Drip

Drip [DRP] is a 2D Warp effect that computes ripples internally without an external displacement map. Feed an ordinary image into its orange Input and take an ordinary image from Output. This is not a Deep image node, a 3D renderer or a Merge operation.

The optional blue Effect Mask receives an Ellipse, Polygon, Rectangle or another mask. The Blackmagic reference says the mask limits the result after the tool has processed it. It does not act as a second displacement-map input or foreground image.

Controls shows a Shape pop-up followed by Center X/Y, Aspect, Amplitude, Dampening, Frequency and Phase. The archived screenshot reads Circular, Center=(0.5,0.5), Aspect=1, Amplitude=0.1, Dampening=0, Frequency=10, Phase=0. Those are captured values, not mandatory production settings.

The Resolve 21 reference documents Circular, Square, Random, Horizontal, Vertical, Exponential, Star and Radial. All eight labels are visible on the genuine captured menu, but the alternatives appear grey. A screenshot alone cannot establish whether they are disabled, condition-dependent or simply styled that way. Their live availability remains unverified.

Circular produces rings around Center, while Square creates four-sided waves. Random spreads an irregular noise-like disturbance, rather than simulating individual liquid droplets. Horizontal and Vertical produce waves in the corresponding directions.

The manual describes Exponential as a diamond whose sides curve inward, not merely as “faster amplitude growth.” Star is an eight-fold symmetrical pattern that can look kaleidoscopic under Phase animation. Radial produces a star-shaped ripple from a fixed pattern. They have distinct meanings.

Center positions the origin in normalized image coordinates: X=0.5, Y=0.5 is the frame center. Place it at the visible point of impact; moving Center is not interchangeable with animating Phase.

Aspect changes shape proportions. 1.0 is symmetrical; smaller values make the shape taller and narrower, larger values make it shorter and wider. It can support a perspective illusion on water but is not a corner pin or camera tracker.

Amplitude represents ripple peak height and visible distortion. 0.0 means no ripple. The manual illustrates 10.0 as an extreme upper slider value, while larger numbers may be typed into the input field. Do not treat that slider endpoint as an absolute parameter limit.

Dampening reduces amplitude farther from Center and helps localize a shockwave. The falloff is procedural rather than physical fluid decay. Fine-tune Dampening first, then use an Effect Mask to constrain the affected area if necessary.

Frequency changes the number/density of waves. In the manual, 0.0 produces no ripples, and the slider reaches 100. High frequency on tiny typography or high-contrast textures can cause aliasing, crawling edges and compression artifacts.

Phase offsets the ripple pattern and is the main motion control. Animating Phase makes waves propagate without moving Center; reversing keyframe direction can change perceived motion. Animate Amplitude separately from zero to a peak and back for a single hit.

Warp nodes share Settings controls including Blend and mask/channel operations. Blend=0 passes the original input through; it is not the same setting as Amplitude=0 or an empty mask, even if each can visually suppress distortion.

The provided Drip screenshots only show Controls and the Shape dropdown, not Settings. Therefore the shared Settings inventory below is based on the Blackmagic Warp Common Controls reference, not a personally validated capture of the target build. Verify Motion Blur, GPU and ID-channel options in the installed version.

An Effect Mask limits where warping becomes visible; it cannot make Drip produce water splashes, reflections or physically correct caustics. Use Drip for stylized water, title warps and short emphasis beats, with separate layers when realism is needed.

For liquid typography, run Text+ through Drip and optionally Glow, then connect the result to Merge.Foreground over the plate. Check transparency/alpha and Domain of Definition, since the warp may push glyph pixels outside their original bounds.

Drip processes a single image. Dissolve mixes two images. For a warp-driven cut, keyframe Drip Amplitude and Phase on the outgoing source, then use a separate Dissolve to mix it with the incoming shot.

The typed learning diagrams below check connectivity and declared controls. They are not native .comp exports, proof of GPU rendering or proof that every alternative Shape is selectable in the target Resolve installation. Real Resolve testing remains pending.