Glass

Glass is a Distortion effect.

What it does

Bends what is behind a shape, as a piece of glass would. Put straight on a shape, text or image layer, it bends what is behind that layer, in the layer’s own outline; the layer is then drawn as an adjustment layer, and its other effects work on what is behind it too. On an adjustment layer the outline is the layer picked in Shape layer, or with none picked, a built-in rounded rectangle or ellipse.

Parameters

Parameter	Control	Range	Default	Unit
Shape layer	Layer	Any layer in the composition	None	-
Shape	Dropdown	Shape layer · Rounded rectangle · Ellipse	Shape layer	-
Shape channel	Dropdown	Alpha · Luminance · Inverted alpha · Inverted luminance	Alpha	-
Centre X (%), Centre Y (%)	Slider	-50 to 150	50	-
Width	Slider	0 to 4000; any value by typing	800	Pixels at composition size
Height	Slider	0 to 4000; any value by typing	450	Pixels at composition size
Corner radius	Slider	0 to 1000; any value by typing	90	Pixels at composition size
Shape rotation	Dial	Any angle	0°	Degrees
Refraction	Slider	0 to 100; any value by typing	50	-
Depth	Slider	0 to 200; any value by typing	30	Pixels at composition size
Dispersion	Slider	0 to 100; any value by typing	25	-
Frost	Slider	0 to 100; any value by typing	0	Pixels at composition size
Splay	Slider	-100 to 100; any value by typing	0	-
Magnify	Slider	-100 to 100; any value by typing	0	-
Magnify falloff	Slider	0 to 100	100	-
Effect scale	Slider	0.1 to 4	1	-
Edge highlight	Checkbox	On or off	On	-
Rim width	Slider	0.5 to 40; any value by typing	3	Pixels at composition size
Light angle	Dial	Any angle	315°	Degrees
Light intensity	Slider	0 to 200; any value by typing	60	-
Tint	Colour	Each channel 0 to 1	White	-
Tint amount	Slider	0 to 100	0	-

In the Effect Controls panel:

• Shape channel is editable while Shape is set to Shape layer and a layer gives the outline.
• Centre X (%), Centre Y (%), Width, Height, Corner radius and Shape rotation are editable while Shape is a built-in shape, or no layer gives the outline.
• Corner radius is editable while Shape is not Ellipse.
• Rim width is editable while Edge highlight is on.

What each control does

• Shape layer: the layer whose outline the glass takes, on an adjustment layer.
• Shape: Shape layer takes the outline from a layer, and Rounded rectangle and Ellipse draw a built-in shape.
• Shape channel: what of the layer’s picture makes the outline.
• Centre X (%) and Centre Y (%): the middle of the built-in shape, as a share of the frame.
• Width and Height: the size of the built-in shape.
• Corner radius: how round the rectangle’s corners are.
• Shape rotation: turns the built-in shape.
• Refraction: how strongly the glass bends what is behind it.
• Depth: how far in from the edge the glass rises to its full height.
• Dispersion: splits the colours where the glass bends, blue more than red.
• Frost: blurs what is behind the glass.
• Splay: pushes the bending away from the middle, or towards it below 0.
• Magnify: enlarges what is behind the glass, or shrinks it below 0.
• Magnify falloff: how much Magnify fades towards the edge.
• Effect scale: scales Depth, Frost and Rim width together.
• Edge highlight: a lit outline round the glass, and a highlight on its bevel.
• Rim width: how wide the lit outline is.
• Light angle: where the light comes from. 0° is above, and it turns clockwise.
• Light intensity: how bright the edge light is.
• Tint: the colour the glass is multiplied by.
• Tint amount: how much of the Tint is given.
• Mix: how much of the result replaces the original.
• Matte and Invert drive the strength of the effect from another layer’s brightness; see Effects.

Related

• Lens distort
• Displacement map
• Distortion
• Effects