Filter for surface-tension / gel / metaball effects?

HL
Posted By
hanford_lemoore
Oct 15, 2003
Views
578
Replies
10
Status
Closed
I’m looking for a filter that can easily connect items together with a water surface-tension effect.

See this image for example, I’d like to have the 2 items on the left to be processed so they kind of meld together in a smooth way, like the items on the right, except for even smoother:

<http://www.hanfordlemoore.com/photoshop-gel.gif>

I know this can be done with expand/contract/smooth but I’d like cleaner effects than that.

Anyone know of a filter that does this?

Thanks,

Hanford
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HD
hot_denim
Oct 16, 2003
Has no intelligence of its own, but is built into photoshop and could be of some use; the Liquify command
O
Ol__Whozit
Oct 16, 2003
Painter’s Liquid Ink Effect blends like that, and you can also define "height" of the effect. Creates great encaustic works.
PC
Pierre_Courtejoie
Oct 16, 2003
Would playing with blending modes like darken, and a treshold adjustment layer work?
HL
hanford_lemoore
Oct 17, 2003
Thanks for the suggestions, but liquify does not produce smooth enough results, and I don’t want to spring for Painter, I’m more looking for a plug-in for Photoshop.

I think for now I’ll stick with Photoshop’s Smooth option, and just do it to oversized graphics that I’ll then scale down to get cleaner results.

~Hanford
HD
hot_denim
Oct 17, 2003
I believe if you get to know liquify you CAN produce smooth results.
JB
Jonathan_Balza
Oct 17, 2003
One method of getting the kind of effect you demonstrated with the image you posted would be this:

1. Create the circle you want (For this example, it is about 15 pixels wide.) on a new layer. Make sure you have some room around the edges of it. (5 pix or so should be good.) I would make the background black and the circle white, but this is up to you.

2. Apply Gaussian blur to the circle. Use a number 1 pix less than the amount of space you have. (for a total of a 4 pixel gaussian blur in this case)

3. "alt" drag the blurred circle layer over to the right about 20 pixels, this creates a new layer with another blurred circle on it.

4. Create a new levels adjustment layer above the two blurred circle layers now. On this new adjustment layer, bring the two sliders on top in to meet each other somewhere in the middle.

5. Now move the second circle layer back on top of the first one. You should see the effect happen as you move it. You can animate this in imageReady, adjust the settings separately, or even create masks to add layer styles to, like this one:
PH
Photo_Help
Oct 17, 2003
Jonathan,

Nice solution!
PC
Pierre_Courtejoie
Oct 18, 2003
Ah… Sir Jon at his best 😉
HL
hanford_lemoore
Oct 18, 2003
Jonathan,

Thanks so much for this tip! I never would have come up with that solution myself.

I guess to apply colors and/or effects to it you have to copy-merged it and paste to a new layer? I noticed it doesn’t work unless you have a background.

~Hanford
JB
Jonathan_Balza
Oct 18, 2003
Glad I could help… Unfortunately, I can’t think of a good way to create masks with it other than to copy-merge it like you say. If anyone else has and idea about that, I would be very happy to hear it.

Nice to see you around here, Pierre.

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