Skip to main content
_
_robert7007_
Participant
January 5, 2009
Question

Realtime Refraction in photoshop?

  • January 5, 2009
  • 1 reply
  • 1074 views
I know how to produce a refraction effect in photoshop cs3 but,
is there a technique or plug-in that can be used to create a real time refraction that will adapt to the background image its refracting when ever its changed or moved.
Or do I have to keep sampling the image I want to refract into the object doing the refraction each time I want to change the background image.

I want to set an effecting that behaves similar to the the windows aero theme on vista, as a window in vista moves it refracts whatever its on top of.
Can I set up something like this in photoshop so i don't have to keep sampling the background where my refraction object is over and manually refracting it with filters?

Is this possible?
This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 6, 2009
Im not sure if the Scripting-forum is really the best place for the question.
Could You link to an example of what You mean exactly?

Anyway if one makes the whole of the background (however many layers that are) into a Smart Object one can create a Displacement Map for use with Filter  Distort  Displace and apply that to either the original SO or a copy thereof (possibly masked or Clipping Masked to a foreground object) and on editing the SO the displacement will be applied to the result.
The thing to keep in mind is that Displacement Maps can work with two channels to affect the horizontal and vertical offset separately and that black and white in a channel mean positive and negative offset.
Which means that is possibly for example to create an approximation of a lens-effect by creating an rgb-file of a circle with a 50%-grey center and 12-, 3-, 6-, 9-oclock-points (so to speak) measuring at 128/255/128, 0/128/128, 128/0/128, 255/128/128.
Reflections and shadows could be achieved with Layer Styles or Adjustment Layers
All in all the method is not that easy, but it might come close to what I think You had in Mind.

Edit:
Maybe You could check this out: http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorial/displace/
Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices