3D Reflector for After Effects

FALLOFF
 

There are many surfaces that don't fully reflect the items above it. For example, hardwood floors reflect, but only to a point. The further away from the floor an object is, the less it reflects. You can simulate such an effect with the Falloff parameters in Reflector. Set the Falloff Starting Point and Distance, then select the Falloff checkbox. Update your scene to see the effect.
 

VAMPIRES
 

There will be occasions where you don't want every layer to show up in your reflective surface. Sometimes it's for a desired effect (like the Vampire image below). Other times it's because a layer just doesn't look right in the reflected area. The Hide 2D Layers parameter takes care of many distracting layers, but there may be 3D layers that need hiding has well.
 

If you hide the parent of a bunch of layers, all of the children will be hidden as well.
 

TIPS & TRICKS
 

Here are a few details that could help you understand how Reflector works.
 

• The Reflector Comp - When you press the Update button, Reflector creates a duplicate of your Comp, modifies the duplicate, and adds it as the last layer in your Comp (hidden). Reflector uses (and requires) this Comp in order to calculate the reflection image. If the Reflector Comp is missing, you'll see a checkerboard. Click the Update button to regenerate the Reflector Comp.
   
• Update - Whenever your scene changes (you move a 3D layer, you add a light, you change the camera, etc.), you'll need to click the Update button again. Otherwise, the reflection may not match your scene. In other words, keep your Reflector Comp in sync with your main Comp by pressing the Update button. It's a good idea to do this before rendering your final scene.
   
• Reflecting Zaxwerks 3D - When you first apply Reflector, the Hide 2D Layers option is checked, so your Zaxwerks layers (Invigorator, ProAnimator, 3D Flag, 3D Layer/Grid Warp) may get hidden initially. Uncheck the Hide 2D Layers option and click the Update button to see the Zaxwerks layers reflected.
   
• Dense Floors - If the reflection doesn't look sharp, or it has jaggies, you may want to create a denser floor. For example, if you floor is 500x500 pixels at a scale of 100%, you can make it more dense by changing it to 2000x2000 with a scale of 25%. This keeps the floor the same size, but increases the number of pixels Reflector has to work with.
   

LIMITATIONS
 

While Reflector works with most of your existing scenes, there are a few caveats.

1. In order to calculate reflections, we create a duplicate Comp and move the camera. We do our best to keep the integrity of the scene, but this operation may cause the reflections to not look right if the camera is animated in a non-standard way. Note that keyframed cameras and cameras animated with expressions should work.
    
2. Only After Effects 3D planes can be reflective. Make sure you apply Reflector to 3D planes (images, movies, solids, etc.).
    
3. Most effects applied to your layers will show up in reflections, but some may not, or may not look right.
    
4. Adjustment layers may or may not look correct.
    
5. Due to how reflections are calculated, some reflections may not look perfectly lined up. Use the Adjust X/Y parameters to correct any alignment issues.
    
6. Since we move the camera in the duplicated Comp, some undesired objects may show up in or block the reflection. Use Vampires to hide unnecessary or unwanted layers.
    
7. You cannot have reflections of reflections, but you can have multiple reflected surfaces in a single Comp.
    

Limitations of Reflector with other Zaxwerks 3D products
 

This section refers to Zaxwerks 3D plug-ins, including:
 

• ProAnimator
   
• Invigorator PRO and Classic
   
• 3D Flag
   
• 3D Warps
   

Zaxwerks 3D plug-ins are usually applied to 2D AE planes. If you check the "Use Comp Camera" checkbox, the 3D image will integrate into your 3D AE scene. Therefore, you can use Zaxwerks 3D products with Reflector.
 

However, be aware that since you apply the effects to 2D layers, you'll need to uncheck the Hide 2D Layers parameter. Use Vampires to hide other 2D layers.
 

Also, note that Falloff doesn't work with Zaxwerks 3D products. This is due to how we calculate Falloff.
 

3D Reflector Plug-in for After Effects

• This plug-in only works in Adobe After Effects.
• It is not compatible with any other host.

Macintosh

• Host: Adobe After Effects CS3 - CC 2014.
• Intel Mac Only
• Mac OS X 10.5.8 (must use After Effects CS5 - CS6)
• Mac OS X 10.6 - 10.11 can use After Effects CS3 - CS6 and After Effects CC 2014.
• A video card that supports floating point calculations.

Windows

• Host: Adobe After Effects CS3 - CC 2014.
• Pentium 4 or better
• Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10
• A video card that supports floating point calculations.

Version 2.0.3 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS6 and After Effects CC
• Optimized to be faster than ever in After Effects CS6
• Fixed the Disk Cache Compatibility Issue in After Effects CS6.

Version 2.0.2 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Fixes an issue with the reflections not updating properly.

Version 2.0.1 Update

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Compatibility with OSX 10.7 Lion
• Fixes the User Account Controls (UAC) issue on Windows.

Version 2.0.0 - Major Release

• Compatible with After Effects CS3 - CS5
• Compatible with Windows XP and above / OSX 10.4.11 or above
• 16 and 32 bit Color Rendering.
• New Composite mode that make reflections look better, especially when creating reflections in bright surfaces.
• Improved Stability.
• Fixes an issue where the reflections could be offset.
• Fixes an issue where the reflections may not show up properly depending on the layer ordering.

Version 1.5.1 Update

• Compatible with After Effects 6.5 - CS4
• Automatically turns off the audio in any Reflector pre-comps, to prevent audio distortion.
• Now respects masks on the reflective planes, so that reflections only appear where there is a surface.
• Updates the Reflector Updater script to be compatible with CS4.