Dot Array

A stylization filter to help you simulates the look of LCD panels, large pixel arrays common on stadium panels, or create never-before-seen color separations through the use of multi-channel support and perceptual color mixing.

This plugin expands and replaces two effects found in previous version of FxFactory Pro: Dots and LED Lights.

This plugin has been completely redesigned in FxFactory Pro 6 to support advanced source and mask selection, chromatic aberration and animatable parameters.

The user interface encourages progressive discovery of the large number of features. Built-in presets offer shortcuts to popular styles and techniques. Master advanced techniques once and apply them to other plugins that share the same design.

Compatibility

Dot Array is compatible with Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve.

Parameters

Presets

Presets contain a snapshot of your effect configuration. 26 built-in presets are available.

When you save parameter configuration to a file on disk, this file can later be loaded to recreate the same effect configuration. Presets generated in one video application can be used by the same plug-in running in a different video application.

Working with the Presets Browser

Preview

This parameter enables a canvas preview of the pixels selected through the Source and Mask parameter sections.

Previewing the Source and Mask

Dot Array

Channels

The following options are available:

  • All (default) — The input image is divide into blocks of a single size, defined by the Radius parameter.
  • RGB — Different sizes are used for the red, green and blue channels.
  • HSB — Different sizes are used for hue, saturation and brightness.
  • CMYK — Different sizes are used for the the cyan, magenta, yellow and black channels.
  • YUV — Different sizes are used for luminance and chroma channels, as represented according to ITU-R BT.601.
  • Oklab — Different sizes are used for perceptual brightness and chroma, as represented in the Oklab color space.
When Channels is set to a value other than All, you will see up to four separate Scale, Radius, Angle and Softness parameters, to customize the effect for each channel.

Center

Origin of the grid pattern. This parameter also affects the color used to fill each dot. When applicable, light and shadow colors are specified through separate parameters.

Scale

Determines the size of each cell in the grid. Dots within each cell are drawn using either a fixed or variable radius. This is controlled through the Sizing parameter.

Sizing

The following options are available:

  • Fixed size (default) — Every dot within its cell is drawn with identical radius. This value is a percentage, where 100% means the radius extends to the edge of the cell.
  • Variable size — The radius of each dot is controlled by its luminance. Other parameters allow you to link the radius to bright or dark pixels, as they appear in the underlying clip, or generated through noise, or obtained by combining the current Source and Mask. Because luminance varies, the radius falls within minimum and maximum sizes you can specify through the Radius parameter. When the effect is applied to multiple channels, you will see separate Radius 1, Radius 2, etc. sliders to define separate ranges for each channel.
Comparing fixed (top) vs variable size radius (bottom)
Comparing fixed (top) vs variable size radius (bottom)

Radius

This parameter is available as a standard slider, or as a range slider, depending on whether Sizing is set to Fixed size or Variable size, respectively.

  • Fixed size – The Radius slider controls the size of each dot within the grid.
  • Variable size – The Radius range slider defines the minimum and maximum radius of each dot within the grid. The minimum and maximum radii are calculated based on the luminance value of the current source, itself determined by Link Radius to parameter. A higher radius may be linked to either bright or dark pixels. This behavior is further controlled by the Proportional to parameter.

When the effect is applied to multiple channels, you will see separate Radius 1, Radius 2, Radiuse 3, one for each channel. A fourth Radius 4 slider is available when computing the effect in CMYK.

Proportional to

This parameter is only available when Sizing is set to Variable size.

Comparing radius linked to bright (top) vs dark pixels (bottom)
Comparing radius linked to bright (top) vs dark pixels (bottom)

The following options are available:

  • Bright pixels — When selected, brighter pixels are assigned a larger radius, according to the range defined by the Radius slider.
  • Dark pixels (default) — When selected, darker pixels are assigned a larger radius, according to the range defined by the Radius slider.

Crop to Mask

When the Link Radius to parameter is set to use the current mask defined by the Source and Mask parameters, this option allows you to control whether the mask is simply used to define the radius of each dot, or if it is also used to crop the output.

Noise Scale X

When Link Radius to is set to Noise, this parameter allows you control the horizontal scale of the animated noise pattern.

Noise Scale Y

When Link Radius to is set to Noise, this parameter allows you control the vertical scale of the animated noise pattern.

Noise Speed

When Link Radius to is set to Noise, this parameter controls how fast the pattern changes over time.

Angle

Rotates the grid. When Channels is set to something other than All you will see up to four separate Angle parameters, allowing you to choose a different angle for each channel.

For example, if Channels is set to RGB, the Angle 1, Angle 2 and Angle 3 dials control the red, green and blue channels, respectively.

Softness

Blurs each dot within its cell. When Channels is set to something other than All you will see up to four separate Softness parameters, allowing you to choose a different angle for each channel.

For example, if Channels is set to CMYK, the Softness 1, Softness 2, Softness 3 and Softness 4 sliders control the cyan, magenta, yellow and black channels, respectively.

Compositing

Parameters in this group allow you to apply color adjustments and control how the effect is composited.

Exposure

Adjusts the exposure of the effect. Does not affect the background, whether it is set to a color or to the clip itself.

Saturation

Adjusts the saturation of the effect. Does not affect the background, whether it is set to a color or to the clip itself.

Contrast

Adjusts the contrast of the effect. Does not affect the background, whether it is set to a color or to the clip itself.

Opacity

Controls the opacity of the effect, affecting the output before it is composited over the chosen background. At 0% the effect is not visible.

Background Color

Available only when Background is set to Background Color.

Background Opacity

Controls the opacity of either the original clip or background color that appear below the effect, depending on the current selection of Background.

