Matrix Ripple Effect

NieblerProductions · Post by **NieblerProductions** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 4:44 am

I'm working on a movie and i would like to an effect similar to in the later Matrix movies where Neo prepares for his "flying" and the ground does sort of a ripple effect underneath him out to the sides. Does anyone know how to do this? I got a whole bunch a programs just let me know.. Thanks

U.S.Amateurfilmaker · Post by **U.S.Amateurfilmaker** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 5:17 am

distort the ground maybe with a mask? Or some heavy duty composting.

Syras · Post by **Syras** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 5:24 am

lol heavy duty composting - dont forget to turn the soil once a week
it would probly be easier to take photos on set and then go into something like maya and composite it in there, using the photos as textures and reference.
u might need a camera tracking program too (i have never used one so i cant give much advice on that)

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 1:00 pm

On the Matrix, they use 3D modelling software to create the backgrounds, which is why they can apply the funky gardening effects!

TXFilms · Post by **TXFilms** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 2:39 pm

What you could do, step by step is this.
First, Get a shot of the area without the actor. (in fact, always do this. every time. Without question.)
Then, get them on a green screen doing the actions. Then go into After Effects (Very important program. If you have a bunch, and you dont have this, then you need more.) Put the video of you actor in, then key out the green (fairly simple but can take a long time getting all the settings right.) Then put in the backplate of the scene. There is a ripple effect that simulates water. Just put that on the backplate and animate the settings... Viola. Fin. You done.

insert_coin · Post by **insert_coin** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 4:55 pm

no the ripple effect has lighting interaction... the ripple effect in AE will just distort the image... what you will need to do is take a digital camera and take a hi res photo of the ground surrounding the actor... then in 3d software add a distortion map to a plane with the photo you took applied to it then render it out and then composite your actor in the scene and mask his feet when the ripple goes in front of his feet

Famous · Post by **Famous** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 12:42 am

No i don;'t know what ur talking about
I dont care much for Matrix or Neo.
Famous

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 1:50 am

ok, heres what i think...
Create in 3d your basic set, sappose your in an ally for example, Creat the ground, the buildings and such. you dont need to texturing great, just enough where there is a lot of contrast, then make an animation where your ripple is going to go through the ally...then take that animation bring it into your AE comp, and use the displacement map effect, set the displacement as the ripple animation
http://www.creativecow.net/articles/ham ... index.html that tutorial works the same way, your just applying it to a different situation

insert_coin · Post by **insert_coin** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 6:03 am

no u see displacement map just distorts the image... you need to model and animate the ripple on a texturemapped plane to distort the image with lighting interaction... look i made this little animation to show you that there is lighting differences not distortion.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~corkill/aa ... ripple.mov
im using quicktime from now on...

okay notice that the ripple has lighting interaction so a displacement map is out of the question because it will look too 2d and it is a 3d effect so a distortion map is out of the question... ill go out now and do a real test and show you what i mean... wait a while and ill show you how to do it.

insert_coin · Post by **insert_coin** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 6:56 am

okay ive made a video of a shot of the sidewalk out the front of my house lol now the clip first shows the distortion map applied and it doesnt look right at all... then the next part of the clip is the 3d distortion applied... looks just like the movie... i suggest you do it this way instead of a displacement map in AE
http://members.iinet.net.au/~corkill/aa ... ompare.mov

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 2:32 am

I think they both look good, depends on your tastes...but i do think the second one is better, so i stand corrected

Twabi2 · Post by **Twabi2** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 3:59 pm

can you tell us how you did it exactly, insert_coin?
i'm going to try to replicate it with a moving image

insert_coin · Post by **insert_coin** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:47 am

its a displacement map applied to a sub divided plane in some 3d software... i wont say which program i used cause all 3d programs can apply displacment maps so just create an animated ring in AE and apply it to the flat plane and your done...

V|Esquilaxer · Post by **V|Esquilaxer** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 12:09 am

Wow, that's amazing. You are some real talented guy, considering that 3d distortion looked exactly like the one in Matrix Reloaded!

insert_coin · Post by **insert_coin** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 5:00 am

lol wasnt exactly hard... *blushes*

V|Esquilaxer · Post by **V|Esquilaxer** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 5:44 am

Ohhh come on... You should really use your power (knowledge) to make others become knowledgeable about supposedly "easy" 3D Fx. Could you write a tut on this?

Or is this how u did it:

-Made a Torus (donut) to increase size on 3dstudio..
-SOMehow implement that behind layer of the original
-apply some effect
-done?

jlitjens · Post by **jlitjens** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 6:16 am

there is a modifier in 3DS MAX called "ripple". I think insert coin just animated the value of that to make the plane move. Am I right? Am I right?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 7:12 pm

and to prove that you can do this in any 3d program, i made this in BLENDER in about 5 min...
http://austinkimler.freeservers.com/0001_0050.avi
granted it is not finished, but still it is the same thing...if you want me to finish it i will...

V|Esquilaxer · Post by **V|Esquilaxer** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 9:52 pm

How do you implement that into a video file (.ave sidewalk)??

insert_coin · Post by **insert_coin** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 1:49 am

guys i dont even use 3dsmax. its a horrible program in my opinion. just because something is 3d doesnt mean its always max... i always am saying im a lightwaver and people still think im a maxer its weird... and uhh that torus thing? thats a litle to complicated and to just modify a modifier wont give you very good results because the ripple increases in size at the start then thickens and fades as it gets bigger. for animation like that i used a displacement map that was animated in after effects... that way i can make any custom ripple i want. just gives me more control than a modifier. have fun

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:09 pm

Ill bet he just use the video as a texture, that is if he used video, cause he could have just used a still picture

Justin · Post by **Justin** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:02 pm

Insert Coin, thats looks pretty good. I'm fairly new to cgi, but I do have access to 3d studio max, and I own AE. I'm trying to figure out this displacement thing. I tried to animate a ring(the color black,) on a grey background, then using that as a displacment map. But I can't get it to work. Do you think you could give step by step instructions, then I can just convert that to max(since you use Lightwave).
The 3d one looks 150 times better than the AE distortion.

V|Esquilaxer · Post by **V|Esquilaxer** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 5:02 am

Austin wrote:Ill bet he just use the video as a texture, that is if he used video, cause he could have just used a still picture

Yeaah mon, make a plan shape, add the material (.avi or picture) then magically somehow add the ripple modifier to animate the surface ripple, still i am having problems...

Using 3dstudio, cannot replicate the way it looks like in yours or the Matrix's.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 1:48 am

here, i finished the Blender Version
http://austinkimler.freeservers.com/mat ... ndwarp.avi
i use the same image as insert coin...
but since blender works a little different, i couldnt do exactly what insert did, so the camera angle is a little different...

V|Esquilaxer · Post by **V|Esquilaxer** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 4:46 am

Austin wrote:here, i finished the Blender Version
http://austinkimler.freeservers.com/mat ... ndwarp.avi
i use the same image as insert coin...
but since blender works a little different, i couldnt do exactly what insert did, so the camera angle is a little different...

How could you do that on 3dmax, i dont have Blender or Lightwave, It was hard for me to get 3dmax ($$$) and I'd like to utilize it.

Using 3D Max 5. Im trying to modify a plane textured with material from a bitmap of an .avi. I apply Ripple modifier, but I have problems animating it to create on 1 ripple enlarging..