Smear controls

Adjust the following controls for the Smear effect:

Source Mask

Specifies a mask as the source mask. By default, After Effects selects the second mask you create or import for the layer as the source mask.

Note: You must specify both a boundary mask and a source mask to create a distortion.

Boundary Mask

Specifies a mask as the boundary mask. By default, After Effects selects the first mask you create or import as the boundary mask.

Mask Offset

Specifies a destination position for the source mask. The offset is a position specified by x and y coordinates, which appear to the right of the Offset button. To set an offset location, click the Offset button, and then click the image in the desired location. To set the offset position numerically, type a new value for each axis. When you don't need the precision provided by Mask Offset, you can simply drag the source mask offset in the Composition window.

Note: Unwanted undulations may occur if the source mask is close to the boundary mask during animation.

Mask Rotation

Rotates the source mask around its center point, between 0 and 360 degrees.

Mask Scale

Scales the source mask (at its offset position) larger or smaller, in relation to its original position.

Percent

Specifies what percent of the smear is actually performed. For example, when Percent is set to 50%, Smear performs half of the smear you have specified by moving, scaling, and rotating the source mask. This value doesn't affect the location of the original and offset positions of the source mask; it affects only the percent of the effect that is performed.

Elasticity

Specifies how closely the image follows the shape defined by the curve. Stiff distorts the least, while Super Fluid distorts the most. In general, use the stiffest setting possible that doesn't create polygonal images.

Interpolation Method

Specifies a method for the interpolation that Smear performs between keyframes. Linear requires two or more keyframes and performs a straight-line interpolation between the keyframes. Linear produces robot-like animations in which the distortions change at keyframes. Smooth requires three or more keyframes and approximates the distortion using cubic curves, producing distortions with graceful motion. If you need further accuracy in the animation between keyframes, add more keyframes. For example, a distortion representing a 90-degree rotation between two keyframes appears as a folding of the image. To make this distortion more fluid, add a keyframe for every 10 degrees.