Blend Mode

Controls the operation used to blend the effect over a background color or the original clip, according to the option selected in the Background parameter.

Lighting

Parameters in this group control the shape, color and orientation of the light and shadow applied to each dot. Lighting is only available when computing the effect in the RGB color space.

Flatness

At 0%, each dot is fully round, with both light and shadow at maximum visibility. At 100%, neither light nor shadow is visible.

Light

Color set to
white with 50% alpha by default.

Shadow

Color set to
black with 50% alpha by default.

Angle

Controls the location of the light source. When both the light angle the grid pattern angle are being animated, the light source remains fixed, allowing the grid to rotate without affecting lighting direction.

Blending

Allows you to decide whether lights and shadows are applied to each dot using traditional compositing methods, or through a perceptual color space for more natural results that avoid oversaturation.

Source

Parameters in this section allow you to choose a set of pixels to apply the effect to, based on a number of techniques:

  • Luminance Range: select a range of pixels based on their brightness.
  • Color Key: select a range of pixels through a keying algorithm.
  • Edges: select pixels according to an edge detection algorithm.
  • Person Contour: select the main subject in the video frame through an AI-assisted algorithm. Works best with human subjects.
  • Object Tracker: select pixels by tracking one or more objects across the frame.
  • Face Detection: select pixels by detecting the location of human faces and tracking them across the frame for the duration of the clip.

Choosing Source Pixels

Original (left), selecting the darkest pixels (center) and lightest pixels (right)
Original (left), selecting the darkest pixels (center) and lightest pixels (right)

Mask

Parameters in this section define a shape used to crop the output of the effect with. When using an object tracker or face detection, the same mask shape is replicated for each object or face that appears in the frame.

  • Off: no cropping occurs.
  • Rectangle: crop the output to a rectangular shape.
  • Oval: crop the output to a circular shape.
  • Gradient: crop the output to a linear gradient.
  • Bar: crop the output to a two-sided gradient.
  • Custom: crop the output to a shape defined by a custom graphic.
  • Text: crop the outut to a shape defined by a title.

Choosing a Mask

Rectangular mask (left), gradient (center), gradient mixed with Person Contour (right)
Rectangular mask (left), gradient (center), gradient mixed with Person Contour (right)

Chromatic Aberration

Parameters in this section allow you to apply color distortions inspired by lens geometry, but with greater artistic range.

Using Chromatic Aberration

Original (left), distortion of the red and blue channels (center) and of chroma (right)
Original (left), distortion of the red and blue channels (center) and of chroma (right)

Animation

This section allows you to animate effect parameters over time.

Build In/Out

Enable and control animation progress through a set of parameters.

When the animation is Off, no transition in or out of the effect occurs.

When the effect is set to build in and out by Trimming, the following parameters are displayed:

The Trim slider defines a range where the effect has been fully built. Any time outside this range is spent building the animation in or out. For example, if the Trim range is set between 20% and 80%, the effect builds in from the start of the clip up to 20% of its duration. The effects builds out from 80% to the end of the clip. If the clip were 5 seconds long, the build in and out animations last 1 second each.

When the effect is set to build in and out through a Duration, the following parameters are displayed:

The Build In (secs) and Build Out (secs) give you an exact way to decide how long each animation should last. Should your selection not be applicable to the current clip, a warning will appear in the output. For example, if your clip lasts only 3 seconds, it would be impossible to have the build in and out animations both last 2 seconds each (as the total would be 4 seconds).

When the effect is set to build in and out through Keyframes, a single parameter is displayed:

The Build In (Easing) and Build Out (Easing) parameters let you choose the animation curve when animating by Trimming the clip or by specifying a Duration.

The Progress parameter gives complete control over the animation to you. You will need to keyframe the Progress parameter using features of the video app. Note that there are no easing options when manually animating via keyframes.

Scale

Turn this parameter on to animate the Scale of the effect, which controls the size of each cell within the grid pattern. When using different radii for various color channels, you will be able to animate Scale 1, Scale 2, Scale 3 and Scale 4 independently.

Scale Animation

Center

Turn this parameter on to animate the Center location of the Crystallize effect.

Center Animation

Radius

Turn this parameter on to animate the Radius of each dot within its cell. When using different radii for various color channels, you will be able to animate Radius 1, Radius 2, Radius 3 and Radius 4 independently.

Please note that Radius can only be animated when Sizing is set to Fixed size. It is not possible to animate radii when the size of each dot falls within a range.

Radius Animation

Angle

Turn this parameter on to animate the Angle of the grid. When applying the effect to separate color channels, you can animate Angle 1, Angle 2, Angle 3 and Angle 4 separately.

Angle Animation

Light Color

Turn this parameter on to animate the Light Color. Lighting is only available when the effect is computed in the RGB color space.

Light Color Animation

Light Angle

Turn this parameter on to animate the Light Angle. Lighting is only available when the effect is computed in the RGB color space.

Angle Animation

Aberration Amount

Turn this parameter on to animate the Amount value specified under the Chromatic Aberration section. A number of standard controls allow you to control the animation:

Aberration Amount Animation

Animating the Aberration Amount with Directional (left) and Radial (right) Fringing

Seed

A number that controls random aspects of the effect.

Click the New button to assign a new seed value. When the seed value is changed, the effect uses a different random sequence to produce a different output.

Edit the existing value to manually assign a seed number. This may help you replicate a particular sequence of random events. In Final Cut Pro and Motion, hold down the Option ⌥ key to access the Edit button in the inspector.

Channel Mixer

This section allows you to limit the effect to specific channels, leaving others unmodified.

Limiting the Effect to Specific Channels