Adobe After Effects CS3 - Manual (Page 520)

AFTER EFFECTS CS3
User Guide
515
Wireframe controls
Wireframe controls fine-tune the appearance of the wireframe model. These controls don’t affect the grayscale
output.
Horizontal Rotation Rotates the wireframe preview around the horizontal axis (right and left). As you adjust this
control, the distortion of the wireframe model keeps the entire wireframe model in full view.
Vertical Rotation Rotates the wireframe preview around the vertical axis (up and down).
Vertical Scale Distorts the wireframe preview vertically so that you can see heights more easily. It doesn’t affect the
grayscale output.
Height Map controls
Height Map controls specify the appearance of the height map.
Note: While adjusting Brightness and Contrast, keep the wave surface layer between the cyan and violet rectangles. If a
peak pokes through the cyan rectangle, it clips at pure white. If a trough pokes through the bottom of the violet rectangle,
it clips at pure black. If you want to create a displacement map, try to avoid clipping because it shows up as flat peaks
and valleys, which look unnatural.
Brightness Adjusts the overall height of the water surface. Adjusting it brightens or darkens the overall grayscale
output. If you use Wave World for displacement, this control moves the surface of the water up or down.
Contrast Changes the difference between the grays of the peaks and troughs, making the difference more or less
extreme. Lower values even out the grays, and higher values create a wider range from black to white (until clipping
occurs).
Gamma Adjustment Controls the slope of the waves in relation to the Brightness. Results are visible only in Height
Map view. Higher values result in rounder peaks and narrower valleys, while lower values result in smoother valleys
and pointier peaks.
Render Dry Areas As Specifies how the water surface is rendered when a dry area exists. Dry areas are created when
a portion of the ground layer rises above the surface of the water. You can manipulate the dry area by using the
Steepness control.
This control is useful for compositing a Wave World effect into a scene. For example, you can use a precomposed
Wave World scene with transparency as a displacement map for the Caustics effect, and as a track matte for the effect
layer.
Transparency Controls the clarity of the water by adjusting how opaque the alpha channel is in shallower areas. For
example, you can easily see to the bottom of a pool filled with fresh water, but you can see only an inch or two into
a pool filled with coffee. This control is most useful when compositing a Wave World effect into another scene. For
example, you can use a Wave World composition as a source layer for Caustics, and also as a track matte for the effect
layer.
Simulation controls
The Simulation controls specify the resolution of the water surface and ground grids.
Grid Resolution Specifies the number of horizontal and vertical divisions that make up the wave surface and ground
grids. Higher values greatly increase the precision of the simulation but require more memory and increase
rendering time.
Grid Res Downsamples Reduces the internal simulation resolution when the output resolution decreases, increasing
the rendering speed. However, the result may cause the output to look significantly different.
Wave Speed Specifies how fast waves travel away from their starting point.