FlDepthOfFieldPluginForAfterEffectsFree ~UPD~
How to Use FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free
If you are looking for a way to create realistic depth of field and focus effects in your 3D footage, you might want to try FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free. This plugin is a fast and easy solution that uses a depth buffer to blur pixels based on their distance from the camera. You can also customize the lens aperture shape, the highlight intensity, and the background distortion to match your desired style. In this article, we will show you how to use FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free and what benefits it can bring to your post-production workflow.
FlDepthOfFieldPluginForAfterEffectsFree
What is FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free?
FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free is a plugin developed by Frischluft that simulates the depth of field effects that happen in real optical devices. Depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects that are in focus in a scene. It is heavily used in photography and film as a style element to draw attention to certain subjects or create a sense of depth and realism. In computer graphics, DOF is usually generated using ray tracing techniques, which increase rendering times considerably. FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free allows you to create DOF effects as a post-process, which means you can apply them after you render your 3D footage, saving you time and resources.
How to Use FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free?
To use FL Depth of Field Plugin for After Effects Free, you need to have a depth buffer for your 3D footage. A depth buffer is an image that stores the distance information of each pixel from the camera. You can generate a depth buffer in your 3D software or use a third-party plugin like ZDepth or EXRTrader. Once you have a depth buffer, you can follow these steps:
Import your 3D footage and your depth buffer into After Effects.
Create a new composition and drag your 3D footage layer into it.
Duplicate your 3D footage layer and rename it as Depth.
Apply the FL Depth of Field effect to the Depth layer. You can find it under Effect > Frischluft > FL Depth of Field.
In the effect controls panel, set the Source Layer to your depth buffer layer.
Adjust the Focal Point parameter to set the distance where you want your scene to be in focus.
Adjust the Focal Range parameter to set how much of your scene is in focus around the focal point.
Adjust the Iris Shape parameter to change the shape of the lens aperture. You can choose from several presets or use a custom image.
Adjust the Highlight Intensity parameter to boost the brightness of out-of-focus areas.
Adjust the Background Distortion parameter to add subtle distortions to the background when there are blurred objects in front of it.
You can also animate any of these parameters using keyframes or expressions to create dynamic DOF effects.