How Do You Do A Glossy Floor Reflection Effect?

Visions of Domino · Post by **Visions of Domino** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:07 am

If this isn't easily achievable with MOHO, I would not mind exporting the moho file to be edited in another program, Flash, Premiere Pro or whatever else can do this (providing I can get my hands on the program). So all tips welcome.

All I want is to create a ball like character (but more complicated), which I would animate, say, bouncing around and making use of bones. In the final video, I want him to look like he is bouncing on a glossy white floor (you can see a faded reflection of him), all on a white screen. So, like a web2.0 logo, but animated, if you get what I mean.

How would I go about doing this?

Thanks,
VoD

Bones3D · Post by **Bones3D** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:40 am

I would try putting the elements you want reflected into a group and duplicated it, then flip the duplicate group layer vertically. After that, translate the layer down until it matches the bottom of the original layer and set the opacity of the layer to 50%.

This should create a somewhat convincing effect.

Visions of Domino · Post by **Visions of Domino** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 6:32 am

Ya, that's what I was thinking. But I guess the real problem is how to fade-out the reflection. I can't seem to get a gradient mask in MOHO (possible?)... and Premiere's masking sucks (barely works).

Bones3D · Post by **Bones3D** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 6:57 am

As for a fade out reflect, the only way I see of doing this internally, is to create a shape in another layer with a black to white gradient and overlay it on top of the original shape with the blending mode set to "screen" in the layer option. Then, place this layer and your reflection shape into a layer group... using the reflection shape to mask the gradient. Finally, set the group layer to 50% opacity.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:47 am

If you don't mind the render time...

a little bit of blur on the reflected layer would look kind of nice. You wouldn't be able to "fade" the blur so it should be subtle.

-vern

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:06 am

Bones3D wrote:As for a fade out reflect, the only way I see of doing this internally, is to create a shape in another layer with a black to white gradient and overlay it on top of the original shape with the blending mode set to "screen" in the layer option. Then, place this layer and your reflection shape into a layer group... using the reflection shape to mask the gradient. Finally, set the group layer to 50% opacity.

Sounds right.

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:50 am

I also like to put a "fade" effect over a floor reflection. This would be easier if the gradient fill allowed you set the alpha channel's opacity - well, to qualify that, it does allow you to set it, but it doesn't actually do anything with it! Or am I overlooking something?
In other software I have used, I am used to being able to create mattes with variable opacity and that is how I have created nice looking floor reflections. Does anyone know a way to do that in Moho other than importing a png file created externally?

Jeff

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:52 pm

You can sort of... cheat... with a shadow on a layer.

A soft edge shadow (shadows tab on the layer properties) will be used as a mask... with a bit of... tweaking... you could possibly create a gradient kind of mask using a HUGE gigantic offset shadow on a layer.

This is a blue box with a big layer masking it that has a 256 blur shadow with a 100 offset.

Also a soft edge effect will be used in the mask.

I used this type of thing with some fur experiments I was trying out. I had a soft edge "hair" shape to fade out to other shapes in layers each behind the other... creating a kind of soft layered furry... thingy.

-vern