass on a footage layer and then try applying a bump map from another layer, nothing happens.

CC Glass definitely works when I apply it to the footage but then once I apply a bump map, the glass effect disappears and nothing happens.

I have tried it on a regular footage layer and a pre composed layer and it does not work either way.

[Mylenium]

Screenshots, exact settings.

Mylenium

[Infinity_Prism]

Thanks for your fast reply

So this is a new project, not the original one, but its doing the same thing.

I presume you mean comp settings?
If so:

[P.M.B]

no, he did not mean composition settings.  In order to try to tell you why CCGlass is not recognizing your "bump map",  the setting we'd need to see would be the CC Glass settings (which you presumed)  but also your "bump map".

Is your "bump map" black and white? Is it the same dimensions as the comp it's sitting in?

[Infinity_Prism]

As far as i'm aware, in CC Glass, all I have to do is set the Bump Map to the desired layer (which you can see I have done in provided pictures) but once I apply it to that layer, nothing.

Am I missing something?

[P.M.B]

Infinity_Prism  wrote

Am I missing something?

Am I?

[Infinity_Prism]

The layer I am attempting to use as a bump map is just a solid which has the same dimensions as the original footage and composition

[P.M.B]

I asked you two really simple questions.  You're wasting my time.

[Infinity_Prism]

Here is The images of everything you requested, the bump map is not in B&W.

[P.M.B]

The problem is not that

'CC Glass Bump Map WILL NOT WORK'

the problem is that you do not know what a bump map is

Bump mapping - Wikipedia

[Colin Holgate]

These posts, being short and lots of images, have been delayed in the moderation queue. I've been following along and giving them permission to post. I'm not an AE novice, let alone expert, but here's two thoughts:

Because of the moderation queue it seemed at times like a question had been ignored. It hadn't, it just got here late.

Not sure about AE, but elsewhere bump maps are usually 8 bit grayscale.

[P.M.B]

Apparently he/she is using a completely white solid for their "bump map"

[Infinity_Prism]

It is a masked white solid, after wondering why it wouldn't work I looked up a few tutorials and this tutorial ALSO uses a completely white solid: VIDEO COPILOT | After Effects Tutorials, Plug-ins and Stock Footage for Post Production Professional...

Go to 7:10 for the section where he simply applies CC Glass and uses a White Solid.

[Colin Holgate]

It's nice to come and visit here for a change! The video was interesting. One thing you may not have noticed is that he sets the bump map to the alpha channel of another video. That is effectively an 8 bit grayscale image, that happens to be animated.

[Infinity_Prism]

Oh wow.... I can't believe I missed that... thank you all so much for your time and I am very sorry for wasting your time!

[Infinity_Prism]

Ok so i'm sorry but I adjusted it to the alpha channel and still nothing...
I've noticed that when I use CC Glass on the footage layer it does not stylise the footage anywhere near as much as the linked video...

Could using 4k footage cause issues in that sense?

[Colin Holgate]

What is the video that you're using as a bump map? Does it have an animation against a transparent background?

[Infinity_Prism]

So in the original effect, what I am essentially trying to do is make the tip of the blade look as if it is under the talents skin, I originally masked around the tip of the knife then set that as the bump map (purely the original but masked footage)... nothing. (I then copied the mask and applied it to a white solid, nothing again)

I then found the previously linked tutorial so I followed it almost exactly (I did not use a tracker or null, perhaps that may be the issue? I don't know) by creating white solids and masking an Ellipse and animating it to move, Still, the bump map does not set in CC Glass.

Masking an object then animating it to move is animation against a transparent background, right?

I hope this made sense

[Colin Holgate]

As I mentioned, I don't really know AE, but I do know about images and alpha channels. I would not expect an image with a masked layer to make it look transparent would be seen as a valid 8 bit grayscale, unless you had rendered it as 32 bit video and imported that file to use as the bump map. If you recreated the look you want for the sword in Photoshop, then export that as a 24 bit with transparency PNG, and use the alpha channel of that images as the bump map, it ought to work.

Having said that, I don't know if you can point to the alpha channel of a still image like you can with a video.

[Szalam]

In the current version of AE, if you are referencing another layer from your effect, that layer looks at the other layer's source. That is to say, if you have masks or effects on the layer you're referencing, you won't get results from those masks or effects. Precompose your referenced layer (and MOVE ALL ATTRIBUTES into the precomp). Then reference that precomp in your effect. It should work as you expect.

[Stan Jones]

Also, at 3:30, he changes the white solid to an oval. So it is not just a white solid.

[Infinity_Prism]

My white solid was also an oval.

[P.M.B]

I'd have to disagree as I asked both questions in the same post & only one was replied to.

Still having never showed  the bump map I am assuming that

apparently he/she is using a completely white solid for their "bump map".

I apologize for having wasted your time by having to have you approve all these posts.

It's just that I strongly believe that being forced to exert a bit of effort in ones own education is a valuable thing whether it's appreciated or not.

Hence the link to start them on their journey of finding out what exactly a bump is.

[Infinity_Prism]

The settings of CC Glass are just the default settings, the only setting I have change is the directory of "Bump map" (Which you can see pictured)

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi Infinity_Prism,

With the info that you got from our forum experts, did you complete the effect you wanted to create? Please let us know as it sounds like you have some very good instruction here. If you still need help, also let us know.

Thanks,
Kevin