How To Create Apple’s Liquid Glass in After Effects (100% No Plugins!)

Creating the Liquid Glass Effect in After Effects 00:00

"In this video, I will show you how to rebuild the liquid glass look entirely inside of After Effects."

• The tutorial focuses on recreating Apple's liquid glass effect using only After Effects, avoiding any external plugins. The presenter has invested significant time to mimic the original look as closely as possible.

• To begin, users must create a new composition in After Effects, ideally set to 4K resolution to assess how the effect interacts with various backgrounds.

Using Shape Tools to Form the Effect 00:33

"Click and hold on the rectangle tool to reveal more shape options."

• The tutorial instructs users to draw a rounded rectangle shape by either dragging it directly on the composition or double-clicking the tool icon for a centered shape.

• It is essential to rename the new shape layer for clarity and to organize the project further.

Adjusting the Shape and Adding Highlights 01:21

"With your main shape selected, go to the toolbar, click on stroke, and set it to none."

• Users are guided through adjusting the fill color to solid white and duplicating the shape layer to create an 'edge shine' effect that mimics highlights around the glass edges.

• The edge shine layer is parented to the main shape layer, ensuring that it moves dynamically with the shape, while the original main layer can be hidden.

Enhancing Depth with Edge Darkness and Shadows 04:05

"To recreate that, duplicate the edge shine layer and rename the new one 'edge darkness.'"

• To add depth, the 'edge darkness' layer is created by adjusting fill settings, including stroke color and thickness. A Gaussian blur is then applied to soften the appearance.

• Furthermore, a subtle drop shadow enhances the liquid glass effect's realism, with tweaks to opacity, direction, and distance to suit different background elements.

Applying Adjustment Layers for Glass Effects 06:14

"Select the shadow, then go to layer, new adjustment layer."

• An adjustment layer is introduced to apply effects such as 'CC Glass' and 'CC Lens' to enhance the glass effect's depth and distortion properties.

• The adjustments include linking properties to ensure they move with the main shape and fine-tuning settings such as bump maps, light intensity, and shading.

Final Touches: Refraction and Displacement Effects 08:40

"Duplicate the edge shine layer again and rename it to 'refraction map.'"

• A final duplicate of the edge shine layer is altered to create a refraction map, contributing to the glass effect's realism with gradient adjustments.

• Using the displacement map effect will allow for the final refinement of the liquid glass appearance, providing that essential touch of realism by mimicking how light interacts with glass.

Creating the Liquid Glass Effect 09:34

"To replicate the slight magnification of the liquid glass effect, add a transform effect to the adjustment layer."

• Start by setting the vertical displacement to minus 110, which allows for soft internal refraction around the shape’s edges.

• To enhance the effect, you can modify the blur and stroke thickness for a refined appearance.

• Apply a transform effect to the adjustment layer to achieve a subtle magnification by linking both the anchor point and position to the main shape's position using the pick whip.

• Increase the scale slightly to around 110 for a gentle magnification effect.

Adding Blur for Realism 10:12

"A giant blur effect softens everything behind the shape and blends the distortion more naturally with the background."

• Applying a giant blur effect to the adjustment layer, setting the blurriness to 40, will create a softness that enhances visibility by blending the distorted glass effect with the chosen background.

• This blurriness value is adjustable depending on the desired visual outcome and the characteristics of the background.

Introducing Color Tint to the Glass Effect 10:30

"Duplicate the refraction map, disable the track mat, and set the stroke thickness to zero for a translucent tint."

• To add a hint of color to the liquid glass effect, duplicate the refraction map and rename it to 'color.'

• After disabling the track mat, delete the Gaussian blur effect, set the stroke thickness to zero, and reposition this layer just above the main shape.

• Adjust the fill to any desired color and lower the opacity to around 40%, allowing for a subtle translucent effect that works well with any overlaying UI elements.

Animating the Liquid Glass Shape 11:10

"To animate the liquid glass shape, create a null object that will serve as the main control for position and size."

• Create a null object and connect the main shape's position and size properties to it using the pick whip, enabling simple adjustments to the animation.

• Start by animating the position: select the null object, set keyframes by clicking the stopwatch, and create a straightforward top-to-bottom movement.

• Use the graph editor for smooth transitions by selecting both keyframes, pressing F9 for easy ease, and adjusting the curve for fluid motion.

• You can also animate the scale in the same manner and add keyframes to the roundness property of the main shape for additional flexibility in animation.

Final Adjustments for Fluid Animation 12:29

"This allows you to morph the shape, move it around, scale it, and animate its corners effortlessly while maintaining the liquid glass effect."

• Consider adding keyframes to animate the corners of the main shape, enhancing the overall dynamism of the effect.

• This approach provides extensive options for morphing, positioning, scaling, and adjusting the corners, all while ensuring that the liquid glass effect remains synchronized and visually cohesive throughout the changes.