Warp Lab

Turn a flat gradient into a sweeping tunnel, bend a title around a curve, or build a kaleidoscope from a simple pattern. Warp Lab brings projection, warping and radial symmetry together in one Cavalry filter.

Start with a shape, some type, an image or a procedural texture. Wrap it into spherical space, pull it through a lens, or let it spiral around a moving center. The same controls can produce a subtle curve in a logo or a completely abstract composition.

Main features

A different view of your artwork

Six projection modes give flat artwork a new sense of space. Plane to Sphere creates curved patches with a rounded silhouette. Sphere to Plane opens up panoramic imagery into a perspective view. Stereographic and Fisheye give you sweeping lens effects, while Cylinder and Polar offer curved bands, rings and tunnel-like patterns.

Independent source and projection rotations let you explore the result from different orientations. Adjust the field of view, scale and center to frame the part you want, then animate those settings to move through the projection.

Bend, twist and reshape

Bend curves type and graphics along a direction you choose. Twist turns a local area into a spiral, while Pinch / Bulge pulls detail inward or pushes it outward. Move the warp center, change its radius and adjust the falloff to control how much of the artwork is affected.

Use these warps on their own or combine them with a projection. Their strengths remain independent of Projection Amount, so you can build a curved title without committing to any projection effects.

Patterns from a single source

Kaleidoscope repeats a section of your artwork around a center to create a symmetrical radial pattern. Mirror creates reflected joins; Repeat copies a wedge for a more segmented pattern. Change the segment count to establish the structure, then animate its rotation or center to keep the pattern moving.

The symmetry includes the projected and warped result, giving a simple gradient, texture or piece of type plenty of room to develop into something unexpected.

Shape the boundary

Plane Corner Radius rounds the source-plane boundary before projection, giving Plane to Sphere a smooth outline without relying on a blurred edge. Transparent edges reveal the silhouette; Repeat, Mirror and Clamp provide other ways to extend the source.

Feather the source bounds in percentages or output pixels, depending on whether you want the fade to follow the artwork or keep a more consistent visible width. Manual Output Padding gives isolated layers room to bend and project beyond their original bounds.

Keep the pattern flowing

Source Tiling and Source Offset let you repeat and move the artwork through a projection. Seam Angle positions the wrapped join, and Seam Blend softens differences across source repeats and longitudinal seams. These controls are useful for flowing textures and panoramic effects where an abrupt join would interrupt the motion.

Typical uses

• Curved titles, logos and graphic accents.
• Rounded spherical patches made from gradients and textures.
• Sweeping tunnels, rings and lens effects.
• Kaleidoscopic backgrounds and radial patterns.
• Animated texture flows and panoramic views.
• Abstract transitions driven by projection and warp settings.

Working in Cavalry

Warp Lab works well with shapes, text, images and shader-driven artwork. Build the source with Cavalry's own tools, then use Warp Lab to change how it's mapped.

The controls can be keyframed or driven by Cavalry's behaviors and expressions. Choose Draft, Smooth or High sampling to suit the shot, with a separate Input Interpolation setting for Cavalry's input sampler.