Does Illustrator have a comparable tool to displacement map

[roncurington]

The displacement map found in Photoshop is a really cool feature. I'm creating a flag in illustrator and I want to make it waving so I need to create the folds in the flag. I've found that the displacement map in Photoshop does a good job of this. is there a comparable means of doing this in Illustrator

Illustrator CS 6

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Use an envelope mesh to do the distortion

You can then copy the envelope and convert it into a gradient mesh in order to do the shading.

[DougKatz]

Monika, in your example, have you set the gradient mesh on top to Multiply mode? Or another blending mode? Or did you use another way to overlay the gradient mesh shading on the enveloped flag?

[Monika Gause]

I have used Multiply.

It's just a quick example.

Could be improved by not using black and maybe you could also work with different blending modes.

[DougKatz]

Thanks. Of course you did it only as an example and not as finished work – this I understood and it really isn't the point. The point is that this is a very clever way to approximate a displacement map. So thanks.

[Monika Gause]

Thank you, Doug.

It's not my idea, I picked it up elsewhere.

[DougKatz]

Hah! Well, interesting point you raise about credit and responsibility. Most every idea is "picked up elsewhere." But I picked this one up from you. So I know who I'm grateful to.

[tromboniator]

My gratitude list for Monika is extensive.