FUSION WORKFLOW / 06
Level: Intermediate workflowEnergy Color Reveal — Car Example
Two color versions of a car are blended with an animated mask while FastNoise, Displace, Edge Detect, Glow and Mosaic Blur create an energetic digital transition front.
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Understand the task
This workflow stacks original and recolored versions of the same shot inside a Fusion Clip. The new color is revealed from left to right by an animated Rectangle whose edge is distorted with FastNoise and Displace. Separate Edge Detect branches generate yellow and purple outlines, Glow amplifies them, and Mosaic Blur breaks the narrow transition zone into visible digital fragments. A simple color change becomes a controlled energy-style reveal.
The effect is separated into one base reveal and two decorative branches. Merge1 only changes the old color to the new one. Merge2 adds a yellow luminous edge inside a broader noisy mask. Merge3 overlays a purple outline in Lighten mode, while its Effect Mask is built through Mosaic Blur and Filter so the second glow appears only in a narrow pixelated transition region. This separation lets you tune reveal shape, fragment size, color and brightness independently.
Node graph
Zoom into a branch, select a node and inspect its incoming connections.
Select a node to inspect its connections. Drag to pan; Ctrl/Cmd + wheel or + / − to zoom. Arrow keys move the view; Home fits the graph.On a touch screen, enable Move to pan and pinch the graph.
| From | To | Input |
|---|---|---|
| Background | ||
| Foreground | ||
| Input | ||
| Foreground | ||
| EffectMask | ||
| See the graph and walkthrough | ||
| Input | ||
| Foreground | ||
| Background | ||
| Input | ||
| Foreground | ||
| EffectMask | ||
| Source | ||
| Input | ||
| See the graph and walkthrough | ||
| Input | ||
| Foreground | ||
| Background | ||
| EffectMask | ||
| Input |
Assembly order
Feed the original car into Merge1 Background and the recolored version into Foreground. Both states must match in duration, geometry and timing or the reveal edge will expose registration errors.
Rectangle1 travels left to right and defines the main reveal area. FastNoise1 becomes a displacement map and Displace1 turns the straight rectangle edge into an irregular organic boundary. The result drives Merge1 Effect Mask.
The first decorative branch extracts a bright yellow edge from the new-color layer and softens it with Glow. Merge2 adds it over the revealed image only inside a second noisy Displace mask.
A very narrow Rectangle1_1 moves along a separate Path and forms the active transition strip. High-detail, high-contrast FastNoise with Discontinuous breaks that strip into irregular fragments.
Mosaic Blur converts the noisy strip into readable hexagonal fragments. Filter shapes the signal before it becomes the Effect Mask for Merge3 so the pixel breakup stays confined to the transition front.
The second branch produces a broader purple outline. Merge3 uses Lighten, adding energy only to bright areas while Filter1 limits the glow to the active digital-breakup zone.
MediaOut receives the complete color reveal with the new paint, noisy transition edge, pixel fragments and two independent luminous contours.
Node parameters
The values below belong to this example. Use the descriptions to understand what each setting controls when adapting the graph to your footage.
The wide Rectangle drives the main color change and crosses the entire object. Center is linked to Path1 so one Displacement animation controls the sweep.
The first noise/displace pair breaks the perfectly straight Reveal edge. Strong Contrast creates islands while modest X Refraction keeps the overall mask readable.
The yellow branch produces a thin hot edge close to the new color boundary. Edge Overlay preserves image contours and Glow expands them into a soft halo.
The second Rectangle is a very narrow angled strip moving along the transition edge. Multiple Path keys make its speed less mechanical.
This branch creates fine gaps and fragments inside the narrow strip. Discontinuous produces harder jumps and the large X Scale stretches the noise structure.
Mosaic Blur turns the noise mask into readable hexagonal cells. The high frequency keeps the breakup fine enough to feel digital rather than like a censorship mosaic.
The purple branch is broader and softer than the yellow one. It creates the outer energy halo while Merge3 Lighten preserves the brighter composite result.
Troubleshooting
Do not use two source states with different framing or scale; original and recolored versions must align pixel for pixel.
Do not connect the new-color version to Merge1 Background. Keep the original as Background and reveal the new state as Foreground.
Do not make the first mask too narrow; it controls the full color replacement, not only the luminous edge.
Avoid excessive Displace1 values or the reveal boundary will tear into large holes and parts of the object will flicker.
Do not make Mosaic Blur cells huge or the effect starts to resemble censoring rather than digital breakup.
Do not run both Glow branches without masks or the entire object will glow for the whole shot.
Remember that Edge Detect is a Resolve FX; appearance can differ on systems with different versions or licensing.
Check the composition
Tick each item after checking it in your own composition.
These references explain the tools and connections used in the graph.
Working in the Node Editor: Merge inputs and output-image resolution.
Bitmap Mask and Common Mask Controls: images as masks, channel selection, alpha and range.
